Conifer seedling performance on Mt. Rainier

Data are from a field experiment conducted on the south side of Mt. Rainier, Washington State, USA from 2010-2013. Abies amabilis, Tsuga heterophylla, and Tsuga mertensiana seeds and seedlings were transplanted at seven elevations, into different competitive environments (tree canopy present or absent, understory vegetation present or removed). The goal of the study was to understand how population-level variation and competition may affect range shifts under climate change. Focal species of different origin populations were planted into the different competitive neighborhoods within and beyond their elevational ranges, and transplant survival and growth was monitored biannually for 3 years.