Publication Date:
1987-07-01
Description:
Relationships between the distributions of major forest species and climatic patterns in Michigan were examined using binary discriminant analysis ordination, Kolmogrov–Smirnov statistics, histograms, and correlation coefficients. Species occurring only in southern Lower Michigan (e.g., sassafras, Sassafrasalbidum (Nutt.) Nees) were strongly associated with warm, long growing seasons that had high night temperatures, low precipitation relative to potential evapotranspiration throughout the summer months, and low heat sums prior to last spring freeze. Species found throughout Lower Michigan but not extending into Upper Michigan (e.g., black oak, Quercusvelutina Lamarck, and white oak, Q. alba L.) had similar associations except that they were not strongly associated with low heat sums prior to last spring freeze. Conifers (e.g., balsam fir, Abiesbalsamea (L.) Miller, and white pine, Pinusstrobus L.) were associated with short growing seasons of highly variable length, high heat sums prior to last spring freeze, high precipitation relative to potential evapotranspiration even in July and August when the difference between precipitation and evapotranspiration was greatest, and low night temperatures relative to daytime temperatures. All species had individualistic correlations with major climatic statistics. Species range limits, where they occurred in the state, were generally simultaneously correlated with more than one climatic variable.
Print ISSN:
0045-5067
Electronic ISSN:
1208-6037
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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