Gradual shifts in the wood anatomy of Picea mariana associated with crown erosion in boreal forest stands of Québec.

This dataset contains quantitative wood anatomy and dendrochronological data collected from living black spruce (Picea mariana) trees growing in a lakeshore forest in Québec, Canada. The dataset includes (i) cell-level anatomical measurements (Cells_data.csv), (ii) annual mean values of quantitative wood anatomy traits and tree-ring width (Mean_annual_QWA.csv), and (iii) tree-level dendrometric information, including diameter, height, and group classification (Dendro_data.csv). The anatomical variables include lumen area, cell area, lumen dimensions, wall thickness, wall area, and morphometric density, measured from annual growth rings and aggregated at different organizational levels. Trees were classified into two groups according to crown condition and erosion status, allowing comparisons of radial growth and wood anatomical responses. These data were used to investigate long-term growth divergence and associated anatomical adjustments in black spruce trees, with particular emphasis on the relationships between crown condition, tree decline processes, and xylem structural variation under environmental stress.