Objectives: We compared growth trends and response to climate and environmental variables among dominant tree species along elevational gradients at Mt. Mansfield, VT: balsam fir, red maple, red spruce, sugar maple, and yellow birch.
Principal Investigator: Alexandra Kosiba, Paul Schaberg, Gary Hawley, Shelly Rayback
Laboratory: Schaberg/Hawley/Rayback Dendrochronology Collaborative
Recommended Citation: Kosiba AM, Schaberg PG, Rayback SA, and Hawley GJ. 2012. Tree cores from three elevational transects along Mt. Mansfield, VT.
Project Contents: Data for 9 Plots, 268 Trees, 479 Cores
Project Period: 2012-10-05 to 2016-07-21
Species:
Acer rubrum
Acer saccharum
Abies balsamea
Betula alleghaniensis
Picea rubens
Data License: 
What's this?Description: We set up elevational transects were set up in three of the four watersheds on Mt. Mansfield (Underhill, VT): Brown’s River, Stevensville Brook, and Ranch Brook Watersheds. Along each of these transects, three plots were selected – one within each of the following elevational zones: low (450-650 m asl), mid (750-850 m) and high (900-1000 m) (n plots = 9), which align with northern hardwoods, transition, and montane spruce-fir ecotones.
Plots contained 10-14 dominant or co-dominant trees of each of the target tree species with approximately equal distribution around plot center in attempts to avoid differing competition pressures between trees. We sampled red maple, sugar maple, and red spruce at low elevation; sugar maple, yellow birch, and red spruce at mid elevation; and red spruce and balsam fir at high elevation. Due to differential species densities across the landscape, plots were of variable radius.
Related Publications:
- Kosiba, A.M., Schaberg, P.G., Rayback, S.A. and Hawley, G.J. .2016.Comparative growth trends of five northern hardwood and montane tree species reveal divergent trajectories and response to climate.Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 47(6), pp.743-754. doi:/10.1139/cjfr-2016-0308 View
Project Metadata
Taxonomic standard used: USDA Plants Database
How plots were selected: Elevational transects were set up in three of the four watersheds on Mt. Mansfield. Along each transect, three plots were selected, one within each of the following elevational zones: low (450–650 m a.s.l.), mid (750–850 m), and high (900–1000 m) (n plots = 9), which align with northern hardwoods, transition, and montane spruce–fir ecotones, respectively. No obvious stand mortality or substantial recent disturbance was evident in any of the plots.
How trees were selected: Plots contained 10–14 dominant or co-dominant trees of each of the target tree species equally distributed around plot center to avoid differing competition pressures among trees. We sampled red maple, sugar maple, and red spruce at low elevation; sugar maple, yellow birch, and red spruce at mid elevation; and red spruce and balsam fir at high elevation. Due to differential species densities across the landscape and different numbers of species sampled per plot, plots were of variable radius (approx. 20–35 m).
Exclusion of trees (if any): Trees with obvious bole or crown damage or those growing in anomalous conditions were not selected.
How cores were collected: We collected two 5 mm increment cores per tree at stem diameter at breast height (DBH, 1.37 m above ground level) at 180° and perpendicular to the slope.
How cores were processed: Cores were air-dried, sanded with progressively finer grit sandpaper (ranging from 100 to 1500 grit depending on species), and visually crossdated using the list method. We microscopically measured rings to 0.001 mm resolution using a Velmex sliding stage unit with MeasureJ2X software and used the computer program COFECHA to detect and correct for potential crossdating errors in ring series.
Exclusion of cores (if any): Individual cores were discarded if they were poorly correlated with the master chronology (i.e., below Pearson critical correlation level of 0.328 (99% confidence level)).
Added to the database: 01/12/2018
Last modified: 06/08/2018