These data were compiled for research pertaining to the effects of stand density on growth rates in semi-arid forests. Increasing heat and aridity in coming decades is expected to negatively impact tree growth and threaten forest sustainability in dry areas. Maintaining low stand density has the potential to mitigate the negative effects of increasingly severe droughts by minimizing competitive intensity. By inspecting growth rates and the climate and soil moisture conditions that drive these growth rates we can understand better the positive effects of reducing stand density and the specific dynamics that are beneficial to growth.

These data were compiled in order to represent long-term (multi-decadal) forest growth across eight different experimental forests in the United States, each with replicated levels of density treatments, as well as an important drought index correlated to growth. Forests around the world are experiencing severe droughts and elevated competitive intensity due to increased tree density. These data can be utilized to not only examine differences in within-stand competition, as well the trends and impact of drought in different forests across a broad climatic gradient, but also the influence of interactions between drought and competition on forest growth. Growth is measured as a treatment level, annual basal area increment (BAI, mm2/year). The self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) was used as index of annual scale drought severity and related to growth patterns.

These data were compiled to help understand how climate change may impact dryland pinyon-juniper ecosystems in coming decades, and how resource management might be able to minimize those impacts. Objective(s) of our study were to model the demographic rates of PJ woodlands to estimate the areas that may decline in the future vs. those that will be stable. We quantified populations growth rates across broad geographic areas, and identified the relative roles of recruitment and mortality in driving potential future changes in population viability in 5 tree species that are major components of these dry forests. We used this demographic model to project pinyon-juniper population stability under future climate conditions, assess how robust these projected changes are, and to identify where on the landscape management strategies that decrease tree competition would effectively resist population decline. These data represent estimated recruitment, mortality and population growth across the distribution of five common pinyon-juniper species across the US Southwest. These data were collected by the US Forest service in their monitoring program, which is a systematic survey of forested regions across the entire US. Our data is from western US states, including AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, ND, NV, OR, SD, TX, UT, and was collected between 2000-2007, depending on state census collection times. These data were collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis program of the USDA US Forest Service. Within each established plot, all adult trees greater than 12.7 cm (5 in.) diameter at breast height (DBH) are assigned unique tags and tracked within four, 7.32 m (24 ft.) radius subplots. All saplings <12.7 cm & > 2.54 cm (1 in.) DBH are assigned unique tags and tracked within four, 2.07 m (6.8 ft.) radius microplots within the larger adult plots. Finally, seedlings <2.54 cm DBH are counted within the same microplots as the saplings. Two censuses were conducted 10 years apart in each plot. These data can be used to inform how tree species have unique responses to changing climate conditions and how management actions, like tree density reduction, may effectively resist transformation away from pinyon-juniper woodland to other ecosystem types.

These data were compiled to help understand how climate change may impact dryland pinyon-juniper ecosystems in coming decades, and how resource management might be able to minimize those impacts. Objective(s) of our study were to model the demographic rates of PJ woodlands to estimate the areas that may decline in the future vs. those that will be stable. We quantified populations growth rates across broad geographic areas, and identified the relative roles of recruitment and mortality in driving potential future changes in population viability in 5 tree species that are major components of these dry forests. We used this demographic model to project pinyon-juniper population stability under future climate conditions, assess how robust these projected changes are, and to identify where on the landscape management strategies that decrease tree competition would effectively resist population decline. These data represent estimated recruitment, mortality and population growth across the distribution of five common pinyon-juniper species across the US Southwest. These data were collected by the US Forest service in their monitoring program, which is a systematic survey of forested regions across the entire US. Our data is from western US states, including AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, ND, NV, OR, SD, TX, UT, and was collected between 2000-2007, depending on state census collection times. These data were collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis program of the USDA US Forest Service. Within each established plot, all adult trees greater than 12.7 cm (5 in.) diameter at breast height (DBH) are assigned unique tags and tracked within four, 7.32 m (24 ft.) radius subplots. All saplings <12.7 cm & > 2.54 cm (1 in.) DBH are assigned unique tags and tracked within four, 2.07 m (6.8 ft.) radius microplots within the larger adult plots. Finally, seedlings <2.54 cm DBH are counted within the same microplots as the saplings. Two censuses were conducted 10 years apart in each plot. These data can be used to inform how tree species have unique responses to changing climate conditions and how management actions, like tree density reduction, may effectively resist transformation away from pinyon-juniper woodland to other ecosystem types.

