Cold damage potential in northwest forests for submission to ecological applications

Damage to vegetation can occur when temperatures drop below the present hardiness of the plant. Injury may not become apparent for months after the event. To help anticipate and better plan for potential damage in large ecosystems, a prototype model was developed to show the spatial and temporal variability of freezing conditions...The potential for cold damage is divided into seasonal components...GIS data layers were generated for the Columbia River basin in the northwestern United States and compared with observed damage. The model correctly identifies areas of observed damage to plant life.