scholarly journals Geographical, Climatological, and Biological Characteristics of Tree Radial Growth Response to Autumn Climate Change

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunsuke Tei ◽  
Ayumi Kotani ◽  
Atsuko Sugimoto ◽  
Nagai Shin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Biological Characteristics ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Western Asia ◽  
Tree Radial Growth

Terrestrial forest ecosystems are crucial to the global carbon cycle and climate system; however, these ecosystems have experienced significant warming rates in recent decades, whose impact remains uncertain. This study investigated radial tree growth using the tree-ring width index (RWI) for forest ecosystems throughout the Northern Hemisphere to determine tree growth responses to autumn climate change, a season which remains considerably understudied compared to spring and summer, using response function and random forest machine learning methods. Results showed that autumn climate conditions significantly impact the RWI throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Spatial variations in the RWI response were influenced by geography (latitude, longitude, and elevation), climatology, and biology (tree genera); however, geographical and/or climatological characteristics explained more of the response compared to biological characteristics. Higher autumn temperatures tended to negatively impact tree radial growth south of 40° N in regions of western Asia, southern Europe, United State of America and Mexico, which was similar to the summer temperature response found in previous studies, which was attributed to temperature-induced water stress.

scholarly journals Physiological and Growth Responses to Increasing Drought of an Endangered Tree Species in Southwest China

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wuji Zheng ◽  
Xiaohua Gou ◽  
Jiajia Su ◽  
Haowen Fan ◽  
Ailing Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Intercellular Co2 Concentration ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Endangered Tree ◽  
Endangered Tree Species ◽  
Intrinsic Water Use Efficiency

Research Highlights: We compared annually resolved records of tree-ring width and stable isotope of dead and surviving Fokienia hodginsii (Dunn) Henry et Thomas trees. We provide new insights into the relationships and sensitivity of tree growth to past and current climate, and explored the underlying mechanism of drought-induced mortality in F. hodginsii. Background and Objectives: Drought-induced tree decline and mortality are increasing in many regions around the world. Despite the high number of studies that have explored drought-induced decline, species-specific responses to drought still makes it difficult to apply general responses to specific species. The endangered conifer species, Fokienia hodginsii, has experienced multiple drought-induced mortality events in recent years. Our objective was to investigate the historical and current responses to drought of this species. Materials and Methods: We used annually resolved ring-width and δ13C chronologies to investigate tree growth and stand physiological responses to climate change and elevated CO2 concentration (Ca) in both dead and living trees between 1960 and 2015. Leaf intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), Ci/Ca and intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) were derived from δ13C. Results: δ13C were positively correlated with mean vapor pressure deficit and PDSI from previous October to current May, while ring widths were more sensitive to climatic conditions from previous June to September. Moreover, the relationships between iWUE, basal area increment (BAI), and Ci/Ca changed over time. From 1960s to early 1980s, BAI and iWUE maintained a constant relationship with increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration. After the mid-1980s, we observed a decrease in tree growth, increase in the frequency of missing rings, and an unprecedented increase in sensitivity of 13C and radial growth to drought, likely related to increasingly dry conditions. Conclusions: We show that the recent increase in water stress is likely the main trigger for the unprecedented decline in radial growth and spike in mortality of F. hodginsii, which may have resulted from diminished carbon fixation and water availability. Given that the drought severity and frequency in the region is expected to increase in the future, our results call for effective mitigation strategies to maintain this endangered tree species.

scholarly journals Changes in Sensitivity of Tree-Ring Widths to Climate in a Tropical Moist Forest Tree in Bangladesh

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mizanur Rahman ◽  
Mahmuda Islam ◽  
Jakob Wernicke ◽  
Achim Bräuning
Keyword(s):  
Climate Sensitivity ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Moist Forest

