Assessing historic change in subalpine forest : a case study in the West Castle Watershed

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dc.contributor.authorMcCaffrey, David R.
dc.contributor.authorUniversity of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
dc.contributor.supervisorHopkinson, Christopher
dc.date.accessioned2018-04-10T21:29:05Z
dc.date.available2018-04-10T21:29:05Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.degree.levelMastersen_US
dc.description.abstractAlpine treeline ecotone (ATE) is a dynamic region where tree growth is limited by atmospheric temperature. Landscape scale variation in climate, topography, and disturbance regimes cause heterogeneity in the ATE by suppressing tree elevation below the absolute thermal limit to growth. In order to understand how ATE will respond to anticipated atmospheric warming, observations of historic change are required. This research introduces a novel method of canopy cover observation using oblique historic imagery. ATE change is assessed in the West Castle Watershed between 1914-2006, and found to be correlated to elevation, aspect, and fire-exposure. A random forest model was used to test a spatial extension of observed canopy cover change into areas that were not observed in the oblique imagery. This model used proxies for climate, topography, and disturbance regime as predictive variables. Collectively, this thesis research demonstrates that oblique photography can provide valuable insights into dynamic processes in the ATE.en_US
dc.embargoNoen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/5086
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.proquest.subject0368en_US
dc.proquest.subject0799en_US
dc.proquest.subject0329en_US
dc.proquestyesYesen_US
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta. : Universtiy of Lethbridge, Department of Geographyen_US
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Geographyen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Scienceen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)en_US
dc.subjectEcotones--Alberta--West Castle Watersheden_US
dc.subjectTimberline--Alberta--West Castle Watersheden_US
dc.subjectForest canopies--Alberta--West Castle Watersheden_US
dc.subjectClimatic changes--Alberta--West Castle Watersheden_US
dc.subjectTrees--Ecophysiology--Alberta--West Castle Watersheden_US
dc.subjectAerial photography in forestry--Alberta--West Castle Watersheden_US
dc.subjectWest Castle Watershed (Alta.)--Researchen_US
dc.subjectalpine treeline ecotoneen_US
dc.subjectcanopy coveren_US
dc.subjectoblique photographyen_US
dc.titleAssessing historic change in subalpine forest : a case study in the West Castle Watersheden_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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