TransX – A new network of provenance trials across eastern Canada and the US to test the warming vulnerability of northeastern tree species and their assisted migration potential.
Keywords:
assisted migration, climate change, provenance trials, species vulnerabilityAbstract
The Transborder climate gradient experiment is a network of 12+ tree common gardens (provenance trials) ranging from North Carolina to Quebec, where we will plant young trees composed of carefully selected natural and improved genotypes of key northeastern tree species including sugar maple, red maple, yellow birch, white birch and northern red oak. The main focus of TransX is on the response of trees to future warming, focusing on leaf and growth phenology, health and survival across species and populations. We have two specific objectives: 1) move local species and populations south to evaluate their response to warmer temperatures, and 2) move southern populations north to assess their potential for assisted migration.