Drought-Induced Reductions and Limited Recovery in the Radial Growth, Transpiration, and Canopy Stomatal Conductance of Mongolian Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv): A Five-Year Observation

Determining plant–water relationships in response to drought events can provide important information about the adaptation of trees to climate change. The Mongolian Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv), as one of the major tree species to control soil loss and desertification in northern China, has experienced severe degradation in recent decades. Here, we aimed to examine the impacts of a two-year consecutive drought and another year of drought on the radial growth, transpiration, and canopy stomatal conductance of Mongolian Scots pine over a five-year period, especially in terms of its recovery after drought. The study period during 2013–2017 consisted of a ‘normal’ year, a ‘dry year’, a ‘very dry’ year, a ‘wet’ year, and a ‘dry’ year, according to annual precipitation and soil moisture conditions. Based on measurements of the sap flow and diameters at breast height of 11 sample trees as well as the concurrent environmental factors, we quantified the reductions in tree radial growth, transpiration, and canopy stomatal conductance during the drought development as well as their recovery after the drought. The results showed that the tree radial growth, transpiration, and canopy stomatal conductance of Mongolian Scots pines decreased by 33.8%, 51.9%, and 51.5%, respectively, due to the two consecutive years of drought. Moreover, these reductions did not fully recover after the two-year drought was relieved. The minimum difference of these parameters between before and after the two-year consecutive drought period was 8.5% in tree radial growth, 45.1% in transpiration levels, and 42.4% in canopy stomatal conductance. We concluded that the two consecutive years of drought resulted in not only large reductions in tree radial growth and water use, but also their lagged and limited recoveries after drought. The study also highlighted the limited resilience of Mongolian Scots pine trees to prolonged drought in semi-arid sandy environmental conditions.

Download Full-text

Effect of resin-tapping on the radial increment of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) – case study of a stand from Lidzbark Forest District

Forest Research Papers ◽

10.2478/frp-2013-0026 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 273-280 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michał Magnuszewski ◽

Robert Tomusiak

Keyword(s):

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Radial Growth ◽

Radial Increment ◽

Tree Trunk ◽

Before And After ◽

Increment Borer ◽

Time Periods ◽

Forest District

Abstract The study makes an attempt to evaluate the effect of resin-tapping on the radial increment of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Increment cores were taken from two groups of trees: resin-tapped trees and normal trees growing in a 148-year-old pine stand in the Lidzbark Forest District. The cores were taken with the Pressler increment borer from two heights on the tree trunk: 1,30 m and 3,30 m. Using dendrochronological methods, real chronologies were built for each of the four analysed groups of cores. The value and variability of increments for each group were investigated in 20 and 40 year time periods, before and after the start of resin-tapping. In next step, the chronologies were compared and their coefficients of conformity were calculated. As a result, we can state that the radial increments were larger are at 1,3 m height after resin-tapping than before resin-tapping. There was also significant effect of resin-tapping on radial growth at the height 3,3 m, above the resin-tapping face.

Download Full-text

Radial Growth Dynamics of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) as an Indicator of the Hydrothermal Regime of the Western Transbaikalia Forest-Steppe

Сибирский экологический журнал ◽

10.15372/sej20170503 ◽

2017 ◽

Keyword(s):

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Radial Growth ◽

Growth Dynamics ◽

Forest Steppe ◽

Western Transbaikalia ◽

Hydrothermal Regime

Download Full-text

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) dynamics in the Welsh Marches during the mid to late-Holocene

The Holocene ◽

10.1177/0959683621994654 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 095968362199465

Author(s):

Dael Sassoon ◽

William J Fletcher ◽

Alastair Hotchkiss ◽

Fern Owen ◽

Liting Feng

Keyword(s):

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Late Holocene ◽

British Isles ◽

Loss On Ignition ◽

Peat Core ◽

New Information ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Pollen Records

