Tree core radial growth, diameter at breast height, and height observations of a 40-year lodgepole pine provenance trial at Fraser Experimental Forest, Colorado, USA

This data publication comprises data collected from a nearly 40-year-old lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) provenance experiment in Fraser Experimental Forest (FEF) in Fraser, Colorado. It includes spatial location data from the 34 original provenance seed source sites, spanning from La Veta Pass, Colorado, through Wyoming, to Marias Pass, Montana. Data include diameter at breast height (DBH), height, and crown vigor observations collected from each of the 160 lodgepole pine trees sampled at FEF during the summers of 2022-2023. Data also include annual growth increment data, measured from tree cores collected at approximately 1 foot above ground as basal area increment (BAI), for each of the 160 trees sampled, covering the study period of 1992-2021.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the adaptive potential of lodgepole pine and its potential for utilization in assisted migration efforts aimed at enhancing forest-climate resilience in the species’ southernmost range in Colorado. Tree data were collected during 2022-2023 at a long-term provenance experiment research site in Fraser Experimental Forest (FEF) in Fraser, Colorado, and provide critical insight into the adaptability of southern lodgepole pine. Measurements include tree growth data (tree diameter, height, annual ring width), tree vigor, and climate and drought data from the open-source ClimateNA system. These data ultimately support the broader goal of mitigating the negative impacts of climate change on forested ecosystems in the western United States.
For more information about this study and these data, see Warnick (2024). Additional details regarding the provenances and their performance in a greenhouse, see Moore (1981).