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2011 Autumn | Education & Outreach, Natural Science & Restoration

Investigating Subalpine Fir Mortality Patterns Associated with Drought, Climate Change and Invasive Insect Attack in the Olympic National Park (ONP) Using Dendrochronology

Student(s):

Sienna Hiebert

Program or Department(s):

  • Program on the Environment
  • University of Washington

Site supervisor(s):

Karen Hutten

Partner(s):

  • School of Forest Resources

Faculty advisor(s):

Dr. Greg Ettl School of Forest Resources

There are many agents that cause stress to trees, such as insects, fungi, climatic conditions, drought, suppression, and competition. Drought is a significant stressor on trees and is of great importance to tree mortality dynamics. Using and analyzing dendrochronology to cross-date tree growth with climate conditions, we examine the relationship between subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), drought, and other stressors on the Olympic Peninsula. I examined tree ring characteristics in A. lasiocarpa from a temporary plot (OR-04) in the Olympic National Park to identify mortality patterns in relation to specific factors associated with death.