Regionally averaged diameter growth in New England forests

Robert B. Smith; James W. Hornbeck; C. Anthony Federer; Paul J. Jr. Krusic; Paul J. Krusic

doi:10.2737/NE-RP-637

Treesearch

Regionally averaged diameter growth in New England forests

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Robert B. Smith, James W. Hornbeck, C. Anthony Federer, Paul J., Jr. Krusic, Paul J. Krusic

Year:

1990

Type:

Research Paper

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/NE-RP-637

Source:

Res. Pap. NE-637. Radnor, PA: US. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 26 p.

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Download (PDF 1.96 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/21829.pdf

Abstract

A regional sample of tree-ring measurements was used to determine average annual growth in trees of 10 major species in New England. There have been extended periods of decreasing growth rates in red spruce since about 1960 and in balsam fir since about 1965. The other eight species, which included sugar maple and white pine, showed constant or increasing growth rates through 1980. The decreases in growth rate in sampled red spruce and balsam fir were independent of physical site characteristics, elevation, and geographic location, indicating that regional factors are involved. Weather parameters were not closely correlated with growth rates, and the best predictive equation explained only 33 percent of annual variation.

Keywords

growth decline, growth patterns, red spruce, annual basal-area increment, increment cores, forest maturation, air pollution, regional weather

Citation

Smith, Robert B.; Hornbeck, James W.; Federer, C. Anthony; Krusic, Paul J., Jr. 1990. Regionally averaged diameter growth in New England forests. Res. Pap. NE-637. Radnor, PA: US. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 26 p.