Christina Minions, MS Candidate in Biological Sciences Thesis Defense

Christina Minions, MS Candidate in Biological Sciences presents, "Experimental Deepening of Winter Snowpack Reduces Fine Root Growth and Standing Crop at Treelines in Northwest Alaska,” Feb. 28 in the Fine Arts Building, Room 117 or on Zoom from 9-11 a.m.

Abstract

Changes in the timing and amount of snow cover could have significant impacts on fine root growth and/or mortality, which could alter aboveground growth and reproductive success of arctic vegetation, including white spruce (Picea glauca), a dominant arctic treeline species in North America. The overarching goal of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the environmental factors that drive fine root dynamics at three contrasting treeline ecotones in the western Brooks Range of Alaska. Snowfences were used to experimentally manipulate snow depth and minirhizotrons were used to obtain estimates of fine root growth and standing crop during the growing seasons of 2019 and 2021.

January Archive