Articles | Volume 14, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-365-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-365-2017
Research article
 | 
24 Jan 2017
Research article |  | 24 Jan 2017

Water availability limits tree productivity, carbon stocks, and carbon residence time in mature forests across the western US

Logan T. Berner, Beverly E. Law, and Tara W. Hudiburg

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Cited articles

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Berner, L. T. and Law, B. E.: Water limitations on forest carbon cycling and conifer traits along a steep climatic gradient in the Cascade Mountains, Oregon, Biogeosciences, 12, 6617–6635, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-6617-2015, 2015.
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Short summary
Much of the western US is projected to become warmer and drier over the coming century. We examined how tree productivity, biomass, and carbon residence time varied with average water availability across this region using field and satellite measurements. Each forest characteristic increased markedly with increasing water availability between the dry woodlands and temperate rain forests, underscoring that water availability is a key environmental constraint on forests in the region.
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