Changes in climate are affecting tree growth, fire regimes and the geographic ranges of species (Beck et al. 2011; Kelly et al. 2013). Increasing our understanding of how boreal tree species respond to climate warming is critical for predicting the future states of the boreal forest and assessing the global impacts of these changes. Black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) is the most abundant tree species in the Interior Alaskan boreal forest. Although it grows in a variety of community types (Hollingsworth et al. 2006), it is the only tree species found at the coldest, wettest sites on the landscape. Despite its abundance, very little is known about the climate-growth relationships of black spruce, as the majority of dendrochronological studies in Interior Alaska involve white spruce growing at treeline.Funding was provided by a National Science Foundation grant (ARC-0902169), the Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning, and the Alaska Climate Science Center (Cooperative Agreement Number G10AC00588 from the U.S. Geological Survey)
