Modeling Carbon Balance at Treeline in Glacier National Park, Montana

The alpine treeline ecotone (ATE) represents the zone of transition along a mountainside between closed canopy forest and alpine tundra. The location of the ATE on the landscape is determined by a suite of environmental variables that interact to limit the growth of coniferous trees. In this research, a physiologically mechanistic model is used to predict tree growth at the ATE in Glacier National Park, Montana. Model development is based on field data collected for 25 study sites on the east side of the Continental Divide. The model is then run to predict the carbon balance for treeline locations in a larger area of the park. Treeline elevation is predicted according to the location on the landscape where modeled carbon balance is equal to zero. Predicted treeline elevations are compared to actual ATE locations.

Currently, this research is focusing on model development and the generation of input parameters. Input parameters such as precipitation and temperature are being collected and placed into the modeling framework.