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Geographic patterns of upward shifts in treeline vegetation across western North America, 1984–2017.

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Title: Geographic patterns of upward shifts in treeline vegetation across western North America, 1984–2017.
Authors: Corimanya, Joanna L.1 (AUTHOR) gresham.joanna@gmail.com, Jiménez-García, Daniel2,3 (AUTHOR), Li, Xingong4 (AUTHOR), Peterson, A. Townsend1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Biogeosciences. 2025, Vol. 22 Issue 20, p5665-5681. 17p.
Subject Terms: *Climate change, *Timberline, *Altitudes, *Longitudinal method, *Landscapes, *Forest plants, *Remote-sensing images
Geographic Terms: North America
Abstract: Previous research has shown that (1) treelines are shifting upward in elevation on high mountain peaks worldwide, and (2) the rate of the upward shift appears to have increased markedly in recent decades, at least in a few cases that have been studied in detail. Because treeline elevational shift is a process manifested over broad scales of space and time, a particular challenge has been that of obtaining a broad enough view of patterns of treeline shift to permit inferences about geographic and environmental patterns. What is more, intensive studies of treelines have been concentrated in north temperate regions such that little information is available about treeline shift patterns at lower latitudes. We attempted to address this challenge by analyzing long time series of vegetation indices derived from Landsat imagery obtained and prepared via Google Earth Engine from the 1980s to the present. We sampled vegetation indices at points spaced every 100 m along 100 km transects radiating out in eight directions from 115 high peaks across western North America (Canada to Central America), which means that we are sampling approximately every second or third pixel in the corresponding Landsat images. Considerable data preparation was necessary, including ending transects <2 km into closed forest, identifying current treelines via reference to Google Earth imagery, and consideration only of up to <1 km above the treeline. Patterns that emerged were – as is well known – that treelines are generally higher at lower latitudes but – previously unknown – that the magnitude of treeline shifts is nonrandomly distributed with respect to latitude, longitude, and their interaction. This analysis, via a broad-scale view of treeline shifts over almost 40 years and a geographic span of more than 40° of latitude, demonstrates that climate change effects and consequent treeline shifts are most dramatic in tropical regions where few or no detailed treeline studies have been or are being conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Energy & Power Source
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  Data: Geographic patterns of upward shifts in treeline vegetation across western North America, 1984–2017.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;JN&quot; term=&quot;%22Biogeosciences%22&quot;&gt;Biogeosciences&lt;/searchLink&gt;. 2025, Vol. 22 Issue 20, p5665-5681. 17p.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22North+America%22&quot;&gt;North America&lt;/searchLink&gt;
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  Data: Previous research has shown that (1) treelines are shifting upward in elevation on high mountain peaks worldwide, and (2) the rate of the upward shift appears to have increased markedly in recent decades, at least in a few cases that have been studied in detail. Because treeline elevational shift is a process manifested over broad scales of space and time, a particular challenge has been that of obtaining a broad enough view of patterns of treeline shift to permit inferences about geographic and environmental patterns. What is more, intensive studies of treelines have been concentrated in north temperate regions such that little information is available about treeline shift patterns at lower latitudes. We attempted to address this challenge by analyzing long time series of vegetation indices derived from Landsat imagery obtained and prepared via Google Earth Engine from the 1980s to the present. We sampled vegetation indices at points spaced every 100 m along 100 km transects radiating out in eight directions from 115 high peaks across western North America (Canada to Central America), which means that we are sampling approximately every second or third pixel in the corresponding Landsat images. Considerable data preparation was necessary, including ending transects &lt;2 km into closed forest, identifying current treelines via reference to Google Earth imagery, and consideration only of up to &lt;1 km above the treeline. Patterns that emerged were – as is well known – that treelines are generally higher at lower latitudes but – previously unknown – that the magnitude of treeline shifts is nonrandomly distributed with respect to latitude, longitude, and their interaction. This analysis, via a broad-scale view of treeline shifts over almost 40 years and a geographic span of more than 40&#176; of latitude, demonstrates that climate change effects and consequent treeline shifts are most dramatic in tropical regions where few or no detailed treeline studies have been or are being conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=enr&AN=189052704
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.5194/bg-22-5665-2025
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 17
        StartPage: 5665
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Climate change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Timberline
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Altitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Landscapes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Forest plants
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Remote-sensing images
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: North America
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Geographic patterns of upward shifts in treeline vegetation across western North America, 1984–2017.
        Type: main
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            NameFull: Corimanya, Joanna L.
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            NameFull: Jiménez-García, Daniel
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            NameFull: Li, Xingong
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            NameFull: Peterson, A. Townsend
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            – D: 15
              M: 10
              Text: 2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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            – TitleFull: Biogeosciences
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