DOI: 10.5061/dryad.m37pvmd94
title: Data from: climate adaptation in white oak (Quercus alba, L.): a forty-year study of growth and phenology

description: Climate change poses a significant threat to the resilience and
 sustainability of forest ecosystems. This study examines the performance
 of white oak (Quercus alba, L.) across a range of provenances in a common
 garden planting, focusing on the species’ response to climatic variables
 and the potential role of assisted migration in forest management. We
 evaluated the survival and growth rates of white oak provenances
 originating from various points along a latitudinal gradient over a period
 of 40 years. These provenances were planted in a common garden situated
 near the midpoint of this latitudinal gradient, where we also monitored
 their phenological traits, such as budburst and leaf senescence. The
 results revealed substantial variation in phenological responses and
 growth patterns among the provenances, with southern provenances
 demonstrating faster growth and later senescence relative to local
 sources, with limited impact on survival. In contrast, the northern
 provenances demonstrated slower growth, resulting in later-aged
 competition-induced mortality. The findings highlight the necessity of
 incorporating genetic diversity into white oak reforestation and
 conservation strategies, as the local provenance may no longer be the most
 suitable option for current and future conditions. We advocate for a
 nuanced approach to forest management that leverages genetic insights to
 optimize seed source selection for reforestation, fostering resilient
 forest landscapes in the face of ongoing climate shifts.
description: Data were collected as described in Thomas AM, Coggeshall MV,
 O’Connor PA, Nelson CD. Climate Adaptation in White Oak (Quercus alba,
 L.): A Forty-Year Study of Growth and Phenology. Forests. 2024; 15(3):520.
 https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030520. Briefly, tree height, DBH, and phenological measurements were collected at the Starve-Hollow State Recreation Area by study authors throughout the 40-year study. Increment cores were collected in 2023 and mounted for precision measurement using a Velmex TA measurement system. Contact Austin M. Thomas at austin.thomas@uky.edu or austin.thomas2@usda.gov for additional information.
description: # Postage stamp common garden 40yr provenance [Access this dataset on
 Dryad](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m37pvmd94) Complete data related to
 the 40-year-old (as of 2023) white oak (Quercus alba) "Postage
 Stamp" common garden planting located at Starve Hollow State
 Recreation area near Vallonia, Indiana. Contact Austin M. Thomas at
 [austin.thomas@uky.edu](mailto:austin.thomas@uky.edu) or
 [austin.thomas2@usda.gov](mailto:austin.thomas2@usda.gov) for additional
 information. These data include tree height and DBH measurements, as well
 as phenological and dendrochronological measurements. ## Description of
 the data and file structure Sections: --- Section 1, Position and
 allometric data (col A-AF) Columns A through AF are position data and
 alometric measurements. Measurement and unit descriptions are in Row 1.
 Location ID: Location ID in 'Row-Column' format. tree ID: Unique
 tree identifier. Col: Column number(excluding border trees). Column number
 increases from West to East. Row: Row number(excluding border trees). Row
 number increases from North to South. block: Block replicate. 6 incomplete
 blocks in total. Each block consisted of 9 4-tree row plots. plot: Plot
 within block. Each plot consisted of 4 trees of a single 'seed
 source'. source: Full source ID. state: Seed source state of origin.
 tree: Tree number within plot (nested as Block[Plot[Tree]]]). rowB:
 Alternative row ID, includes border rows. colB: Alternative column ID,
 includes border columns. nr_collect: nr data collection flag. Order: Order
 of spreadsheet rows for data organization purposes. 0 yr_height(cm):
 Height of seedling at time of planting in centimeters. 1 yr_height(cm):
 Height of tree at 1 year after planting in centimeters. 2 yr_height(cm):
 Height of tree at 2 years after planting in centimeters. 3 yr_height(cm):
 Height of tree at 3 years after planting in centimeters. 4 yr_height(cm):
 Height of tree at 4 years after planting in centimeters. 5 yr_height(cm):
 Height of tree at 5 years after planting in centimeters. 20yr_height(ft):
 Height of tree at 20 years after planting in feet. 2022_height(ft): Height
 of tree at 40 years (measured at the end of 2022 growing season) in feet.
 20 yr crown class: 20-year crown class code. See the explanation of crown
 class codes below. 40 yr crown class: 40-year crown class code. See the
 explanation of crown class codes below. 3yr_d1f(mm?): Diameter measurement
 at 1 foot height. It is assumed to be in millimeters, but it is not clear
 in the records. 11yr_dbh(in): 11-year diameter at breast height.
