Tree responses to drought in the context of climate change

Extensive ecosystem changes are expected to be driven by decreasing water availability in the western boreal forest. Warming of 2° C since the 1950’s has already been linked to water stress and declining tree growth in
some regions and species. Tree rings are a valuable tool for tracking changes in forest growth over time, but sampling is often cost and time prohibitive. Our research will assess the impact of drought in Alberta boreal forest
using tree rings, as well as evaluate the use of satellite imagery as a complementary, low-cost measure of forest growth. We will also make recommendations to improve the AMBI sampling protocol for tree rings to facilitate
future forest growth research.

Faculty Supervisor:

Scott Nielsen

Student:

Partner:

Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta

Program: