Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Spatiotemporal Variability In The Climate Growth Response Of High Elevation Bristlecone Pine In The White Mountains Of California, Andrew Godard Bunn, Matthew W. Salzer, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Jamis M. Bruening, Malcolm K. Hughes

Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Tree-ring chronologies from bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) are a unique proxy used to understand climate variability over the middle to late Holocene. The annual rings from trees growing toward the species’ lower elevational range are sensitive to precipitation variability. Interpretation of the ring-width signal at the upper forest border has been more difficult. We evaluate differences in climate induced by topography (topoclimate) to better understand the dual signals of temperature and moisture. We unmix signals from trees growing at and near the upper forest border based on the seasonal mean temperature (SMT) experienced by each tree. We find that trees …