Tree growth in the tropics is strongly influenced by climate. However, reported tree growth responses to climate are largely inconsistent, varying with geographic location, forest type, and tree species. It is thus important to study the growth responses of tropical trees in sites and species that are under-represented so far. Bangladesh, a country influenced by the Asian monsoon climate, is understudied in terms of tree growth response to climate. In the present study, we developed a 121-year-long regional ring-width index chronology of Chukrasia tabularis A. Juss. sampled in two moist forest sites in Bangladesh to investigate tree growth responses to climate in monsoon South Asia. Standard dendrochronological methods were used to produce the ring-width chronologies. The climate sensitivity of C. tabularis was assessed through bootstrap correlation analysis and the stationarity and consistency of climate–growth relationships was evaluated using moving correlation functions and comparing the regression slopes of two sub-periods (1950–1985 and 1986–2015). Tree growth was negatively correlated with the mean, minimum, and maximum temperatures, particularly during the early growing season (March). Likewise, precipitation negatively influenced tree growth in the later growing season (October). Besides, radial growth of Chukrasia sharply ceased in years following strong and moderate El Niño events. In parallel with a significant positive trend in local temperatures, tree growth sensitivity to early growing season (March–April) mean temperatures and July minimum temperatures increased in recent decades. Tree growth sensitivity to October precipitation and April vapor pressure deficit also increased. Overall, climate–growth relationships were stronger during the period 1986–2015 than during 1950–1985. Changes in climate sensitivity might be linked to a warming trend that induced an increase in the dry season length during recent decades. With a further predicted temperature increase at our study sites, our results suggest that radial growth of C. tabularis will further decline in response to climate warming.

scholarly journals Comparison of the Radial Growth Response of Picea crassifolia to Climate Change in Different Regions of the Central and Eastern Qilian Mountains

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1015
Author(s):  
Xuan Wu ◽  
Liang Jiao ◽  
Dashi Du ◽  
Changliang Qi ◽  
Ruhong Xue
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Central Region ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Qilian Mountains ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Total Precipitation ◽  
Picea Crassifolia ◽  
The Qilian Mountains

It is important to explore the responses of radial tree growth in different regions to understand growth patterns and to enhance forest management and protection with climate change. We constructed tree ring width chronologies of Picea crassifolia from different regions of the Qilian Mountains of northwest China. We used Pearson correlation and moving correlation to analyze the main climate factors limiting radial growth of trees and the temporal stability of the growth–climate relationship, while spatial correlation is the result of further testing the first two terms in space. The conclusions were as follows: (1) Radial growth had different trends, showing an increasing followed by a decreasing trend in the central region, a continuously increasing trend in the eastern region, and a gradually decreasing trend in the isolated mountain. (2) Radial tree growth in the central region and isolated mountains was constrained by drought stress, and tree growth in the central region was significantly negatively correlated with growing season temperature. Isolated mountains showed a significant negative correlation with mean minimum of growing season and a significant positive correlation with total precipitation. (3) Temporal dynamic responses of radial growth in the central region to the temperatures and SPEI (the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index) in the growing season were unstable, the isolated mountains to total precipitation was unstable, and that to SPEI was stable. The results of this study suggest that scientific management and maintenance plans of the forest ecosystem should be developed according to the response and growth patterns of the Qinghai spruce to climate change in different regions of the Qilian Mountains.

The impact of drought on tree growth in Mediterranean sites

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna Battipaglia ◽  
Francesco Niccoli ◽  
Arturo Pacheco-Solana
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Annual Growth Rings ◽  
The Impact