This dataset contains two phases of research. The first dataset includes several variables that were sampled across aspen stands in the Santa Rosa, Ruby, and Jarbidge mountain ranges (Great Basin, Northern Nevada, USA) in 2010 and 2011. Across 101 aspen sites, several plot-level attributes were collected (e.g. elevation, slope, aspen stand type). For each plot, data describing live trees (both those less than 7.5 cm diameter and those greater than/equal to 7.5 cm) are included, such as species, diameter, and age. The data set also includes information for dead trees greater than/equal to 7.5 cm diameter (e.g. species, location, diameter). The second dataset includes tree ring measurements (for live trees greater than/equal to 7.5 cm diameter) and monthly climate data for a subset of sites (n = 20) that were included in the first phase. For this subset of 20 sites, we analyzed the relationship between tree ring width measurements and climate variables. The climate variables represent monthly total precipitation, average temperature, and climatic moisture index values by year for the period of record.

This dataset contains two phases of research. The first dataset includes several variables that were sampled across aspen stands in the Santa Rosa, Ruby, and Jarbidge mountain ranges (Great Basin, Northern Nevada, USA) in 2010 and 2011. Across 101 aspen sites, several plot-level attributes were collected (e.g. elevation, slope, aspen stand type). For each plot, data describing live trees (both those less than 7.5 cm diameter and those greater than/equal to 7.5 cm) are included, such as species, diameter, and age. The data set also includes information for dead trees greater than/equal to 7.5 cm diameter (e.g. species, location, diameter). The second dataset includes tree ring measurements (for live trees greater than/equal to 7.5 cm diameter) and monthly climate data for a subset of sites (n = 20) that were included in the first phase. For this subset of 20 sites, we analyzed the relationship between tree ring width measurements and climate variables. The climate variables represent monthly total precipitation, average temperature, and climatic moisture index values by year for the period of record.

This dataset contains two phases of research. The first dataset includes several variables that were sampled across aspen stands in the Santa Rosa, Ruby, and Jarbidge mountain ranges (Great Basin, Northern Nevada, USA) in 2010 and 2011. Across 101 aspen sites, several plot-level attributes were collected (e.g. elevation, slope, aspen stand type). For each plot, data describing live trees (both those less than 7.5 cm diameter and those greater than/equal to 7.5 cm) are included, such as species, diameter, and age. The data set also includes information for dead trees greater than/equal to 7.5 cm diameter (e.g. species, location, diameter). The second dataset includes tree ring measurements (for live trees greater than/equal to 7.5 cm diameter) and monthly climate data for a subset of sites (n = 20) that were included in the first phase. For this subset of 20 sites, we analyzed the relationship between tree ring width measurements and climate variables. The climate variables represent monthly total precipitation, average temperature, and climatic moisture index values by year for the period of record.

These data were compiled in order to represent long-term (multi-decadal) forest growth across eight different experimental forests in the United States, each with replicated levels of density treatments, as well as an important drought index correlated to growth. Forests around the world are experiencing severe droughts and elevated competitive intensity due to increased tree density. These data can be utilized to not only examine differences in within-stand competition, as well the trends and impact of drought in different forests across a broad climatic gradient, but also the influence of interactions between drought and competition on forest growth. Growth is measured as a treatment level, annual basal area increment (BAI, mm2/year). The self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) was used as index of annual scale drought severity and related to growth patterns.

These data were compiled in order to represent long-term (multi-decadal) forest growth across eight different experimental forests in the United States, each with replicated levels of density treatments, as well as an important drought index correlated to growth. Forests around the world are experiencing severe droughts and elevated competitive intensity due to increased tree density. These data can be utilized to not only examine differences in within-stand competition, as well the trends and impact of drought in different forests across a broad climatic gradient, but also the influence of interactions between drought and competition on forest growth. Growth is measured as a treatment level, annual basal area increment (BAI, mm2/year). The self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) was used as index of annual scale drought severity and related to growth patterns.

These data were compiled in order to represent long-term (multi-decadal) forest growth across eight different experimental forests in the United States, each with replicated levels of density treatments, as well as an important drought index correlated to growth. Forests around the world are experiencing severe droughts and elevated competitive intensity due to increased tree density. These data can be utilized to not only examine differences in within-stand competition, as well the trends and impact of drought in different forests across a broad climatic gradient, but also the influence of interactions between drought and competition on forest growth. Growth is measured as a treatment level, annual basal area increment (BAI, mm2/year). The self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) was used as index of annual scale drought severity and related to growth patterns.