Climate drivers of seed production in Picea engelmannii and response to warming temperatures in the southern Rocky Mountains

Abstract

The increases in seed output observed in this study may promote population fitness of P. engelmannii in the face of changing climate regimes and increasing frequencies of fire- and insect-related tree mortality in the Rocky Mountains. Since this species lacks a persistent seed bank, re-colonization of disturbed areas or dispersal to shifting habitats depends on adequate production of seed by surviving trees, which according to these analyses may be moderately enhanced by current climate trends. However, some evidence also indicates that increases in seed output will ultimately be constrained by threshold high temperatures in the seed maturation year.

Citation

Buechling, Arne; Martin, Patrick H.; Canham, Charles D.; Shepperd, Wayne D.; Battaglia, Mike A. 2016. Climate drivers of seed production in Picea engelmannii and response to warming temperatures in the southern Rocky Mountains. Journal of Ecology. 104: 1051-1062.