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change</title></head><body>
<div><font face="Arial">Forestindustry.com The forest
industry networked online</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">http://www.forestindustry.com/</font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma Bold"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma Bold">Predicting Douglas-fir's response to a
warming climate</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">by Jessica Kirby December 28,
2015</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">Douglas-fir is an iconic tree in the Pacific
Northwest. Although individual trees may appear to be identical,
genetic differences within each tree have resulted from adaptation to
the local environment. These genetic differences over time have
resulted in differences among populations that are important to the
species' survival and growth in changing climates.</font></div>
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Current climate models project that over the next 50 years, the
Pacific Northwest will experience an increase in summer temperatures.
Combined with less winter snowpack, warmer summer temperatures will
likely lead to more frequent and intense droughts, and it is unknown
how Douglas-fir will respond.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">Researchers with the U.S. Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station tested how seedlings from different
populations of Douglas-fir would grow in temperature and precipitation
conditions unlike the climate of their current seed source. By
sampling 35 populations in three common garden sites, researchers
determined how a combination of genetic factors and environmental
conditions influence drought-tolerant traits.</font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial">Trees grown in a warm, dry environment had
lower rates of water loss compared to seedlings grown in cooler
environments. Furthermore, researchers identified populations that had
high drought tolerance and relatively fast growth. This means that
although Douglas-fir as a species is relatively drought tolerant, some
populations are better adapted to future climate conditions than
others.</font></div>
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<div><font face="Lucida Grande" size="-1"
color="#000000">================================</font><font
face="Arial" size="-1" color="#1A1A1A"><br>
</font><font face="Lucida Grande" size="-1" color="#000000">"Š the
serious meaning in a concept lies in the difference it will make
to someone if it is true."<br>
William James (1842-1910)<br>
Pragmatism. Meridian Books, 1955<br>
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