scholarly journals Using Environmental and Site-specific Variables to Model Current and Future Distribution of Red Spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) Forest Habitat in West Virginia

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan R. Beane
Keyword(s):  
West Virginia ◽  
Picea Rubens ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Forest Habitat ◽  
Site Specific

Characteristics of Red Spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) Encroachment at Two Central Appalachian Heathland Study Areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-37
Author(s):  
Helen M. White ◽  
Lynn M. Resler ◽  
David Carroll
Keyword(s):  
West Virginia ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Picea Rubens ◽  
Geospatial Data ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Canaan Valley

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, intensive land use nearly eliminated red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) throughout portions of West Virginia (WV). Red spruce has been slow to regenerate on mountaintop heathland barrens surrounding Canaan Valley, West Virginia (WV), and little is known about the nature of encroachment. Using field surveys, geospatial data, and statistical modelling, the objectives were to 1) characterize and compare red spruce encroachment at two upland heath study areas in West Virginia (Bear Rocks and Cabin Mountain), 2) characterize percent cover of major ground cover types associated with red spruce regeneration sites in order to elucidate biotic interactions, and 3) model the biophysical correlates of red spruce encroachment using geospatial data and statistical modelling. Red spruce count was similar at both study areas, but there were substantially more seedlings and saplings at Cabin Mountain. Modelling revealed a positive relationship between red spruce count and rock cover and a negative relationship between red spruce and stand distance.

Phenotypic Variation in Climate-Associated Traits of Red Spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) along Elevation Gradients in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Castanea ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
John R. Butnor ◽  
Brittany M. Verrico ◽  
Kurt H. Johnsen ◽  
Christopher A. Maier ◽  
Victor Vankus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Appalachian Mountains ◽  
Picea Rubens ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Elevation Gradients ◽  
Southern Appalachian Mountains ◽  
Southern Appalachian

Indicators of population viability in red spruce, Picea rubens. II. Genetic diversity, population structure, and mating behavior

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 941-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Om P Rajora ◽  
Alex Mosseler ◽  
John E Major
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Population Structure ◽  
Picea Rubens ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Outcrossing Rates ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Allozyme Loci ◽  
Filled Seeds

Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) has become increasingly rare across large portions of its range in eastern North America as a result of a general and widespread decline over the past century. Genetic diversity, population genetic structure, outcrossing rates in the filled seeds, and actual inbreeding levels were characterized in five small, isolated, remnant red spruce populations from the disjunct northwestern limits of its range in Ontario and five populations from the larger, more extensive Maritime populations of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to determine genetic and reproductive status, to provide some benchmarks for monitoring genetic changes resulting from isolation and restricted population sizes, and to assist the development of restoration and conservation strategies. Thirty-seven allozyme loci coding for 15 enzymes were used for genetic diversity assessments, and six of the most polymorphic loci were used for mating system determination. On average, 29.1% (95% criterion) of the loci were polymorphic, the number of alleles per locus was 1.60, and the observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.097 and 0.100, respectively. The Ontario populations were comparable to or slightly less genetically variable than those from the Maritimes. Only 4.7% of the detected genetic variation was among stands; the remainder was among individuals within stands. The Maritime populations were genetically less differentiated from each other than those in Ontario. With the exception of three Maritime populations clustering tightly in one group, there was no clear separation of Ontario red spruce populations from Maritime red spruce populations based on genetic distance as well as canonical discriminant analyses. The average multilocus (tm) and single-locus (ts) population outcrossing rates were 0.595 and 0.558, respectively, indicating a comparatively high tolerance for inbreeding up to the filled seed stage of development in red spruce. The Ontario populations, on average, showed higher outcrossing rates (tm = 0.654, ts = 0.641) than the Maritime populations (tm = 0.535, ts = 0.475). Individual family outcrossing rates were similar to their respective population outcrossing rates and no significant differences were observed among families within populations for the multilocus estimates. When such high levels of inbreeding in filled seeds were combined with the proportions of empty (post-pollination-aborted) seeds, it appears that actual inbreeding levels may vary from 48 to 86%. The highest inbreeding levels occurred in the smallest, most isolated Ontario populations and in those populations most likely to have been affected by poorer pollination conditions. Allozyme variation indicates that in the short term, extant remnants of Ontario red spruce have maintained their genetic diversity and integrity. For artificial restoration of red spruce in Ontario, local seed sources could be used without undue concern over losses of genetic diversity. However, over the longer term, genetic drift and inbreeding may be expected to result in further losses of genetic diversity and (or) reproductive fitness if population sizes, numbers, and distribution continue to decline.Key words: Picea rubens, allozymes, gene conservation, restoration, genetic diversity, population structure, outcrossing rates, inbreeding.

Landscape-scale spatial patterns of winter injury to red spruce foliage in a year of heavy region-wide injury

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 142-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brynne E Lazarus ◽  
Paul G Schaberg ◽  
Gary J Hawley ◽  
Donald H DeHayes
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
Sun Exposure ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Picea Rubens ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Freezing Damage ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Slope Steepness ◽  
Patterns Of Injury

Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) winter injury is caused by freezing damage that results in the abscission of the most recent foliar age-class. Injury was widespread and severe in the northeastern United States in 2003 and was assessed at multiple elevations at 23 sites in Vermont and adjacent states. This paper presents a spatial analysis of these injury assessments. Relationships between winter injury on dominant and codominant spruce trees and elevation, latitude, longitude, slope, and aspect were investigated with least squares regression and geographically weighted regression. Results of these analyses indicate that injury increased (1) with elevation; (2) from east to west; (3) with the degree to which plots faced west, except at the highest elevations, where injury was uniformly severe; (4) with increases in slope steepness at higher elevations, or with decreases in slope steepness at lower elevations; and (5) with the degree to which plots faced south, except at the highest elevations in northern locations, where injury was uniformly severe. Because injury was greater in areas that have historically received higher levels of acid and nitrogen deposition — western portions of the study region, west-facing slopes, and higher elevations — observed patterns of injury support the hypothesis that acidic and (or) nitrogen deposition act on a landscape scale to exacerbate winter injury. Greater injury on south-facing slopes suggests that sun exposure exacerbates injury or its expression.

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