Assessing the influence of climate on the growth of green ash trees from five Plant Hardiness Zones growing in a range-wide provenance test near the species’ northern range limit

Abstract

Green ash is threatened with extirpation from emerald ash borer (EAB) attack. Because green ash has an extensive range, its restoration could require both breeding for EAB resistance and possible adaptation to a variety of environmental gradients. We assessed the growth and climate sensitivity of green ash from five Plant Hardiness Zones (PHZs) growing in a range-wide provenance test in Vermont. Although there tended to be greater growth among trees from the warmest PHZ (7), differences were rarely statistically distinguishable. For trees from all PHZs, growth was positively correlated with precipitation in the current year and negatively correlated with precipitation the year before (a possible legacy effect). Growth was negatively associated with temperature the year of ring formation but positively associated with temperatures the year before. Growth was often positively correlated with winter snow but was negatively associated with spring or fall snow for the warmest PHZs. Climate correlations for PHZ 3 were unusual in that: 1) only positive correlations were detected, 2) no legacy effects were noted, and 3) despite being from the coldest region, no correlations with snow were found. Growth increased over time for the warmest PHZs during a period of simultaneous increases in temperature and precipitation.