Tree ring widths and diameter at breast height of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) growing in a provenance planting established in 1978 in northern Vermont, USA

This data publication includes raw ring widths (1980-2019) obtained from increment cores of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) growing in a provenance planting on the campus of The University of Vermont. The provenance planting was established in 1978 and is comprised of several sources spanning the historical range of green ash. Nine sources were selected for increment coring in October 2019 based on the distribution of their seed source origin within the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone (PHZ) Map - from the coldest (PHZ = 3) to the warmest source (PHZ = 7). We sampled a total of 44 trees and provide the diameter at breast height for each tree as well as the raw ring widths for 1-2 cores per tree, resulting in 82 series of ring width measurements.<br>The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of climate (temperature, precipitation and snow) on the growth of green ash sources planted in a range-wide provenance study and not yet impacted by Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). EAB was first detected in Vermont in 2018, but no sign of it was found in the provenance planting at the time of the study (2019). A better understanding of the influence of climate on green ash adaptation before the devastating effects of EAB infestation have taken hold will support future restoration efforts of the species.<br>The increment cores are currently archived in Room 166 at the Northern Research Station, 705 Spear Street, South Burlington, VT. For more information about this study, see Schaberg et al. (2024). For information related to nursery development of individual green ash sources at this provenance planting, see Steiner et al. (1988). These data are also currently available in Schaberg et al. (2023).