Mid-Holocene-to-present Modeled (ca., 7,000 to 100 cal. BP) and Reconstructed (ca., 5,900 to 5,436 cal. BP) Temperature for the High-Elevations of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Derived from a Transient Climate Model and Whitebark Pine Tree-rings
Description
In the Rocky Mountains of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (United States), recent melting at a high-elevation (3,091 m asl) ice patch exposed a mature stand of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) trees located ~180 m above modern treeline dating to the mid-Holocene (c. 5,900-5,436 cal y BP +- 51 y). From this subfossil wood record, we contextualize the recent magnitude of warming relative to mid-Holocene conditions and reconstruct changes in climate that resulted in regional ice patch growth and reductions in treeline elevation. Specifically, we developed tree-ring based temperature estimates for subalpine treeline and compare and contextualize this record against a mid-Holocene-to-present (ca., 7,000 to 100 cal. BP) transient climate model.