<p>Climate-induced forest mortality is a critical issue in the Mediterranean basin, with major consequences for the functioning of these key ecosystems. Indeed, in Mediterranean ecosystems, where water stress is already the most limiting factor for tree performance, climatic changes are expected to entail an increase in water deficit. In this context, annual growth rings can provide short- (e.g., years) and long-term (e.g., decades) information on how trees respond to drought events. With climate change, <em>Pinus pinaster</em> and <em>Pinus pinea</em> L. are expected to reduce their distribution range in the region, being displaced at low altitudes by more drought tolerant taxa such as sub Mediterranean <em>Quercus</em> spp.</p><p>This study aims was to assess the physiological response of <em>Pinus</em> and <em>Quercus</em> species growing in the Vesuvio National park, located in Southern Italy and where an increase of temperature and drought events has been recorded in the recent years. Our preliminary results underlined the importance of temperature on the tree ring width of all the analyses species. The high temperatures can cause a change in the constant kinetics of the RuBisCo, leading to a consequent decrease in carboxylation rate and thus to a reduction in tree growth. On the other hand, also precipitation seemed to affect the growth of the sampled trees: indeed, in all the chronologies a reduction in growth was found after particular dry years: for example, the low rainfall in 1999 (455 mm/year) determined a drastic decline in growth in 2000 in all the species. In addition to the climatic factors, competition can also play an important role in the growth rate: dendrochronological analyzes have highlighted how stand specific properties (i.e. density, structure and composition) can influence individual tree responses to drought events. The knowledge of those researches should be integrated into sustainable forest management strategies to minimize the potential impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems.</p>

Residual-tree growth responses to partial stand harvest in the black spruce (Picea mariana) boreal forestThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the Special Forum IUFRO 1.05 Uneven-Aged Silvicultural Research Group Conference on Natural Disturbance-Based Silviculture: Managing for Complexity.

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 1563-1571 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Thorpe ◽  
S. C. Thomas ◽  
J. P. Caspersen
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Growth Response ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Partial Harvest ◽  
Partial Harvesting

Variants of partial harvesting are gaining favour as means to balance ecosystem management and timber production objectives on managed boreal forest landscapes. Understanding how residual trees respond to these alternative silvicultural treatments is a critical step towards evaluating their potential from either a conservation or a wood supply perspective. We used dendroecological techniques combined with a chronosequence approach to quantify the temporal radial growth response pattern of residual black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) trees to partial harvest in northeastern Ontario. At its peak, 8–9 years after harvest, radial growth of residual trees had doubled. The growth pattern was characterized by a 2-year phase of no response, a subsequent period of increase 3–9 years after harvest, and a stage of declining rates 10–12 years after harvest. The magnitude of tree growth response depended strongly on tree age: peak postharvest growth was substantially higher for young trees, while old trees displayed only modest growth increases. Both the large magnitude and the time delay in postharvest growth responses have important implications for the development of more accurate quantitative tools to project future yields and, more generally, for determining whether partial harvesting is a viable management option for the boreal forest.

scholarly journals Directional Variability in Response of Pinus koraiensis Radial Growth to Climate Change

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1684
Author(s):  
Yingjie Sun ◽  
Mark Henderson ◽  
Binhui Liu ◽  
Hong Yan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Pinus Koraiensis ◽  
Climate Trends ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Individual Scale ◽  
Individual Trees

Climate change affects forest ecosystems at a variety of scales, from the composition of landscapes to the growth of individual trees. Research across regions and tree species has produced contradictory findings on the effects of climate variables on radial growth. Here, we examine tree ring samples taken from four directions of a tree to determine whether there is directional variability in tree growth in relation to climate trends. The results showed directional differences in the temporal growth processes of Pinus koraiensis, with more commonalities between the west and north directions and between the east and south directions. The contemporaneous June maximum temperature was the main climate factor associated with the difference between the growth of tree rings toward the east or west. Annual tree ring growth toward the east was more affected by the year’s temperature while growth toward the south was more sensitive to the year’s precipitation. Our research demonstrates that diverse response of tree growth to climate may exist at intra-individual scale. This contributes to understanding the sensitivity of tree growth to climate change at differ scales.

scholarly journals The Radial Growth of Picea wilsonii Was More Restricted by Precipitation Due to Climate Warming on Mt. Guandi, China

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1602
Author(s):  
Xiaoxia Huang ◽  
Xiaoneng Sun ◽  
Yuan Jiang ◽  
Feng Xue ◽  
Minghao Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Warming ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Biological Variables ◽  
Picea Wilsonii

