Geography Department  - Biogeography Lab

Northern Illinois University

 

 

 

                 Jeff Krueger  -  jkrueger1@niu.edu

 

       

PERSONNEL

         In my research, I intend to explore hydrologic factors affecting the movement and vigor (photosynthetic activity) of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) trees in response to accelerated warming climate at a deciduous-boreal forest ecotone.  My goal will be to target a critical set of micro-scale variables investigating their contribution or resistance to sugar maple seedling mortality as the species’ northern limit theoretically shifts to higher latitudes in the face of anthropogenic climate change.  More pointedly, I plan to investigate possible differences in precipitation with respect to the type of moisture and dissolved nutrient levels reaching the forest floor on either side of the deciduous-boreal boundary, and in turn, how sugar maple seedlings respond to these spatial heterogeneities of water and nutrient inputs.  These variables will be measured and analyzed at sites featuring deciduous, boreal, and mixed hardwood species dominance, respectively.

           The proposed study will be conducted in Lake Superior Provincial Park (LSPP) in Ontario, Canada and will integrate with ongoing biogeographic research by Lesley Rigg and David Goldblum funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.  LSPP is located at 47° 47’ N, 84° 55’ W, coinciding with a relatively undisturbed deciduous-boreal forest ecotone which presents a prime location for analysis of climate-induced factors affecting sugar maple migration response.