Climatic water deficit, tree species ranges, and climate change in Yosemite National Park

James A. Lutz; Jan W. van Wagtendonk; Jerry F. Franklin

Treesearch

Climatic water deficit, tree species ranges, and climate change in Yosemite National Park

Formally Refereed

Authors:

James A. Lutz, Jan W. van Wagtendonk, Jerry F. Franklin

Year:

2010

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Pacific Northwest Research Station

Source:

Journal of Biogeography. 37: 936-950

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Abstract

Modelled changes in climate water deficit between past, present and future climate scenarios suggest that recent past changes in forest structure and composition may accelerate in the future, with species responding individualistically to further declines in water availability. Declining water availability may disproportionately affect Pinus monticola and Tsuga mertensiana. Fine-scale heterogeneity in soil water-holding capacity, aspect and slope implies that plant water balance may vary considerably within the grid cells of kilometer-scale climate models. Sub-grid-cell soil and topographical data can partially compensate for the lack of spatial heterogeneity in gridded climate data, potentially improving vegetation-change projections in mountainous landscapes with heterogeneous topography.

Keywords

California, climate change, forest vegetation, Little Ice Age, Pinus monticola, PRISM, Sierra Nevada, species range shifts, Thornthwaite method, Tsuga mertensiana

Citation

Lutz, James A.; van Wagtendonk, Jan W.; Franklin, Jerry F. 2010. Climatic water deficit, tree species ranges, and climate change in Yosemite National Park. Journal of Biogeography. 37: 936-950.