Abstract
Tree growth helps US forests take up 12% of the fossil fuels emitted in the USA (Woodbury et al. 2007), so predicting tree growth for future climates matters. Predicting future climates themselves is uncertain, but climate scientists probably have the most confidence in predictions for temperature. Temperatures are projected to rise by 0.2 °C in the next two decades, then by 1.5-3.5 °C at the end of the century, depending on model and emissions scenario (IPCC 2007). In this issue, Way and Oren (2010) provide a thorough, timely and important synthesis of the effects of temperature on tree growth. I will highlight some of their findings and think about some other ways to approach the problem.
Keywords
tree growth,
climate,
temperature
Citation
Ryan, Michael G. 2010. Temperature and tree growth [editorial]. Tree Physiology. 30:667-668.