DEN: The DendroEcological Network

Objectives: Eastern red cedar and northern white cedar are main components of the rare and ecologically significant Limestone Bluff Cedar-Pine Forest growing along the shores of Lake Champlain. The current and future health of this forest community remains uncertain due to a changing climate, pollution, invasive pests and pathogens, and human disturbance via development. Understanding how past environmental influences, such as climate and pollution, impact annual radial growth may help with future conservation efforts.

Principal Investigator: Shelly Rayback, Paula Murakami, Christopher Hansen

Laboratory: Unknown

Recommended Citation: Rayback SA, Murakami PF, Hansen CF. 2018. Growth of eastern red cedar and northern white cedar growing in a Limestone Bluff Cedar-Pine Forest.

Project Contents: Data for 1 Plot, 32 Trees, 63 Cores

Project Period: 2018-07-19 to ongoing

Species:

Data License:

Description: We extracted tree cores from 16 eastern red cedar and 16 northern white cedar dominant and co-dominant trees at the Butternut Hill Natural Area in the summer of 2018. This natural area, managed by The Nature Conservancy, is located along the shores of Lake Champlain (VT) and is home to a rare and ecologically significant upland community called the Limestone Bluff Cedar-Pine Forest. In Vermont, this forest community is small in size (mostly under 10 acres) and number (97 total patches).

Related Publications: No related publications

Project Metadata

Taxonomic standard used: USDA Plants Database

How plots were selected: This site (plot) was chosen due to its designation as an ecologically significant forest community in Vermont.

How trees were selected: 16 dominant and co-dominant trees for each species were selected.

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): One core was discarded since it was 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: 11/21/2022

Last modified: 11/28/2022