Article
Forestry
Ljubica Lukac, Stjepan Mikac, Otmar Urban, Tomas Kolar, Michal Rybnicek, Alexander Ac, Mirek Trnka, Michal Marek
Summary: The δ C-13 and δ O-18 values are better proxies for temperature, precipitation, and drought than tree-ring widths (TRWs). The strongest correlations between these values and climate parameters are during the summer period, and they can be used for precipitation reconstruction in the Balkan Peninsula and eastern Mediterranean region.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Steven A. Kannenberg, Avery W. Driscoll, Paul Szejner, William R. L. Anderegg, James R. Ehleringer
Summary: Globally, intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) has shown a significant increase over the past century in line with rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Recent drying trends in the American Southwest have led to a rapid increase in iWUE in shrub species in the region, surpassing that of tree species. While a shift towards more water-efficient vegetation may benefit plant health, ongoing trends of lower plant density, diminished growth, and increasing vegetation mortality in the Southwest suggest that this increase in iWUE is unlikely to offset the negative impacts of aridification.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Wenjing Tao, Kangshan Mao, Jiang He, Nicholas G. Smith, Yuxin Qiao, Jing Guo, Hongjun Yang, Wenzhi Wang, Jianquan Liu, Lei Chen
Summary: This study utilized extensive data to investigate the influence of daytime and nighttime temperature asymmetry on tree growth. It found that daytime warming had a greater impact on drought stress, and tree growth was more sensitive to drought stress in warm regions.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hongming Zhao, Jiabing Wu, Anzhi Wang, Dexin Guan, Yage Liu
Summary: This research investigates the influence of microtopography on the growth of plantation forests, specifically in terms of the climate-growth relationship and drought response. The results indicate that temperature and precipitation intensity are the main climatic factors causing growth differences between hill positions and aspects. Furthermore, droughts have a lasting effect on plantation growth and can lead to changes in the climate-growth relationship. Therefore, studying the impact of microtopography on forest trees is crucial for accurate carbon sink assessment and precise forest management.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Valentina Vitali, Stefan Klesse, Rosemarie Weigt, Kerstin Treydte, David Frank, Matthias Saurer, Rolf T. W. Siegwolf
Summary: The study investigated tree-ring width and stable isotope chronologies of Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica along a climate gradient in Central Europe, finding high sensitivity of stable isotopes to summer VPD and consistent responses across sites. There were no significant differences in isotopic responses to climate variability between dominant and suppressed trees, with high spatial coherence of δ¹⁸O variations observed over long distances. Applied dual-isotope approach indicated a general climate-driven decrease in stomatal conductance for these tree species.
Article
Forestry
Chunyan Wu, Dongsheng Chen, Xiaomei Sun, Shougong Zhang
Summary: Precise quantification of climate-growth relationships is crucial for scientific forest management. This study investigated the response of tree growth to climate at different altitudes using Larix kaempferi trees. The results showed that tree-ring growth (TRG) was correlated with climate differently in different tree classes at different altitudes. TRG was more sensitive to climate at low altitudes, mainly limited by precipitation, while at high altitudes, the climate-growth relationships were opposite. Dominant trees were found to be the best choice for accurately assessing climate-growth relationships.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Beixi Fan, Bao Yang, Gang Li
Summary: This study used dendrochronological approaches to investigate the response of radial growth of Qinghai spruce to climate factors. The findings suggest that Qinghai spruce in different locations in the Hexi area have different sensitivities to climate change, and drought conditions limit the growth of Qinghai spruce.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guoju Wu, Guobao Xu, Bo Wang, Xiaohong Liu, Tuo Chen, Huhu Kang
Summary: The forest in the Tianshan Mountains has been experiencing a decline in growth and an increased mortality rate due to severe droughts, posing a threat to the ecosystem services they provide. This study examined the post-drought recovery of dominant tree species using tree-ring proxy data and found that post-drought moisture conditions played a crucial role in determining tree growth recovery. The findings highlight the importance of climate conditions and precipitation in managing and conserving forests in response to extreme drought events.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ting Wang, Anming Bao, Wenqiang Xu, Ruide Yu, Qingling Zhang, Liangliang Jiang, Vincent Nzabarinda
