Tree-ring investigations into changing climatic responses of yellow-cedar, Glacier Bay, Alaska

Yellow-cedar trees in Glacier Bay, Alaska, have shown a significant shift in their growth response to climate change. Originally thriving under warmer January-July temperatures at the end of the Little Ice Age (1832–1876), these trees now exhibit a strong negative correlation with warming since 1950, suggesting increased susceptibility to decline. The study, which analyzed tree-ring data from Excursion Ridge and Pleasant Island alongside regional climate records, also found a positive relationship between yellow-cedar growth and March-April precipitation, reinforcing the hypothesis that reduced snowpack due to warming is a key factor in their decline. This research highlights the vulnerability of this species to changing climatic conditions.

Wiles, G. C., Mennett, C. R., Jarvis, S. K., D’Arrigo, R. D., Wiesenberg, N., & Lawson, Daniel. E. (2012). Tree-ring investigations into changing climatic responses of yellow-cedar, Glacier Bay, Alaska. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 42(4), 814–819. https://doi.org/10.1139/x2012-028