Tree growth is more limited by drought in rear-edge forests most of the times

Abstract Background Equatorward, rear-edge tree populations are natural monitors to estimate species vulnerability to climate change. According to biogeographical theory, exposition to drought events increases with increasing aridity towards the equator and the growth of southern tree populations will be more vulnerable to drought than in central populations. However, the ecological and biogeographical margins can mismatch due to the impact of ecological factors (topography, soils) or tree-species acclimation that can blur large-scale geographical imprints in trees responses to drought making northern populations more drought limited. Methods We tested these ideas in six tree species, three angiosperms (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Quercus petraea) and three gymnosperms (Abies alba, Pinus sylvestris and Pinus uncinata) by comparing rear-edge tree populations subjected to different degrees of aridity. We used dendrochronology to compare the radial-growth patterns of these species in northern, intermediate, and southern tree populations at the continental rear edge. Results and conclusions We found marked variations in growth variability between species with coherent patterns of stronger drought signals in the tree-ring series of the southern populations of F. sylvatica, P. sylvestris, and A. alba. This was also observed in species from cool-wet sites (P. uncinata and Q. robur), despite their limited responsiveness to drought. However, in the case of Q. petraea the intermediate population showed the strongest relationship to drought. For drought-sensitive species as F. sylvatica and P. sylvestris, southern populations presented more variable growth which was enhanced by cool-wet conditions from late spring to summer. We found a trend of enhanced vulnerability to drought in these two species. The response of tree growth to drought has a marked biogeographical component characterized by increased drought sensitivity in southern populations even within the species distribution rear edge. Nevertheless, the relationship between tree growth and drought varied between species suggesting that biogeographical and ecological limits do not always overlap as in the case of Q. petraea. In widespread species showing enhanced vulnerability to drought, as F. sylvatica and P. sylvestris, increased vulnerability to climate warming in their rear edges is forecasted. Therefore, we encourage the monitoring and conservation of such marginal tree populations.

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Intra-annual diameter growth variation of six common European tree species in pure and mixed stands

Silva Fennica ◽

10.14214/sf.10449 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Emanuel Strieder ◽

Sonja Vospernik

Keyword(s):

Tree Growth ◽

Tree Species ◽

Abies Alba ◽

Social Position ◽

Growth Patterns ◽

High Temporal Resolution ◽

Specific Response ◽

Mixed Stands ◽

Individual Tree ◽

Mixture Effects

Studies of intra-annual growth are particularly useful for understanding tree growth because of their high temporal resolution. This study was performed in Austria and included hourly band dendrometer data of 244 annual tree recordings from six tree species ( (L.) Karst., L., Mill., Mill., L., spp. ( (Matt.) Liebl., L.) sampled on five sites with contrasting site conditions in pure and mixed stands and on trees of different social position. Measurements encompassed 1â7 years. Cumulative diameter increment was modelled by logistic mixed-effects models with random effects at the tree and year level. The results showed large differences in seasonal growth patterns between sites, with a clearly shorter growing season at the drier sites. Species specific response on dry sites could be linked to drought characteristics, whereas response on more humid sites was related to light requirements or successional status. The deciduous trees showed earlier growth culmination and shorter growing periods than the evergreen species. Individual tree growth of spp., , and was positively affected by mixture whereas , and showed no or adverse mixture effects. Mixture effects differed between years and social position. Furthermore, increment culmination was earlier in mixed stands, but shifts were minor. Tree growth differed by social position with dominant trees showing the largest increment and the longest growth duration, with shifts in tree growth patterns due to social position being as large as those between different sites.Picea abiesPinus sylvestrisLarix deciduaAbies albaFagus sylvaticaQuercusQuercus petraeaQuercus roburQuercusP. abiesF. sylvaticaL. deciduaP. sylvestrisA. alba

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Effects of oviposition by periodical cicadas on tree growth

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x09-090 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 39 (9) ◽

pp. 1688-1697 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Keith Clay ◽

Angela L. Shelton ◽

Chuck Winkle

Keyword(s):

