DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20085296.v1
title: Planted seedling survival data from three climate adaptation and assisted migration experiments in the Eastern USA

description: Summary and Metadata <br> These tables include seedling survival data from three climate change adaptation and assisted migration studies. Project descriptions are below. Each table contains a list of species, their forestry assisted migration type (FAM; for more detailed definitions, see Palik et al. 2022), and associated survival data. <br> <strong>New England Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (NEASCC) study</strong> This data includes survival results from three experimental forests in New England USA. This experiment was part of an assisted migration and adaptation study known as the New England installation of the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change. Forests include the Second College Grant in New Hampshire (SCG (44.9138342, -71.1087656)), and the Washington and Wolcott Research Forests (WASH (44.0429870, -72.4165641) and WOL (44.5986026, -72.4214605), respectively) in Vermont. Species include Black birch (Betula lenta L.), Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch), American chestnut B3F3 hybrid (Castanea dentata (Marshall) Borkh.), Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), Bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata Michx.), Black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), Northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière). Seedlings were censused twice annually for four years, yet only four year survival data are presented (0=dead, 1=alive). Plots vary by treatment type, where treatments include acre (0.4 ha) and quarter acre (0.1 ha) harvest gap openings. Seedlings are classified by forest assisted migration (FAM) type which include a) assisted population enrichment aimed at augmenting regeneration pools of future climate-adapted species already onsite, and b) assisted range expansion of species from a nearby climate range not found onsite but expected to be adapted to future habitats (for more detailed definitions, see Palik et al. 2022). Dataframe rows correspond to individual seedlings. <br> For more information, four year results presented as figure in: · Palik, B.J., P. Clark, A.W. D’Amato, C. Swanston, L. Nagel. Accepted 2022. Operationalizing assisted migration in the context of climate change adaptation: examples from the eastern USA. Ecosphere. <br> And three year results and more comprehensive study design also presented in: · Clark, P., A. D’Amato, K. Evans, P. Schaberg, and C. Woodall. 2021. Ecological memory and regional context influence performance of adaptation plantings in northeastern US temperate forests. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14056 <br> <strong>Chippewa National Forest Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (CNF ASCC) study</strong> This table includes three-year seedling survival data from the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota. This experiment was part of an assisted migration and adaptation study known as the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change project. Assisted population enrichment species include eastern white pine, northern red oak, bur oak (<em>Quercus macrocarpa</em> Michx.), and red maple (<em>Acer rubrum</em> L.). Assisted range expansion species (with established populations within 120 to 160 km south of the forest) include white oak (Quercus alba L.), bitternut hickory, and black cherry. Four seed sources of ponderosa pine (<em>Pinus ponderosa</em> Dougl. ex Laws.) from the most eastern, lowest elevation portions of its range in the western US were planted (nearest established population is 200 km west of the study area) and constitute assisted species migration. Seedlings were planted in 0.2 ha canopy gaps and a thinned matrix (basal area of 14–18 m2 ha−1). <br> For more information, three-year results presented in · Palik, B.J., P. Clark, A.W. D’Amato, C. Swanston, L. Nagel. Accepted 2022. Operationalizing assisted migration in the context of climate change adaptation: examples from the eastern USA. Ecosphere. · Muller, J. J., Nagel, L. M., & Palik, B. J. (2019). Forest adaptation strategies aimed at climate change: Assessing the performance of future climate-adapted tree species in a northern Minnesota pine ecosystem. Forest Ecology and Management, 451. <br> <strong>Chippewa National Forest Emerald Ash Borer study</strong> This table includes eight-year seedling survival data from the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota. Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) is native to lowland forests of the western Great Lakes region, USA. Here, it frequently makes up the majority of trees. Black ash is threatened by emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis). Different silvicultural approaches were tested for establishing replacement tree species in black ash forests. These data include only the outcomes from the highest performing “group selection” harvest treatments. Assisted population enrichment species tested included eight that are native to the ecosystem, including red maple, tamarack (Larix laricina), black spruce (Picea mariana), balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), and trembling aspen. Additionally, a hybrid disease resistant American elm (Ulmus americana) was used which had been bred for tolerance to disease using both native and southern parent sources. Two assisted range expansion species were included including hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) and swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor). Both species have their northern range termini within 150–200 km south of the study area. Finally, Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica) was planted as an example of assisted species migration, as this species has demonstrated resistance to EAB in its native range (northeastern and northwestern China, northern Korea, the Far East of Russia, and northern Japan. <br> For more information about this study, eight-year survival results are presented in: · Palik, B.J., P. Clark, A.W. D’Amato, C. Swanston, L. Nagel. Accepted 2022. Operationalizing assisted migration in the context of climate change adaptation: examples from the eastern USA. Ecosphere. · Palik, B. J., D’Amato, A. W., Slesak, R. A., Kastendick, D., Looney, C., & Kragthorpe, J. (2021). Eighth-year survival and growth of planted replacement tree species in black ash (Fraxinus nigra) wetlands threatened by emerald ash borer in Minnesota, USA. Forest Ecology and Management, 484(October 2020), 118958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.118958