<p>New technologies, such as satellites and sensors, provide a wealth of new information about all ecosystems. In dendrochronological studies, all drought-related factors are of great importance for a more comprehensive understanding of associations between radial growth and water loss. Soil moisture directly reflects the wetness of immediate root surroundings, which is vital to the water uptake by trees. Owing to the advances in satellite observation systems and sensors, soil moisture (SM) can be remotely measured, opening new window in dendrochronological research.</p><p>Using the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) lowland SE Europe forests dataset, which count 23 stands and more than 300 tree ring width (TRW) series, we observed reliable associations between satellite-based SM and TRW. Specifically, we observed different TRW&#8722;SM patterns based on the precipitation regime. SM in the hottest months (July and August) boosted radial growth, whereas opposite results were noted in the wettest spring months oaks that growing in wetter stands. Unlike oaks from drier and wetter stands that exhibited strong response to SM, those growing on moderately wet (optimal) stands are less sensitive to SM, making these stands optimal oak surroundings.</p><p>On the other hand, by applying a Generalized Additive Mixed Model (GAMM), we noted moderate&#8722;weak interactions between TRW series and smoothed SM timescales, with stronger deviations in extreme dry/wet years. Based on the TRW sensitivity to SM findings, which were interpreted via Pearson&#8217;s correlation technique and GAMM modeling, strong relations can be inferred, and SM can be labelled as reliable pedunculate oak driver.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Forestry, Remote sensing, Dendrochronology, Soil moisture, Pedunculate oak, GAMM</p><p><strong>Acknowledgments:</strong> This research was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, PROMIS, #6066697, TreeVita.</p><p><strong>Note:</strong> This contribution is a summary of a study by Kosti&#263; S, Wagner W, Orlovi&#263; S, Levani&#269; T, Zlatanov T, Gor&#353;i&#263; E, Kesi&#263; L, Matovi&#263; B, Tsvetanov N, Stojanovi&#263; DB. Different tree-ring width sensitivities to satellite-based soil moisture from drier, moderate and wetter pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) stands across a southeastern distribution margin (In press)</p>
Did the late spring frost in 2007 and 2011 affect tree-ring width and earlywood vessel size in Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) in northern Poland?
