Despite recent advances in understanding tree species sensitivities to climate change, ecological knowledge on different species remains scattered across disparate sources, precluding their inclusion in vulnerability assessments. Information on potential sensitivities is needed to identify tree species that require consideration, inform changes to current silvicultural practices and prioritize management actions. A trait-based approach was used to overcome some of the challenges involved in assessing sensitivity, providing a common framework to facilitate data integration and species comparisons. Focusing on 26 abundant tree species from eastern Canada, we developed a series of trait-based indices that capture a species’ ability to cope with three key climate change stressors—increased drought events, shifts in climatically suitable habitat, increased fire intensity and frequency. Ten indices were developed by breaking down species’ response to a stressor into its strategies, mechanisms and traits. Species-specific sensitivities varied across climate stressors but also among the various ways a species can cope with a given stressor. Of the 26 species assessed, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière and Abies balsamea (L.) Mill are classified as the most sensitive species across all indices while Acer rubrum L. and Populus spp. are the least sensitive. Information was found for 95% of the trait-species combinations but the quality of available data varies between indices and species. Notably, some traits related to individual-level sensitivity to drought were poorly documented as well as deciduous species found within the temperate biome. We also discuss how our indices compare with other published indices, using drought sensitivity as an example. Finally, we discuss how the information captured by these indices can be used to inform vulnerability assessments and the development of adaptation measures for species with different management requirements under climate change.

中文翻译：

---

使用基于特征的方法比较树木物种对加拿大东部气候变化压力源的敏感性并提供适应实践的信息

尽管最近在理解树种对气候变化的敏感性方面取得了进展，但是关于不同树种的生态知识仍然散布在不同的来源中，从而排除了将其纳入脆弱性评估的可能性。需要有关潜在敏感性的信息来识别需要考虑的树种，为当前的造林实践提供信息，并确定管理措施的优先级。基于特征的方法被用来克服在评估敏感性方面所涉及的一些挑战，提供了促进数据整合和物种比较的通用框架。针对加拿大东部的26种丰富的树种，我们开发了一系列基于特征的指标，以捕获该树种应对三种主要气候变化压力的能力：干旱事件增加，气候适宜的栖息地变化，增加火势和频率。通过将物种对应激源的反应分解为策略，机制和特质，开发了十个指数。特定物种的敏感性在不同气候压力源之间也各不相同，但在物种可以应对给定压力源的各种方式中也有所不同。在评估的26种物种中，在所有指数中，加拿大Tsuga canadensis（L.）Carrière和Abies balsamea（L.）Mill被列为最敏感的物种，而Acer rubrum L.和Populus spp是最敏感的物种。最不敏感 发现了95％的性状-物种组合的信息，但是可用数据的质量在指标和物种之间有所不同。值得注意的是，关于个人对干旱敏感性的一些特征以及在温带生物群系中发现的落叶物种的文献报道很少。我们还以干旱敏感性为例，讨论了我们的指数与其他已发布指数的比较。最后，我们讨论了如何利用这些指数捕获的信息来为气候变化下具有不同管理要求的物种的脆弱性评估和适应措施的制定提供信息。