Tree Growth ◽

Tree Species ◽

Large Scale ◽

Field Studies ◽

Detectable Effect ◽

Periodical Cicadas ◽

Annual Growth Rings ◽

Large Scale Field ◽

Successional Forests ◽

Long Term Impact

Periodical cicadas ( Magicicada spp.) occur at very high densities and synchronously emerge from underground every 13 or 17 years. During the emergence, adults lay eggs in tree branches, causing significant damage; however, the long-term impact of this damage is unknown. We conducted two large-scale field studies during the 2004 emergence of one brood (Brood X) to measure the growth of trees in relation to oviposition damage by periodical cicadas. In the first experiment, we netted areas to exclude cicadas from plots in 15 early successional forests and then measured trunk circumference for 3 years on more than 4000 trees of 52 species. In this experiment, oviposition had no detectable effect on the growth rates of trees. In the second study, we measured oviposition on 12 common tree species across six sites. We then measured the annual growth rings of these trees for 3 years after the emergence. In this experiment, oviposition was correlated with a slightly reduced growth in the emergence year and following year when the data were analyzed together, but when tree species were examined individually there were no clear effects of oviposition on tree growth. These data suggest cicada oviposition has little effect on the radial growth of trees, particularly in comparison to other factors.

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Consequences of different sample drying temperatures for accuracy of biomass inventories in forest ecosystems

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-73053-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Andrzej M. Jagodziński ◽

Marcin K. Dyderski ◽

Kamil Gęsikiewicz ◽

Paweł Horodecki

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Large Scale ◽

Forest Ecology ◽

Abies Alba ◽

Alnus Glutinosa ◽

Dry Mass ◽

Biomass Estimation ◽

Stem Wood ◽

Two Temperatures ◽

The Difference

Abstract Biomass estimation is one of the crucial tasks of forest ecology. Drying tree material is a crucial stage of preparing biomass estimation tools. However, at this step researchers use different drying temperatures, but we do not know how this influences accuracy of models. We aimed to assess differences in dry biomass between two drying temperatures (75 °C and 105 °C) in tree biomass components and to provide coefficients allowing for recalculation between the given temperatures. We used a set of 1440 samples from bark, branches, foliage and wood of eight European tree species: Abies alba Mill., Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn., Betula pendula Roth., Fagus sylvatica L., Larix decidua Mill., Picea abies (L.) H. Karst., Pinus sylvestris L. and Quercus robur L. The differences between drying temperatures were 1.67%, 1.76%, 2.20% and 0.96% of sample dry masses of bark, branches, foliage and stem wood, respectively. Tree species influenced these differences. Our study provided coefficients allowing for recalculation of masses between the two temperatures, to unify results from different studies. However, the difference in dry mass between the two temperatures studied is lower than the range of uncertainty of biomass models, thus its influence on results of large-scale biomass assessments is low.

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Defoliation of tamarack by outbreak populations of larch sawfly in subarctic Quebec: measuring the impact on tree growth

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x93-182 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 23 (7) ◽

pp. 1444-1452 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Isabelle Tailleux ◽

Conrad Cloutier

Keyword(s):

Tree Growth ◽

Large Scale ◽

Tree Mortality ◽

Sampling Site ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Outbreak Period ◽

Larch Sawfly ◽

Foliage Development ◽

The Impact

In conjunction with other major perturbations, outbreaks of specialist insect defoliators could play a key role in the long-term evolution of northern forest communities. Sawfly oviposition marks up to 20 years old in shoots of tamarack, Larixlaricina (Du Roi) K. Koch, provide a direct record of a large-scale epidemic cycle of the larch sawfly, Pristiphoraerichsonii (Htg.), during the 1980s in the Grande Rivière de la Baleine region, northern Quebec. Because no significant tree mortality was noted in the years following peak defoliator populations in 1985–1986, a study was undertaken to determine whether insect population changes during the outbreak period were correlated with growth changes under various climatic and soil conditions in three coastal sites and one continental sampling site. The fluctuations with time in the density of oviposition marks on trees indicated that the epidemic cycle was synchronous at all sites. However, the defoliator's density was significantly higher at the inland site, located 150 km from Hudson Bay, than at the coastal sites, where climatic conditions may be less favorable to insect activity and survival. No significant effects on tree growth were detected at the coastal sites, whereas larch from the inland site recorded a significant reduction in radial growth in 1984, the 1st year of outbreak conditions. Larch from this site also showed significant effects on foliage development after 4 years of defoliation (1988), when a virtual stop on elongative growth became apparent. Larch trees reproduced actively during the outbreak, with peak reproductive effort in 1984 and 1987 correlating with lows in elongative growth. Delayed or minimal effects of this outbreak characterized by the presence of hundreds of sawfly colonies per tree and defoliation levels comparable to those observed in the boreal forest during similar outbreaks indicate that subarctic larch may be highly tolerant to prolonged defoliation by the larch sawfly.

