Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest: Soil Freeze Study - Tree Growth

The climate is changing in many temperate forests with the amount of
forest area dominated by sugar maple experiencing an insulating
snowpack expected to shrink between 49 and 95% compared to 1951-2005
values. A reduced snowpack and increased depth and duration of soil
frost can injure or kill fine roots, which are essential for plant
water and nutrient uptake. These adverse impacts on tree roots can
have important impacts on tree growth and ecosystem carbon
sequestration. We evaluated the effects of changing winter climate,
including snow and soil frost dynamics, by using tree cores to measure
sugar maple radial growth rates in the Soil Freezing Study plots at
the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study
(HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook
Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA
Forest Service, Northern Research Station. Analysis of these data are published in: Reinmann AB, Susser JR,
Demara EMC, and Templer PH. 2019. Declines in northern forest tree
growth following snowpack decline and soil freezing. Global Change
Biology. 25(2):420-430. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14420