Temporal Variability in Climate Response of Eastern Hemlock in the Central Appalachian Region

Shifting climate-growth relationships in high-latitude northern hemisphere forests have been demonstrated by numerous tree-ring studies. The possible causes of these shifting climate-growth relationships are numerous and factors often co-vary across space and time, complicating the development of climate reconstructions and the conservation of foundational forest species. Presented here are the results of a study examining the climate response of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) in the mid-latitude Central Appalachian region. Tree core samples were collected within Pipestem Resort State Park, located in southern West Virginia. A composite ring-width chronology was developed for the study area, spanning 145 years from 1868 to 2012 and climate-growth relationships were analyzed for the period 1896–2012. Our results indicate that hemlock growth response to climate has varied over time, particularly in response to an abrupt shift to below average temperatures during the mid-20^th century and as a result of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand) infestation.