What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate whether four decades of regional climate warming induced an upward elevational shift in the northern hardwood-boreal forest ecotone.

March 11, 2008Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesOpen Access

A rapid upward shift of a forest ecotone during 40 years of warming in the Green Mountains of Vermont

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Authors

BBBrian BeckageUniversity of Vermont BOB. B. OsborneUniversity of Vermont DGDaniel G. GavinDartmouth College

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Implication

Longitudinal survey reveals a rapid 91- to 119-meter upslope forest ecotone shift in montane ecosystems, indicating high-elevation zones face earlier climate disruption than anticipated.

Key Points

To evaluate whether four decades of regional climate warming induced an upward elevational shift in the northern hardwood-boreal forest ecotone.
Resurveyed permanent montane forest plots established in 1964 across elevation transects in 2004 to measure changes in tree species dominance and basal area.
Analyzed historical aerial photography from 1962 and satellite imagery from 2005 alongside interpolated regional temperature and precipitation records.
Dominance of northern hardwoods in the lower ecotone rose from 70% in 1964 to 89% in 2004, driven by up to a 76% reduction in boreal basal area and a 16% increase in hardwood basal area.
Upper ecotone boundaries shifted 91 to 119 m upslope between 1962 and 2005, coinciding with a 1.1 °C temperature increase and a 34% precipitation increase.

Cite This Study

Beckage et al. (2008) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a6cfc9178a11c550e07c08d https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0708921105

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Implication

Longitudinal survey reveals a rapid 91- to 119-meter upslope forest ecotone shift in montane ecosystems, indicating high-elevation zones face earlier climate disruption than anticipated.

A rapid upward shift of a forest ecotone during 40 years of warming in the Green Mountains of Vermont

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Cite This Study

A rapid upward shift of a forest ecotone during 40 years of warming in the Green Mountains of Vermont

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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