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The Dry and the Wet Case: Tree Growth Response in Climatologically Contrasting Years on the Island of Corsica

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12091175 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 1175

Author(s):

Martin Häusser ◽

Sonja Szymczak ◽

Isabel Knerr ◽

Jörg Bendix ◽

Emilie Garel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tree Growth ◽

Elevation Gradient ◽

Western Mediterranean ◽

Growth Patterns ◽

Mountain Range ◽

High Plasticity ◽

Substantial Impact ◽

Western Mediterranean Basin ◽

Novel Approach ◽

The Impact

Stem radial variations of Corsican Black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold subsp. laricio Maire) and Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) were monitored to quantify the impact of two meteorologically contrasting consecutive years. On the French island of Corsica, in the western Mediterranean basin, the year 2017 was extremely dry, while 2018 was exceptionally wet. We attached electric band dendrometers to 36 pines along an east–west transect, spanning the central mountain range, and set up automated weather stations at all five sites, ranging from 10 m asl to 1600 m asl. Stem radial variations (SRV) were separated into irreversible growth (GRO) and tree water deficit (TWD) periods. During the drought of 2017, the most severe tree water deficits occurred in the western part of the island, whereas trees at higher elevations were more affected than at lower elevations. A prolonged decrease of SRV, even close to the tree line, suggests bimodal growth and reveals high plasticity of growth patterns in both Corsican pines. Stem radial variations correlated significantly with precipitation and temperature. The positive correlations of GRO with precipitation and the negative correlations of TWD with temperature imply that high evapotranspiration led to the intense period of TWD in 2017. A novel approach was used to further investigate the growth/climate relationship by including synoptic-scale pressure situations. This revealed that an elevation gradient in GRO per weather pattern was only present in the wet year and that even rarely occurring weather patterns can have a substantial impact on tree growth. This novel approach provides a more comprehensive insight into meteorological drivers of tree growth patterns by incorporating different scales of the climatic system.

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The impact of urban street tree species on air quality and respiratory illness: A spatial analysis of large-scale, high-resolution urban data

Health & Place ◽

10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.01.016 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 56 ◽

pp. 80-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yuan Lai ◽

Constantine E. Kontokosta

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Spatial Analysis ◽

High Resolution ◽

Tree Species ◽

Large Scale ◽

Respiratory Illness ◽

Urban Street ◽

Street Tree ◽

The Impact ◽

Urban Data

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How Well Do Three Tree Species Adapt to the Urban Environment in Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area of China Regarding Their Growth Patterns and Ecosystem Services?

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11040420 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 420 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Chi Zhang ◽

