Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1965. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Growth responses to climatic variables of red pine (Pinus resinosa Aiton) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst) were studied at the Morgan Arboretum, near Montreal, in southern Quebec, Canada (45$ sp circ$ 25$ sp prime$ N, 73$ sp circ$ 57$ sp prime$ W; 15.2 m above sea level). The relationships between climatic variables and basal area growth were examined using linear and quadratic models. Current and previous year's climatic variables were tested separately and in combination using multiple regression models. The best models explained 82% and 85% of the total variance of the growth of Norway spruce and red pine, respectively. The growth of both species was more associated with evapotranspiration than precipitation. The growth of Norway spruce was best explained by the current year's annual evapotranspiration (43%), while the growth of red pine was more related to previous year's August evapotranspiration (33%) at our site. / The JABOWA model was used to predict tree growth in hypothetical climates which could result from global climate changes. Based on literature, five treatments were applied: normal, and increases of 1, 3, 5, and 10$ sp circ$C. Comparison between the last (1983-1992) and next (1993-2002) ten years growth showed no significant differences between species when temperature was normal or increased by 1 and 3$ sp circ$C, but significant differences between species were observed when the temperature was increased by 5$ sp circ$C. Both species declined when the temperature was increased by 10$ sp circ$C. We concluded that Norway spruce is more sensitive to increases in atmospheric temperatures than red pine at our site.

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