Collaborative Research: High-Resolution, Multi-Species Reconstructions of Greater Yellowstone Region Paleoclimates Using Tree-Ring Anatomy

本项目旨在通过使用树木年轮方法，对大黄石生态区（GYE）的次年古气候和极端事件进行千年长度的多尺度综合。研究人员将：(1)从两个共同发生的亚高山/林木线树种中生成定量木材解剖（QWA）指标的千年长度年表；(2)产生区域、千年尺度的次年温度变化重建；(3)分析气候变率与外部强迫的关系。基于QWA指标的千年气候历史的创建可能为了解美国西部重要的高海拔生态系统提供新的见解，并进一步了解GYE的气候变化背景。利用现有重建数据和模式数据对重建的次年温度数据进行分析，将有助于更广泛地了解GYE和美国西部复杂的气候相互关系，并为当前和未来条件的评估提供信息。本研究产生的信息将帮助当地、国家和国际气候学家、保护生物学家和土地管理者更好地预测未来气候变化对GYE和美国西部的影响，并为白皮松生态系统基金会（WPEF）、美国林务局和其他对白皮松对气候变化和生态干扰的特定响应感兴趣的政府和非政府机构提供数据。潜在的更广泛影响（bi）包括对几位早期职业女性科学家的职业生涯的支持，以及对本科教育、K-12活动和社区参与的资源。该项目通过指导、独立和夏季研究项目、社区外展、合作和教育提供科学教育和培训机会，包括北美树木生态学田野周、爱达荷大学K-12 STEM外展项目和肯塔基科学院等项目。该研究还将有助于了解大黄石生态区（GYE） 1000多年来的气候变率和异常情况，并深入了解年际变率及其对气候和生态干扰事件的响应，从而为未来的区域和大尺度气候模型以及其他GYE研究问题提供信息。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to perform a millennial-length, multi-metric synthesis of sub-annual paleoclimate and extreme events in the Greater Yellowstone Ecoregion (GYE) through the use of tree-ring methodologies. The researchers will: (1) generate millennial-length chronologies of quantitative wood anatomy (QWA) metrics from two co-occurring subalpine/treeline tree species; (2) produce regional, millennial-length reconstructions of sub-annual temperature variability; and (3) analyze connections between climate variability and external forcings. The creation of a millennial-length climate history derived from QWA metrics may provide new insights into important high-elevation ecosystems of the western United States (U.S.) and further contextualize climate change for the GYE. Analysis between reconstructed sub-annual temperature data with currently available reconstruction and model data will aid understanding of complex climate interrelationships for the GYE and the western U.S. more broadly and inform assessments of current and future conditions.Information generated by this research will aid local, national, and international climatologists, conservation biologists, and land managers to better predict future climate change impacts for the GYE and western U.S. more broadly and provide data to the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation (WPEF), U.S. Forest Service, and other governmental and non-governmental agencies that have interest in whitebark-specific responses to climate change and ecological disturbance. The potential Broader Impacts (B.I.) include support for the careers of several early-career female scientists as well as resources toward undergraduate education, K-12 activities, and community engagement. The project provides opportunities for scientific education and training through mentorship, independent and summer research programs, and community outreach, collaboration, and education, including programs including the North American Dendroecological Fieldweek, the University of Idaho K-12 STEM outreach program, and the Kentucky Academy of Science.The research will also help contextualize over 1,000 years of climate variability and anomalies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecoregion (GYE) and provide insight into intra-annual variability and responses to climatological and ecological disturbance events, thereby informing future regional- and large-scale climate models and additional GYE research questions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.