Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative(802) 656-0683femc@uvm.eduwww.uvm.edu/femc705 Spear StreetSouth BurlingtonVermont05403United States of AmericaNortheastern States Research Cooperative funderUniversity of Vermont United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service Northern Research StationleadWinter Injury, Carbon Loss, but Surprising Growth Resurgence in Red SpruceRed spruce winter injury, associated with red spruce decline in the Northern Forest, results from needle freezing that can lead to crown thinning and eventual tree mortality. We set out to measure impacts of this injury on long-term carbon storage in red spruce trees. We collected tree stem increment cores from 10-15 dominant red spruce trees in 30 forest plots in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. From the cores, we measured annual tree diameter growth and, in combination with growth equations and USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data on red spruce populations, estimated impacts on aboveground carbon storage for red spruce across the region. We found that needle loss from winter injury reduced red spruce growth for three or more years following the 2003 winter injury event. Cumulative loss for red spruce trees across the region was substantial. Importantly however, trees injured in 2003 experienced a surprising growth rebound since 2007.Winter Injury, Carbon Loss, but Surprising Growth Resurgence in Red SpruceHansenChristopherHawleyGarySchabergPaulKosibaAlexandraclimate changewintercarbon cyclingforest disturbancered sprucePlot Locations2010-01-012013-03-04Plot locations in decimal degrees.Mapping plot locations for the winter injury project. _Hawley_2010_NSRC_plot_latlongs.xlsxVMC.1105.2282mySQLKosiba, A., P. Schaberg, Hawley, G. and C. Hanson. 2013 Plot Locations. University of Vermont. Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative. Can be found at: /femc/data/archive/project/winter-injury-carbon-loss-red-spruce/dataset/plot-locations/femc/data/archive/project/winter-injury-carbon-loss-red-spruce/dataset/plot-locations