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

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.