Transcript Potential Climate Change impacts on Sugar Maple Trees in NEW

Potential Climate Change impacts on
Sugar Maple Trees in NEW England
By: Katie McGoff
Outline
Background
sugar maple trees
preferred habitat
why important
Climate change
air temperature
snow cover
Changes in proportion of precipitation
Snow removal and temperature effects on soil
Seasonal patterns of carbohydrates
Summary
why this matters
Acer saccharum, Sugar
maple
hardwood
dense round crowns
heights of 20-35m
diameters of 50-90cm
“u-shaped” notched leaves
Luzadis et al. (1996).
Importance
commercial hardwood
fuelwood
home for wildlife
produce sweet sap
beautiful autumn colors
Native range (Goodman, 1978).
• global temperature are increasing (IPCC 2007).
• surface air temperature increase (Houghton et al. 2001).
• future of maple industry.
• lack of snow to protect roots.
• timing of spring.
• decline in syrup related to climate variability (Shea et al.
2001).
(IPCC 2007)
Important forest driver = warming.
IPCC (2007)
Negative Impact of climate
change on starch storage
Interactive effects
biotic stressors (Gregory et al 1986).
insects, root disease, and management injury.
abiotic stressors (Long et al. 1997).
soil moisture,
anthropogenic stressors (McLaughlin et al. 1996).
Traditional indicators for
syrup runs
Hydrologic variables consistent with warming
spring lake ice-out (Hodgkins et al. 2002).
river ice-out (Dudley and Hodgkins 2002).
snowmelt-driven spring runoff (Hodgkins 2002).
Changes in the Proportion of Precipitation occurring as snow
in New England (1949-200).
Huntington et. al. 2004. Journal of Climate 17: 2626-2636.
Introduction
(S/P) is a hydrologic indicator.
Sensitive to climate variability.
Detect & monitor climate change.
MEthods
21 sites
temperature &
precipitation obtained
results
Results
Average decrease in
annual ratio of snow/
total preci
Label open and closed
Why do we care?
Magnitude timing of spring.
run-off recession to summer.
earlier arrives.
Snow Removal and Ambient Air
Temperature Effects on
Forest Soil Temperatures in Northern Vermont.
Decker et. al. 2003. Soil science Society of America 67:1234-1243.
Methods
measured soil temperatures for four winters.
three soil depths.
control (unmanipulated).
snow-free (snow removed).
Results
snow-free soils colder at 5cm
15cm all years.
snow cover help insulate soil.
snow cover insulates and protects.
increased soil freezing = more root mortality nutrient loss.
potentially alter ecosystem dynamics.
Phenological Changes
Bud burst
Bud out
Autumn colors
forestwatch.sr.unh.edu
Leaf drop
(CITE!)
phenology is Consistent with
earlier spring
Timing of Lilac blooming (Schwarts Reiter 2000)
Bird migration (Dunn Winkler 1999).
Fish migration (Huntington et al. 2003).
So what about trees?
Seasonal patterns of reserve and soluble carbohydrates in mature
sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
WOND, B. L., BAGGETT, K.L.,RYE, A.H. 2003. JOURNAL OF BOTANY 81: 780-788.
Seasonal patterns
production
accumulation
utilization
Methods
trees selected randomly.
collections of leaves, twigs and branches.
concentrations of starch were determined
Starch = major reserve
carbohydrate
•Starch is low during active
photosynthetic growth
•Accumulates in late summer
& early fall
•correlation between starch
hydrolysis - accumulation and
temperature
•How patterns could shift
Why do we care?
Seasonal carbohydrates profiles show seasonal patterns.
linked to phenology & physiology.
use assess disturbance of tree physiology.
Shifts in cold season profiles of carbohydrates.
timing of tapping
why do we care?
Decreased Snowfall
Increased soil frost
Increased root mortality
Shifting seasonal patterns
Authors photo
What becomes of the Future?
How might syrup producers adapt
to maintain production if seasonal
patterns continue to warming?
Authors photo
References
An Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, Climate Change 2007: A Synthesis Report. February 2007, pp. 1-52.
Auclair, A.N.D., Heilman, W.E., and Brinkman, B. Predicting forest dieback in Maine, USA: a simple model based on soil frost and drought. 2010. Canadian
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Decker, K.L.M, Wang, D., Waite, C., and Scherbatskoy, T. Snow Removal and Ambient Air Temperature Effects on Forest Soil Temperatures in Northern Vermont.
2003. Soil Science Society of America. 67: 1234-1243.
Dunn, P. O., and D. W. Winkler, 1999: Climate change has affected breeding date of tree swallows throughout North America. Proc. Roy. Soc. London, B266,
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Huntington, T.G., Hodgkins, G.A., Keim, B.D., and Dudley, R.W. 2004. Changes in the Proportion of Precipitation Occurring as Snow in New England (1949-2000),
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of Botany. 81: 780-788.
Acknowledgements
Dr. Pruyn
Peter Thomas and Mount Cube Farm
questions?
Authors photo