Climate has a larger effect than stand basal area on wood density in Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum in the southwestern USA

Damon Vaughan; David Auty; Thomas E. Kolb; Andrew J. Sanchez Meador; Kurt H. Mackes; Joseph Dahlen; W. Keith Moser

doi:10.1007/s13595-019-0869-0

Treesearch

Climate has a larger effect than stand basal area on wood density in Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum in the southwestern USA

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Damon Vaughan, David Auty, Thomas E. Kolb, Andrew J. Sanchez Meador, Kurt H. Mackes, Joseph Dahlen, W. Keith Moser

Year:

2019

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-019-0869-0

Source:

Annals of Forest Science. 76(3): 85.

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Download (PDF 539 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/59747.pdf

Abstract

Stand basal area of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum Engelm.) in the US Southwest has little effect on the density of the wood produced, but climatic fluctuations have a strong effect. Wood density increases during drought, particularly if the drought occurs in late winter/early spring. Future droughts, as are predicted to increase in the US Southwest, may lead to production of smaller radial increments of higher density wood in ponderosa pine.

Keywords

x-ray densitometry, forest restoration, wood density, ponderosa pine, growing stock level, dendroecology

Citation

Vaughan, Damon; Auty, David; Kolb, Thomas E.; Meador, Andrew J. Sanchez; Mackes, Kurt H.; Dahlen, Joseph; Moser, W. Keith. 2019. Climate has a larger effect than stand basal area on wood density in Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum in the southwestern USA. Annals of Forest Science. 76(3): 85.