Summary: This study reconstructed the historical drought conditions in the Tianshan Mountains using tree-ring data, identifying the main factors influencing tree growth. By reconstructing the PDSI and conducting spatial analysis, the study revealed the changing trends of drought events in different areas of the Tianshan Mountains over the past centuries.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Anastasia A. Knorre, Rolf T. W. Siegwolf, Alexander Kirdyanov, Matthias Saurer, Olga Churakova (Sidorova), Anatoly S. Prokushkin
Summary: Wildfires have a significant impact on forest ecosystem physiology and carbon balance in the permafrost zone of North Siberia. This study investigated the changes in tree-ring width and stable isotope chronologies of Larix Gmelinii after wildfires, revealing that tree-ring width and δ(18)OCell are the most sensitive parameters to the changing tree growth conditions. The study also showed the differences in the soil seasonal thermal regime after fires and the positive correlation of δC-13(Cell) values in tree rings between the two sites, suggesting the potential use of δC-13(Cell) chronologies for climatic reconstruction in the region. Furthermore, significant positive relationships of δO-18(Cell) values between the two sites were observed 60 years after the fire impact, indicating a long-term response of tree growth and isotopic ratios to climate changes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yongxiang Zhang, Hongli Wang, Xuemei Shao, Jinbao Li, Guoyu Ren
Summary: This study investigates the extreme drought history and dynamic process of two extreme drought events in northern China over the past 200 years using tree-ring chronologies and historical archives. The results show that using tree index improves the identification of drought history significantly compared to single indicator reconstruction, and the drought events are highly consistent with historical recorded ones. The study also reveals the influence of political and other factors on historical drought events and the differences in potential mechanisms between the two drought events.
Article
Forestry
Yulia A. Kholdaenko, Elena A. Babushkina, Liliana V. Belokopytova, Dina F. Zhirnova, Nataly N. Koshurnikova, Bao Yang, Eugene A. Vaganov
Summary: In forests, the growth and productivity of individual trees and stands are regulated by stand density due to competition for resources. A study in Middle Siberia investigated the interactions between stand density, tree- and stand-scale productivity, and tree-ring parameters in Scots pine forests. The study found negative allometric relationships between tree-scale productivity variables, tree-ring width, and stand density, while positive allometry was observed for stand productivity variables. Tree-ring parameters showed common responses to moisture deficit, although the seasonality varied with stand density, with different precipitation periods affecting growth in dense and sparse stands.
Article
Agronomy
Qingyu Zhao, Chenxi Xu, Wenling An, Yucheng Liu, Guoqiao Xiao, Chunju Huang
Summary: Research has predominantly focused on the impacts of climatic warming on forests in the boreal and temperate Northern Hemisphere, but the influence on subtropical forests remains unclear. This study examined Abies fargesii trees in subtropical China and found that tree growth has been enhanced over the past 40 years, while the positive effect of spring temperature on tree growth has weakened since the late 1970s. The study suggests that earlier start of the thermal growing season, driven by springtime warming, promotes tree radial growth and influences growth-climate relationships.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hongli Wang, Yongxiang Zhang, Xuemei Shao
Summary: The study reconstructed regional drought variability in the Aksu area over the past 548 years and identified distinct wet and dry periods, with the mid-sixteenth century experiencing the longest dry period. Additionally, a notable sudden onset and long period of wet conditions has been observed in the Aksu area from the 1980s until the present day.
Article
Forestry
Gheorghe-Marian Tudoran, Avram Cicsa, Alexandru-Claudiu Dobre, Maria Cicsa, Ionut-Silviu Pascu, Stefan Leca
Summary: In the last decade, coniferous stands outside their natural range in Romania have experienced declines in both their health and growth, and these forests are becoming even more threatened due to global climate trends. A study in the Romanian Carpathians examined the relationship between tree growth and defoliation as an indicator of tree health. The results showed an increase in defoliation and a negative trend in radial growth, driven by defoliation.
Article
Ecology
Francesco Petruzzellis, Chiara Palandrani, Tadeja Savi, Roberto Alberti, Andrea Nardini, Giovanni Bacaro
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2017)
Article
Agronomy
Chiara Palandrani, Giorgio Alberti
Article
Plant Sciences
Francesco Petruzzellis, Enrico Tordoni, Martina Tomasella, Tadeja Savi, Vanessa Tonet, Chiara Palandrani, Miris Castello, Andrea Nardini, Giovanni Bacaro
Summary: This study analyzed cost-related, hydraulic, and leaf vein traits of a large assemblage of native and invasive species in the Mediterranean area. Results showed that invasive species had lower leaf construction costs and drought resistance, but potentially higher efficiency in water transport. Additionally, invasive species tended to occupy the fast-growth region of the functional space, independently of growth form and site type.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)