Around 4000 cal yr BP, Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) suffered a widespread demise across the British Isles. This paper presents new information about P. sylvestris populations found in the Welsh Marches (western central Britain), for which the long-term history and origins are poorly known. Two new pollen records were produced from the Lin Can Moss ombrotrophic bog (LM18) and the Breidden Hill pond (BH18). The LM18 peat core is supported by loss-on-ignition, humification analysis and radiocarbon dating. Lead concentrations were used to provide an estimated timeframe for the recent BH18 record. In contrast to many other Holocene pollen records from the British Isles, analysis of LM18 reveals that Scots pine grains were deposited continuously between c. 6900–300 cal yr BP, at frequencies of 0.3–5.4%. It is possible that individual Scots pine trees persisted through the wider demise on thin soils of steep drought-prone crags of hills or the fringes of lowland bogs in the Welsh Marches. At BH18, the record indicates a transition from broadleaved to mixed woodland, including conifer species introduced around AD 1850 including Picea and Pinus. The insights from BH18 suggest that the current populations may largely be the result of planting. Comparison of the LM18 findings with other regional pollen records highlights consistent patterns, including a Mid-Holocene maximum (ca. 7000 cal yr BP), long-term persistence at low pollen percentages and a Late-Holocene minimum (ca. 3000 cal yr BP). These distinctive trends encourage further studies on refugial areas for Scots pine in this region and elsewhere.

Download Full-text

Influence of climate on radial growth of scots pine (Pinus Sylvestris L.) In different habitats of Meshchera lowland

Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk Seriya Geograficheskaya ◽

10.31857/s2587-55662019567-77 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 67-77

Author(s):

O. S. Zheleznova ◽

S. A. Tobratov

Keyword(s):

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Radial Growth ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

East European Plain ◽

Radial Increment ◽

Low Contrast ◽

Positive Correlation ◽

East European ◽

Key Factor

This paper is devoted to the patterns of radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in various topoecological conditions of the Meshchera lowland (Ryazan region, the East European plain). The generalized tree-ring chronologies are constructed for 16 habitats differing in features of a relief of a day surface and a bedrock surface. Despite the relatively low-contrast relief of Meshchera, the average radial pine increment within the study area differs by 2.5 times (1.53.9 mm per year). The correlation and cluster analyses revealed that the key factor influencing the width of annual tree rings of pine is the amount of the available soil moisture. Its surplus (in wetlands) and deficiency (in conditions of sandy outliers) negatively affects the radial pine increment. It is established that in the waterlogged habitats positive correlation of the radial pine increment with temperature and negative with precipitation of autumn of the previous year is observed. The positive correlation of the radial increment with precipitation of autumn, May and with winter temperature is typical for a pine from arid habitats. The negative relationship between the pines growth and amount of precipitation and river discharge may occur with a lag of 14 years in conditions of wetlands. The positive relationship of the radial pine increment with the integral parameters of the current years moisture is more significant in conditions of relatively high hydrodynamics (for example, in conditions of sandy outliers).

Download Full-text

CHRONIC IRRADIATION OF SCOTS PINE TREES (PINUS SYLVESTRIS) IN THE CHERNOBYL EXCLUSION ZONE: DOSIMETRY AND RADIOBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Health Physics ◽

10.1097/hp.0b013e3182118094 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 101 (4) ◽

pp. 393-408 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Vasyl I. Yoschenko ◽

Valery A. Kashparov ◽

Maxim D. Melnychuk ◽

Svjatoslav E. Levchuk ◽

Yulia O. Bondar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Chronic Irradiation ◽

Exclusion Zone ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Radiobiological Effects

Download Full-text

Effects of pruning on heartwood formation in Scots pine trees

Journal of Forest Science ◽

10.17221/4595-jfs ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 50 (No. 1) ◽

pp. 11-16

Author(s):

B. Bergström ◽

R. Gref ◽

A. Ericsson

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Heartwood Formation ◽

Growth Rings ◽

Significant Negative Effect ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Proportional Increase

