Tree-ring evidence of changes in the subarctic forest cover linked to human disturbance in northern Labrador (Canada)

Lemus-Lauzon, Isabel; Bhiry, Najat; Arseneault, Dominique; Woollett, James; Delwaide, Ann

doi:10.1080/11956860.2018.1436244

Cited by 10 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Tree growth patterns of the five study sites were analysed in order to detect growth release events. Lemus-Lauzon et al (2018) published an initial analysis of data from the Nain, KAM and WB sites, these data are re-examined in the present study. Similarly, data used in the course of a similar study regarding Dog Island, published by Roy et al (2017) have been re-examined and re-analysed here.…”

Section: Laboratory Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The present-day forest of the Nain region and its archipelago contains a multitude of cut stumps while naturally dead trees are rare. Forests in the vicinity of Nain have an average of one cut stump per four live trees; small clear-cut areas are also observed (Lemus-Lauzon et al 2018). This situation is a clear signal of the impact of wood harvesting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anthropogenic and climate impacts on subarctic forests in the Nain region, Nunatsiavut: Dendroecological and historical approaches

et al. 2021

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Several recent dendrochronological, macrofossil and palynological studies have surveyed modern spruce forests at multiple locations in the Nain region of coastal Nunatsiavut (north-central Labrador) in order to reconstruct past forest composition, growth rates, species diversity and harvesting patterns. The present paper synthesizes original and previously collected data to evaluate the extent to which the dynamics of the region's spruce forests over the past five centuries have been related to anthropogenic impacts. In three key case studies, Picea growth release events demonstrate multiple isolated forest disturbances prior to the late 19th century. In general, these events correspond to the local human settlement history rather than to regional climatic trends, suggesting that ongoing human impacts on the forest extend as far back as the 17th century. Disturbance regimes accelerated by ca 1875 and afterward in all of the study sites. This increase in forest disturbance corresponds to increased demands for wood triggered by socioeconomic changes experienced by the region's Inuit and Settler communities. Ongoing surveys demonstrate the presence of markers of human exploitation of forests throughout the study region, and especially in coastal locations, suggesting that anthropogenic impacts are in fact generalised and not limited to specific areas of recent settlement. RÉSUMÉPlusieurs études dendrochronologiques et paléoécologiques ont récemment porté sur la dynamique forestière dans la région de Nain au Nunatsiavut (centre-nord du Labrador). Ces études ont documenté la composition, le taux de croissance et la diversité des espèces de ces forêts ainsi que les patrons de récolte de bois par les résidents de la région au cours des cinq derniers siècles. La présente étude consiste en une synthèse des données publiées ainsi que de résultats originaux, afin d'évaluer dans quelle mesure la dynamique de la forêt d'épinettes est liée aux impacts anthropiques. Dans les trois études de cas choisies, des événements de détente de croissance radiale de Picea sp. montrent que plusieurs perturbations isolées de la forêt sont survenues avant la fin du XIX e siècle. En général, ces événements correspondaient à des activités anthropiques (remontant au XVII e siècle) plutôt qu'à des tendances climatiques régionales. Le régime des perturbations s'est accéléré vers 1875; cette augmentation est liée à une hausse de la demande en bois due aux changements socio-économiques vécus par les communautés inuit et les colons Européens. Les relevés de terrain en cours mettent en évidence des traces évidentes d'une exploitation forestière à travers la région de Nain et, plus particulièrement, en zone côtière, ce qui suggère que les impacts anthropiques ne se limiteraient pas aux zones spécifiques d'habitation humaine récente.

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Section: Laboratory Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic and climate impacts on subarctic forests in the Nain region, Nunatsiavut: Dendroecological and historical approaches

