Study Area
We conducted our study across the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Nova
Scotia is a narrow peninsula covering approximately 55,000 square
kilometers and extending three degrees of latitude and six degrees of
longitude. It is characterized by low to moderate elevation, mostly
gentle relief, podzolic soils, and a relatively wide range of local
climatic conditions. Much of Nova Scotia is part of the temperate
Acadian Forest Zone, except higher montane areas which are outliers of
the Eastern Boreal Forest Zone in Canada (Baldwin et al. 2020).
Below, we summarize field-based response data and remotely sensed
predictors employed in our models. Those summaries are followed by model
overviews and procedures for mapping spatial patterns.