DEN: The DendroEcological Network

Objectives: This red spruce increment core collection was conducted in response to research indicating that red spruce have experienced significant increases in growth following decades of decline predisposed by inputs of acid deposition and in response to a warming climate (Kosiba et al. 2018).

Principal Investigator: Paul Schaberg, Paula Murakami, Christopher Hansen, Gary Hawley

Laboratory: Schaberg Lab

Recommended Citation: Schaberg PG, Murakami PF, Hansen CF, Hawley GJ. 2017. Collection of red spruce tree cores from Mt. Mansfield, VT following recent reports of a resurgence in the species’ growth.

Project Contents: Data for 3 Plots, 52 Trees, 104 Cores

Project Period: 2017-07-01 to 2017-12-31

Species:

Data License:

Description: As a follow-up to findings reported by Kosiba et al. 2018, we collected increment cores from 18 trees growing on Mt. Mansfield, VT – five years following the most recent collection. Eight of these trees overlapped with those previously collected by Kosiba et al. 2017. Red spruce trees were also sampled in Wolcott (15) and Guildhall, VT (19). Estimates of annual basal area increment (BAI) from 2013-2017 indicate that red spruce on Mt. Mansfield continue to maintain a high level of growth (BAI = 28.8 cm2). Annual growth at the other two, lower elevation sites was significantly less (Wolcott BAI = 11.8 cm2; Guildhall BAI = 11.5 cm2). See the following DEN projects for more information regarding previous work: “Comparative growth trends of five northern hardwood and montane tree species along elevational transects in Mt. Mansfield State Forest” and “Quantifying the legacy of foliar winter injury on woody aboveground carbon sequestration of red spruce trees”.

Related Publications: No related publications

Project Metadata

Taxonomic standard used: USDA Plants Database

How plots were selected: The Mt. Mansfield plot was chosen due to its close proximity to a previously sampled site (Kosiba et al. 2017). Two additional plots (Wolcott and Guildhall) were chosen for their ease of access and landowner permission.

How trees were selected: Approximately 15-20 dominant and co-dominant trees for each species were selected. Some trees were the same ones sampled in 2012 by Kosiba et al. 2017.

Exclusion of trees (if any): Trees with bole or crown damage were excluded.

How cores were collected: Two 5 mm increment cores were extracted from each tree at breast height, 180° from each other, and perpendicular to the slope.

How cores were processed: Increment cores were dried, mounted and sanded using standard methods. Tree rings were visually crossdated using the list method, microscopically measured using a Velmex sliding stage unit and MeasureJ2X software (0.001 mm resolution) followed by the use of COFECHA to detect and correct crossdating errors.

Exclusion of cores (if any): A small number of cores were discarded since they were poorly correlated with the master chronology (i.e., below Pearson critical correlation 99% confidence levels) due to unusual growth trends that were not representative of overall growth at the site.

Added to the database: 12/06/2022

Last modified: 12/06/2022