 20yr_dbh(in): 20-year diameter at breast height. 2021_dbh: 2021 (28 year)
 diameter at breast height. 2022_dbh: 2022 (40 year, measured at the end of
 the growing season) diameter at breast height. DNA_collected: 2021 leaf
 tissue collection for DNA sequencing. 2021_sprout: Flag noting basal
 sprouts from top-killed trees. Notes made in 2021 survey. 2021_comments:
 2021 general comments. Neighbors: number of living neighbor trees in 2022
 (orthogonal and diagonal). 2022_mortality: Notes on 2022 observed tree
 mortality. Crown Class Codes: D = Dominant C = Co-dominant I =
 Intermediate S = Suppressed X = Removed/Missing(intentionally removed via
 stand thinning at year 12) H = Mortality(standing snag, recent mortality
 est. &lt;5 years) M = Mortality(tree is missing or mostly decomposed but
 was not removed intentionally via thinning) --- Section 2, Form score (col
 AH-AU) Columns AH through AU are Tree form Scores. 'ATM Pick'
 and 'CDN Pick' are top-performing trees selected qualitatively
 by scorers. This scoring system is based on selection criteria developed
 by Purdue University Forestry and used internally by the Indiana DNR
 Division of Forestry for seed orchard tree selection. 2022_fork_height:
 Height of the first fork. A fork is a point on the tree where the main
 stem deviates more than 10°, or a codominant stem is present. 2022_fork_%:
 Lowest fork height as a percentage of total height. Fork_score: Based on
 fork %. See below. Over 70% - 10 65-69% - 9 60-64% - 8 55-59% - 7 50-54% -
 6 45-49% - 5 40-44% - 4 35-39% - 3 30-34% - 2 25-29% - 1 &lt;25% - 0
 Crook_&lt;14: Count deviations of central stem below 14 feet. See below.
 \# of Crooks Points assigned 0 10 1 10 2 9 3 7 4 4 5 0 Crook_&lt;14-20:
 Count deviations of central stem between 14 and 20 feet. See below. \# of
 Crooks Points assigned 0 10 1 9 2 7 3 5 4 3 5 0 Crook_&gt;20: Count
 deviations of central stem above 20 feet. See below. \# of Crooks Points
 assigned 0 10 1 7 2 4 3 1 4 0 5 0 Epicormic: Qualitative 0-5 score based
 on the number and size of epicormic branching. DBH_score: Diameter at
 breast height score. See below. DBH (inches) Points assigned \&gt;22 10
 20-22 9 18-20 8 16-18 7 14-16 6 12-14 5 10-12 4 8-10 3 6-8 2 4-6 1 &lt;4 0
 Height_score: Total tree height score. See below. Height(feet) Points
 assigned \&gt;120 10 110 9 100 8 90 7 80 6 70 5 60 4 50 3 40 2 30 1 &lt;30
 0 Defect: Note of any additional defects, such as sweep or non-round trunk
 cross-section. Total_Score: Sum of weighted scores (Fork Score, Epicormic,
 DBH Score, and Height Score all *2) Rank_by_score: Ranking of all trees
 from highest to lowest AMT_pick: Qualitative pick for superior tree size
 and form by AMT CDN_pick: Qualitative pick for superior tree size and form
 by CDN --- Section 3, Phenology scores (col AV-DO, DP-EJ) Columns AV
 through DO are Spring leaf budburst values. Columns DP-EJ are Fall leaf
 senescence values. All dates should be self-explanatory. For an
 explanation of the spring budburst score values, see the following
 publications: Thomas AM, Coggeshall MV, O’Connor PA, Nelson CD. Climate
 Adaptation in White Oak (Quercus alba, L.): A Forty-Year Study of Growth
 and Phenology. Forests. 2024; 15(3):520.
 [https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030520](https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030520) and
 Cole EF, Sheldon BC. The shifting phenological landscape: Within- and
 between-species variation in leaf emergence in a mixed-deciduous woodland.
 Ecology and Evolution. 2017;7(4):1135-1147. doi:10.1002/ece3.2718 Fall
 senescence values are as follows: Color: Estimated percentage of
 marcescent leaves as viewed through binoculars. Drop: Estimated percentage
 of senescent leaves as viewed through binoculars. Sum: The total estimate
 of canopy leaves that are either marcescent or senescent. --- Part 4,
 dendrochronology data (col EK-KN) Column IDs are referenced below. Column
 names should be self-explanatory. EK to FW: Yearly ring-width measurements
 of increment cores collected from trees near breast height aligned
 East-West. FX: The total length of the increment cores collected from
 trees near breast height aligned East-West. FY to HK: Yearly ring-width
 measurements of increment cores collected from trees near breast height
 aligned North-South. HL: The total length of the increment cores collected
 from trees near breast height aligned North-South. HM to KN: Several trees
 had duplicate cores collected. These columns contain measurement data from
 these duplicate cores.