Qing Zhao ◽

Honghui Tang ◽

Wanhui Qian ◽

Murong Su ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Environment ◽

Tree Growth ◽

Tree Species ◽

Carbon Fixation ◽

Soil Analysis ◽

Growth Patterns ◽

Urban Trees ◽

Drought Risk ◽

Bay Area

It is predicted that global change combined with urbanization will impact increasingly on the society and terrestrial ecosystem in the Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area of China (GBA). In this context, the cities in GBA began to plant a variety of urban trees since 2000 which are considered to play an important role in fixing carbon, improving air quality, reducing noise and providing other ecosystem services. However, data on the growth patterns and ecosystem services of the planted trees remains scarce, which hampers a comprehensive understanding of how well the planted trees adapt to the local urban environment. Therefore, we selected three widely planted tree species in Foshan, one of the core cities in GBA and investigated their tree growth and ecosystem services via a harvest campaign and soil analysis. With the same, fast tree growth as natural forests and the greatest above- and below-ground biomass among the three tree species, Ml (Mytilaria laosensis Lec.) showed a distinguished adaption to the local urban environment in terms of growth patterns, carbon fixation, stabilization against typhoon risk and water uptake capacity against potential drought risk in the future. Although Cf (Chinese fir) showed reduced diameter at breast height (DBH) and volume development, it significantly increased the total and available potassium in soils to improve the soil quality. The DBH growth of Sp (Slash pine) decreased between six and 12 years old while it recovered at the age of 12 years, probably suggesting its adaptation might take a longer time. Our results indicated that different trees had different growth patterns and ecosystem services after they were planted in cities. In a harsh urban environment under climate change, precise and comprehensive data on urban trees is necessary, helping to provide different perspectives for urban managers to select appropriate tree species and make policies.

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Large-scale atmospheric circulation enhances the Mediterranean East-West tree growth contrast at rear-edge deciduous forests

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology ◽

10.1016/j.agrformet.2017.02.029 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 239 ◽

pp. 86-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Isabel Dorado-Liñán ◽

Eduardo Zorita ◽

Elisabet Martínez-Sancho ◽

Guillermo Gea-Izquierdo ◽

Alfredo Di Filippo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atmospheric Circulation ◽

Tree Growth ◽

Large Scale ◽

Deciduous Forests ◽

Rear Edge ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Large Scale Atmospheric Circulation ◽

East West

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Modeling the long-term dynamics of tropical forests: from leaf traits to whole-tree growth patterns

10.1101/2020.06.01.128256 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gunnar Petter ◽

Holger Kreft ◽

Yongzhi Ong ◽

Gerhard Zotz ◽

Juliano Sarmento Cabral

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forests ◽

Functional Traits ◽

Tree Growth ◽

Tree Species ◽

Leaf Traits ◽

Forest Stand ◽

Growth Patterns ◽

Leaf Economic Spectrum ◽

Individual Trees

AbstractTropical forests are the most diverse terrestrial ecosystems and home to numerous tree species with diverse ecological strategies competing for resources in space and time. Functional traits influence the ecophysiological performance of tree species, yet the relationship between traits and emergent long-term growth pattern is poorly understood. Here, we present a novel 3D forest stand model in which growth patterns of individual trees and forest stands are emergent properties of leaf traits. Individual trees are simulated as 3D functional-structural tree models (FSTMs), considering branches up to the second order and leaf dynamics at a resolution of one m3. Each species is characterized by a set of leaf traits that corresponds to a specific position on the leaf economic spectrum and determines light-driven carbon assimilation, respiration and mortality rates. Applying principles of the pipe model theory, these leaf scale-processes are coupled with within-tree carbon allocation, i.e., 3D tree growth emerges from low-level processes. By integrating these FSTMs into a dynamic forest stand model, we go beyond modern stand models to integrate structurally-detailed internal physiological processes with interspecific competition, and interactions with the environment in diverse tree communities. For model calibration and validation, we simultaneously compared a large number of emergent patterns at both the tree and forest levels in a pattern-oriented modeling framework. At the tree level, varying specific leaf area and correlated leaf traits determined the maximum height and age of a tree, as well as its size-dependent growth rate and shade tolerance. Trait variations along the leaf economic spectrum led to a continuous transition from fast-growing, short-lived and shade-intolerant to slow-growing, long-lived and shade-tolerant trees. These emerging patterns resembled well-known functional tree types, indicating a fundamental impact of leaf traits on long-term growth patterns. At the forest level, a large number of patterns taken from lowland Neotropical forests were reproduced, indicating that our forest model simulates structurally realistic forests over long time spans. Our ecophysiological approach improves the understanding of how leaf level processes scale up to the tree and the stand level, and facilitates the development of next-generation forest models for species-rich forests in which tree performance emerges directly from functional traits.

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