Understanding Northeastern US Alpine Mountains: Context, Causal Agents of Treeline, and Meteorology to Approximate Their Response to Climate Change

Kimball, Kenneth D.; Weihrauch, Douglas M.; Murray, Georgia

doi:10.1656/045.028.s1106

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Alpine plant species of low stature do not compete well for light under established forest canopy, thus, habitat colonized by encroaching trees will likely be unsuitable for these species (Körner, 2012). Coupled with the potential loss of persistent winter snowpack under future warming, which serves to insulate alpine plants from severe cold and ice‐induced stress, any upslope shifts in treeline positions may threaten vulnerable alpine species further (Burakowski et al, 2022; Inouye, 2020; Kimball et al, 2021; Publicover et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the very least, increasing temperatures and growing season length may help reduce stress due to various aspects of climate (e.g. high levels of wind and icing) for trees that occur near the upper limits of their physical tolerances, particularly so for gradual diffuse and potentially for abrupt krummholz and krummholz‐island treeline forms located in more sheltered microhabitats (Greenwood et al, 2014; Kimball et al, 2021). Indeed, infilling and height growth of krummholz‐island patches have been observed from comparisons of historic and contemporary eye‐level photos in the Presidential Range (Cogbill, personal communication).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the Presidential Range has seen the construction of a toll road and hiking trails to the summit of Mt. Washington as well as hiker huts scattered above the alpine‐treeline ecotone, each of which could shape treeline positions at local scales, but not across the full range, vis‐à‐vis tree removal and damage (Kimball et al, 2021; Publicover et al, 2021). Historical logging and mammal grazing (both commercial and natural) in high‐elevation krummholz areas within the region was quite minimal (Capers et al, 2013; Publicover et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contemporary mean treeline elevation also tended to be higher at these aspects. This was surprising given that these aspects were more exposed to prevailing winds and to the atmospheric jet stream, potentially leading to increased icing from rime ice and less snow cover which can directly physically damage trees, reduce carbon reserves, and prevent further treeline expansion (Kimball et al, 2021; Richardson et al, 2004). At the very least, increasing temperatures and growing season length may help reduce stress due to various aspects of climate (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forests on the move: Tracking climate‐related treeline changes in mountains of the northeastern United States

Tourville,

Publicover,

Dovciak

2023

Journal of Biogeography

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AimAlpine treeline ecotones are influenced by environmental drivers and are anticipated to shift their locations in response to changing climate. Our goal was to determine the extent of recent climate‐induced treeline advance in the northeastern United States, and we hypothesized that treelines have advanced upslope in complex ways depending on treeline structure and environmental conditions.LocationWhite Mountain National Forest (New Hampshire) and Baxter State Park (Maine), USA.TaxonHigh‐elevation tree species—Abies balsamea, Picea mariana and Betula cordata.MethodsWe compared current and historical high‐resolution aerial imagery to quantify the advance of treelines over the last four decades, and link treeline changes to treeline form (demography) and environmental drivers. Spatial analyses of the aerial images were coupled with ground surveys of forest vegetation and topographical features to ground‐truth treeline classification and provide information on treeline demography and additional potential drivers of treeline locations. We used multiple linear regression models to examine the importance of both topographic and climatic variables on treeline advance.ResultsRegional treelines have significantly shifted upslope over the past several decades (on average by 3 m/decade). Gradual diffuse treelines (characterized by declining tree density) showed significantly greater upslope shifts (5 m/decade) compared to other treeline forms, suggesting that both climate warming and treeline demography are important correlates of treeline shifts. Topographical features (slope, aspect) as well as climate (accumulated growing degree days, AGDD) explained significant variation in the magnitude of treeline advance (R2 = 0.32).Main ConclusionsThe observed advance of treelines is consistent with the hypothesis that climate warming induces upslope treeline shifts. Overall, our findings suggest that gradual diffuse treelines at high elevations may be indicative of climate warming more than other alpine treeline ecotones and thus they can inform us about past and ongoing climatic changes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forests on the move: Tracking climate‐related treeline changes in mountains of the northeastern United States

Tourville,

Publicover,

Dovciak

2023

Journal of Biogeography

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“…1). Treeline in the Presidential Range is between 1100 and 1500 m (Kimball and Weihrauch 2000). At the summit, Mount Washington Observatory (MWO) operates as a National Weather Service ''cooperative station'' and submits hourly and synoptic observations.…”

Section: A Study Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Climatological Rise in Winter Temperature- and Dewpoint-Based Thaw Events and Their Impact on Snow Depth on Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Kelsey

Cinquino

2021

Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology

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We analyze how winter thaw events (TE; T>0°C) are changing on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire using three metrics: the number of TE, number of thaw hours, and number of thaw degree-hours for temperature and dewpoint for winters from 1935-36 to 2019-20. The impact of temperature-only-TE and dewpoint-TE on snow depth are compared to quantify the different impacts of sensible-only and sensible-and-latent heating, respectively. Results reveal that temperature- and dewpoint-TE for all metrics increased at a statistically significant rate (p<0.05) over the full time periods studied for temperature (1935-1936 to 2019-2020) and dewpoint (1939-1940 to 2019-2020). Notably around 2000-2001, the positive trends increased for most variables, including dewpoint thaw degree-hours that increased by 82.11 degree-hours decade-1 during 2000-2020 – about five times faster than the 1939-2020 rate of 17.70 degree-hours decade-1. Furthermore, a clear upward shift occurred around 1990 in the lowest winter values of thaw hours and thaw degree-hours – winters now have a higher baseline amount of thaw than before 1990. Snow depth loss during dewpoint-TE (0.36 cm hr-1) occurred more than twice as fast as temperature-only-TE (0.14 cm hr-1). With winters projected to warm throughout the 21st century in the Northeastern US, it is expected that the trends in winter thaw events, and the sensible and latent energy they bring, will continue to rise and lead to more frequent winter flooding, fewer days of good quality snow for winter recreation, and changes in ecosystem function.

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Linking repeat photography and remote sensing to assess treeline rise with climate warming: Mount of the Holy Cross, Colorado

Peterson

Berthiaume²,

Klett

et al. 2022

Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

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Understanding Northeastern US Alpine Mountains: Context, Causal Agents of Treeline, and Meteorology to Approximate Their Response to Climate Change

Cited by 4 publications

References 60 publications

Forests on the move: Tracking climate‐related treeline changes in mountains of the northeastern United States

Forests on the move: Tracking climate‐related treeline changes in mountains of the northeastern United States

The Climatological Rise in Winter Temperature- and Dewpoint-Based Thaw Events and Their Impact on Snow Depth on Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Linking repeat photography and remote sensing to assess treeline rise with climate warming: Mount of the Holy Cross, Colorado

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