Transitional climate zones (TCZ) are characterized by instability due to rapid changes in climate and biological variables, and trees growing there are particularly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, knowledge about the shifted relationships of tree growth in response to climate warming will shape regional forest conservation and management strategies. China has experienced rapid warming in recent decades. However, how tree growth in semihumid to semiarid regions, such as the Guandi Mountains, responds to more sophisticated changes in the hydrothermal combination is not yet clear. In this study, we used tree-ring width data from three sites along an elevational gradient in the Guandi Mountains to present the response of Picea wilsonii Mast. radial growth to increasing temperature and elevational differences in the relationship between tree growth and climate. The results indicated that the Guandi Mountains have experienced rapid warming with a clear trend toward aridity. From 1959 to 1995, the radial growth of P. wilsonii was mainly influenced by temperature, while it was controlled by both temperature and precipitation after rapid warming in 1996. From 1959 to 2017, this species showed a generally consistent growth–climate relationship at different elevations in the Guandi Mountains. However, the radial growth of trees at higher elevations had a higher climatic correlation than at lower elevations, and it was more conditioned by higher summer temperatures and precipitation in December of the previous year. These results suggested that P. wilsonii was more susceptible to drought and high temperatures due to a warming climate and that more attention should be devoted to forest management, especially the adverse consequences of summer drought on P. wilsonii.

scholarly journals Lodgepole pine and interior spruce radial growth response to climate and topography in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Alberta

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Frances Ackerman ◽  
David Goldblum
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Growth Response ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Slope Aspect ◽  
Climate Variables ◽  
Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Interior Spruce

Climate change may have spatially variable impacts on growth of trees in topographically diverse environments, making generalizing across broad spatial and temporal extents inappropriate. Therefore, topography must be considered when analyzing growth response to climate. We address these topo-climatic relationships in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, focusing on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Louden) and interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss × Picea engelmannii hybrid Parry) growth response to climate, Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), aspect, and slope angle. Climate variables correlate with older lodgepole pine growth on south- and west-facing slopes, including previous August temperature, winter and spring precipitation, and previous late-summer and current spring PDSI, but younger lodgepole pine were generally less sensitive to climate. Climate variables correlate with interior spruce growth on all slope aspects, with winter temperature and PDSI important for young and old individuals. Numerous monthly growth–climate correlations are not temporally stable, with shifts over the past century, and response differs by slope aspect and angle. Both species are likely to be negatively affected by moisture stress in the future in some, but not all, topographic environments. Results suggest species-specific and site-specific spatiotemporally diverse climate–growth responses, indicating that climate change is likely to have spatially variable impacts on radial growth response in mountainous environments.

scholarly journals Intra-Annual Wood Formation of Cryptomeria fortunei and Cunninghamia lanceolata in Humid Subtropical China

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuangpeng Zheng ◽  
Feifei Zhou ◽  
Patrick Fonti ◽  
Ping Ren ◽  
Xiaoxia Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Cambial Activity ◽  
Cunninghamia Lanceolata ◽  
Growth Monitoring ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Xylem Growth

Monitoring cambial activity is important for a better understanding of the mechanisms governing xylem growth responses to climate change, providing a scientific basis for tree-ring-based climate reconstructions and projections about tree growth under future climate scenarios. It plays an even more important role in investigating evergreen tree growth in regions with less distinct seasonal cycles. Subtropical evergreen forests have been studied in recent years for their sensitivity to climate change, but it remains unclear how xylem growth is driven by subtropical climates. To further understand the climate-growth response strategies of subtropical conifers, we micro-cored Cryptomeria fortunei and Cunninghamia lanceolata weekly in 2016 and 2017 at the humid subtropical Gushan Mountain in southeastern China. Our weekly growth monitoring showed that the vegetation periods of these two species were both approximately 2–3 months longer than trees in temperate and boreal forests. The growth of C. fortunei in 2016 and 2017 and C. lanceolata in 2017 showed a bimodal pattern of xylogenesis, which was induced by summer drought. The results also indicated that the earlier end of the xylem formation was related to the yearly drought stress. These findings provide more specific information about tree growth and evidence of how climate influences wood production at the cellular level in subtropical regions.

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