The object of this study was to investigate the effect of pruning on heartwood formation in mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees. Fifty trees were treated by three different intensive pruning regimes: 42, 60 and 70 percentage of defoliation. After five growing seasons numbers of growth rings were counted and the width and the area of sapwood and heartwood were calculated. The results did not show any proportional increase or decrease in the heartwood area or in the number of growth rings in heartwood associated with the pruning. A statistically significant negative effect of pruning was found on the width of the five most recently formed sapwood growth rings. This decreased growth rate did not influence the ratio of sapwood and heartwood. However, it cannot be excluded that the proportion of heartwood may increase during a longer period. It is concluded that pruning is not a practicable silvicultural method for regulating heartwood formation in mature Scots pine trees.

Download Full-text

Field evidence for the optimality hypothesis of gas exchange in plants

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/pp98044 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 239 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Pertti Hari ◽

Annikki Mäkelä ◽

Frank Berninger ◽

Toivo Pohja

Keyword(s):

Stomatal Conductance ◽

Gas Exchange ◽

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Field Measurement ◽

Field Data ◽

Field Measurements ◽

Leaf Structure ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Field Evidence

The ‘optimality hypothesis’ of gas exchange in plants has been studied since the 1970s, but testing it in the field has proven difficult. A recent reformulation of the hypothesis with detailing assumptions on leaf structure makes it possible to solve the optimisation problem explicitly, such that the predictions of gas exchange are readily testable against field data. This form of the model was tested against field measurements of photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) shoots during three clear summer days. Model parameters were estimated independently from photosynthesis measurements on preceding days. The measurements were carried out at a new field measurement station with a very low level of noise. The predictions of photosynthesis, transpiration andstomatal conductance explained 84–98% of the variance in the data.

Download Full-text

Radial Growth of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) under Inhibition

Lesnoy Zhurnal (Forestry Journal) ◽

10.37482/0536-1036-2021-1-69-81 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 69-81

Author(s):

Valery P. Ivanov ◽

◽

Sergey I. Marchenko ◽

Dmitry I. Nartov ◽

Leonid P. Balukhta

Keyword(s):

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Growth Rates ◽

Radial Growth ◽

Climatic Factors ◽

Global Climate ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Administrative District ◽

Growth Processes

Predicting tree growth processes is important due to the exceptional ecosystem role of forests, which carry out global climate regulation by sequestrating carbon, conserving drinking water, and providing habitat for living organisms. Trees are known to respond to any fluctuations in the environment. The research purpose is to identify weather and climatic factors that significantly affect the inhibition of growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in conditions of constant moisture deficit. The studies were carried out in the eastern part of the Bryansk region within the territory the Bryansk administrative district, in the educational and experimental forestry of the Bryansk State Engineering and Technological University and the Styazhnovskoye forest district. Methods of dendrochronology were used to assess the response of 93 pine trees to fluctuations in the external environment by changing the width of annual rings (available anatomical feature of a tree) using indices of radial growth. An original approach was proposed to analyze the reasons for a sharp decline in the annual radial growth under the influence of temperature and precipitation. The years with abnormally low increments (1963, 1972, 1985, 2002 and 2010) were identified against the background of the weather-climatic situation for 5 years before and after the fall in growth. Similar dynamics of absolute values of radial increments and their indices was established, which is caused by fluctuations of natural factors, manifestation of hereditary traits, etc. Significant differences were revealed between the growth rates at average multiyear values of January, May and August air temperatures with growth rates in the years of abnormally low radial growth, which are observed in pine against the background of colder January and warmer May and August of the current year, as well as under the condition of warmer January of the previous year. At the same time, no significant role of precipitation was detected. The obtained data, expanding the idea of the features of growth processes and formation of annual increments in diameter of Scots pine in the conditions of changing climate at the turn of the 20th–21st centuries, allowed us to suggest a possible manifestation of physiological features of the species, the homeostasis optimum zone of which is located in the conditions of colder boreal climate. This information expands our understanding of the features of growth processes and formation of annual increments in diameter of Scots pine in changing climatic conditions.

Download Full-text