et al. 2021

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“…We estimate that forest stands have not been disturbed since 1700 for WBB, post-1750 for BRB, and after 1850 for TBB. Forest stand establishment may have been a result of a novel disturbance (e.g., newly harvested; Roy et al 2017;Lemus-Lauzon et al 2018) or a change in climate and microsite conditions (Trant and Hermanutz 2014). Although our study approach does not lend itself to answering the question of how these forest stands initially established, our data suggest that continuous, rather than episodic regeneration, occurred across all unburned sites after the year 1700.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Because of the low fire frequency, few published studies exist on the fire return intervals Pagination not final (cite DOI) / Pagination provisoire (citer le DOI) for the eastern subarctic region (Foster 1983). Additionally, published research of stand age from dendrochronological studies is limited to interior Labrador (Nishimura and Laroque 2011;Trindade et al 2011), historical settlements (Roy et al 2017;Lemus-Lauzon et al 2018), or areas in close proximity to present day communities (Lemus-Lauzon et al 2016), further reducing our ability to understand regeneration and disturbance dynamics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Boreal tree regeneration after fire and fuelwood harvesting in coastal Nunatsiavut

Brehaut

Brown

2020

Arctic Science

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Consecutive landscape-scale disturbances are known to influence boreal forest regeneration, yet few published data exist on the compounding effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbance on regeneration in subarctic forests. We conducted a dendroecological study of eastern coastal boreal forest regeneration two decades after fire at three subarctic forest stands that are important sources of fuelwood for the people of Nunatsiavut (Labrador, Canada). We quantified spruce (Picea spp.) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) seedling regeneration, standing dead tree density, trees harvested within burned forests, and aged proximal unburned stands. Age of unburned forest varied with site; however, each exhibited continuous regeneration over several decades. Despite low seedling regeneration at each site (stems·m−2; less than 35% of pre-fire stem density), model results indicated harvesting post-fire did not impact seedling regeneration. Findings suggest a negative pressure on seedling abundance from increased presence of tall multi-stemmed shrubs, yet we argue that because stands exhibit a range in tree age, shrubs may be a set of early successional species rather than indicating a change in successional trajectory. Examination of a larger chronosequence within coastal forest stands of Nunatsiavut is warranted to further understand forest regeneration in the eastern subarctic under changing disturbance regimes.

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“…With the use of historical sources, this study aims to provide an intra-annual perspective on climate variability and to document how it has affected human activities in Labrador/Nunatsiavut. Other studies have combined historical and proxy sources together to document past environmental conditions (e.g., D'Arrigo et al, 2003; Woollett, 2007; Lemus-Lauzon et al, 2018), but none has focused on exceptional climatic events. From a combination of meteorological reports, ship logbooks, and missionary journals (Periodical accounts, hereafter PA), Newell (1992) proposed a compilation of severe and extreme spring sea-ice events on the coast of Labrador/Nunatsiavut during the 19 th century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Perspectives on Exceptional Climatic Years at the Labrador/Nunatsiavut Coast 1780 to 1950

et al. 2020

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This interdisciplinary study presents a human perspective on climatic variations by combining documentary, discursive, instrumental, and proxy data. Historical sources were used to characterize climate variations along the coast of Labrador/Nunatsiavut during the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Written and early instrumental archives provided original information on the state and perception of climate before the establishment of meteorological stations, which permitted an intra-annual perspective on climatic variations. Written sources depicted the sensitivity of humans to climatic variations. Exceptional seasonal climatic events were extracted from documentary and discursive sources, which were complemented by tree-ring and early instrumental data. From 1780 to 1900, data indicated a succession of relatively warm and cold episodes. Most warm periods were described as stormy and variable. The final part of the studied records showed cold conditions from 1900 to 1925 and warm conditions from 1925 to 1950. Historical sources helped to discriminate a seasonal signal. Mild autumn-winter conditions were recorded since 1910 in relation with positive anomalies of the North Atlantic Oscillation in winter. Relatively warm spring-summer conditions were recorded after 1920, which corresponds to a phase of positive anomaly of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation.

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Tree-ring evidence of changes in the subarctic forest cover linked to human disturbance in northern Labrador (Canada)

Cited by 10 publications

References 61 publications

Anthropogenic and climate impacts on subarctic forests in the Nain region, Nunatsiavut: Dendroecological and historical approaches

Anthropogenic and climate impacts on subarctic forests in the Nain region, Nunatsiavut: Dendroecological and historical approaches

Boreal tree regeneration after fire and fuelwood harvesting in coastal Nunatsiavut

Historical Perspectives on Exceptional Climatic Years at the Labrador/Nunatsiavut Coast 1780 to 1950

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