Theses and Dissertations Collection

In the face of increased drought intensities associated with global climate change, improved understanding of forest carbon cycle responses requires novel monitoring techniques that evaluate forest processes at intra-seasonal resolutions. This study employed automated dendrometers in a northern Rocky Mountain ecosystem in order to estimate forest woody Net Primary Productivity (NPP), a carbon flux which has not previously been measured in step with ecosystem model outputs or other readily measured carbon fluxes. Site-specific patterns of multi-scale stem circumference variation in the context of summer drought stress were first characterized in order to develop a protocol for NPP estimation in dry environments. Subsequent NPP profiles were offset to later in the summer than volume growth profiles due to continual density increases and revealed species-specific timing in relation to mid-summer drought. Study findings highlighted a methodological path towards widespread implementation of more comprehensive carbon flux accounting that includes NPP estimation.