climate change and responses of populations II

what tree characteristics will determine how quickly a species can migrate

seed dispersal characteristics and vectors

age of first sexual reproduction

effect of weather on seed production

successional stage and disturbance regime

available ecological niche

biotic interactions

how can we determine how quickly tree species migrated in the past

sample and identify pollen in sediment cores from bogs

palynology

study of fossil pollen from sediment cores in lakes and ponds can provide retrospective estimates of migration rates but may not detect presences of small populations in the past

how fast can tree species migrate

maximum of 100-200m per year

migration

rate of trees too slow for the rate of climate change

trees already lagging 130km behind their historic climates on average

what can we do to mitigate the effects of climate change (conservation and management options)

assisted species migration

assisted gene flow and breeding

ex situ conservation and monitoring

which has the greatest risks in a changing climate

assisted species migration

assisted species migration

first species to be allowed for restoration on public land outside of its native range

5th most planted species

maximum 10% of trees planted in a stand can be western larch