Relationships Between Shallow Groundwater and Tree Growth in a Northern Wisconsin Forest

Abstract:

As drought variability increases across forests in the United States, it is critical to evaluate ecosystem attributes that reduce drought vulnerability. Groundwater has been shown to sustain tree growth and transpiration in arid and semi-arid ecosystems during drought, yet this relationship has yet to be extensively explored in mesic environments. This research aims to investigate groundwater-tree interactions in a north temperate forest in northern Wisconsin with attention to drought stress. We question if trees in areas of shallow groundwater with lower inter-annual variability will have higher and more consistent tree growth rates during drought conditions. Historic water table measurements monitored in the Trout Lake watershed include a decline in groundwater levels by ~1 m caused by a prolonged drought from 2006-2013. Within the watershed, we examined tree growth response between wet and dry years across sites covering a 1-9 m depth to groundwater gradient over the past 30 years. Combined with remotely sensed vegetation indices and tree core chronologies, we show regions and individual trees influenced by groundwater depth variability, respectively. Generally, vegetation indices and tree growth rates were higher during years of shallower spring and summer groundwater. By exploring the influences of shallow groundwater on tree growth in temperate forests, groundwater conferred drought resistance may be mapped for sustainable management.