Article
Environmental Sciences
J. M. Olano, M. A. Garcia-Lopez, G. Sanguesa-Barreda, M. E. Coca, M. Garcia-Hidalgo, H. Houdas, V. Rozas, H. Hernandez-Alonso
Summary: Tree ring records are valuable for high-resolution climate reconstructions. This study evaluated the potential of pollarded deciduous oaks to record past climate signals. The results showed that pollard oaks had a strong response to water availability and that the response was more significant during the traditional management period. The chronologies from different woodlands were also significantly correlated, indicating a shared climate forcing.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Aristeidis Kastridis, Vasiliki Kamperidou, Dimitrios Stathis
Summary: The study found that precipitation is the key factor influencing the growth of A. borisii-regis trees under Mediterranean climate conditions, while temperature has a relatively small impact on tree growth. Precipitation in June, May, and July shows a high correlation with tree-ring width, while snow does not significantly affect tree growth.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Youngkyu Kim, Sunmin Kim, Hoseong Jeong, Hyunuk An
Summary: This study aims to identify the quantitative characteristics of a megadrought and suggest a guideline for detecting its occurrence. By analyzing the central Chile megadrought, the study establishes criteria based on timescale, drought intensity, and spatial extent for detection. The findings contribute to defining and detecting megadroughts in the future.
GEOMATICS NATURAL HAZARDS & RISK
(2022)
Article
Ecology
A. Venegas-Gonzalez, A. A. Munoz, S. Carpintero-Gibson, A. Gonzalez-Reyes, I. Schneider, T. Gipolou-Zuniga, I. Aguilera-Betti, F. A. Roig
Summary: The Mediterranean-type Ecosystems of Central Chile is highly threatened by global change, especially the megadrought since 2010. The impact of drought on sclerophyllous forests in this region is poorly understood. In this study, the tree rings of Cryptocarya alba and Beilschmiedia miersii were analyzed to explore the effects of intense droughts on the growth of sclerophyllous forests. The results showed a significant decline in tree growth since 2002, mainly influenced by increased climate water deficit (CWD) and decreased winter-spring rainfall.
Article
Ecology
A. Venegas-Gonzalez, A. A. Munoz, S. Carpintero-Gibson, A. Gonzalez-Reyes, I. Schneider, T. Gipolou-Zuniga, I. Aguilera-Betti, F. A. Roig
Summary: The study examined the impact of drought on sclerophyllous forests in the Mediterranean-type Ecosystems of Central Chile. By analyzing the tree ring widths of two tree species, it was found that tree growth significantly declined since 2002 due to increased climate water deficit and decreased winter-spring rainfall. Furthermore, the growth patterns of the trees were found to have a positive or negative relationship with drought severity and climate indices.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yanchao Wang, Huifang Zhang, Hui Wang, Jingli Guo, Erliang Zhang, Jun Wang, Xiao Li, Haoliang Wei, Changliang Zhou
Summary: A tree-ring width chronology was developed to reconstruct the history of droughts in northern North China from 1903 to 2012 AD. The study found significant correlations between the reconstructed data and remote oceanic oscillations, particularly the ENSO, suggesting a close connection between hydroclimatic variation in this region and oceanic factors.
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
Ecology
Mauricio Lima, Jennifer Paola Correa-Cuadros, Sergio Henriquez, Fabian M. Jaksic
Summary: This study investigates the impact of rainfall variability on rodent population dynamics in semiarid Chile. The results show that the El Nino Southern Oscillation-driven rainfall pulses are associated with rodent outbreaks, and that interspecific competition is influenced by rainfall variability.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Oliver Meseguer-Ruiz, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Adriana Aranguiz-Acuna, Magdalena Fuentealba, Ignacio Nunez-Hidalgo, Pablo Sarricolea, Rene Gerreaud
Summary: Droughts pose a major environmental challenge for Chile due to its geographical characteristics. Different regions in Chile experience varying levels of precipitation and temperature, resulting in different occurrences and severity of droughts. This study found that different climate modes show correlations with the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI). There are negative drought trends in the north and center of Chile, while positive trends appear in the south. The SPEI shows stronger and more significant negative trends, influenced by the overall warming of the country. Climate modes can be useful for drought prediction and informing public policies.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brandon M. Strange, Russell K. Monson, Paul Szejner, Jim Ehleringer, Jia Hu
Summary: The US Southwest is currently experiencing a severe megadrought, which poses a threat to regional montane forests. However, the North American Monsoon (NAM) climate system provides enough summer precipitation to alleviate tree water stress. The buffering effect of the NAM is weakening, which may have negative impacts on the local forest ecosystems.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
R. Urrutia-Jalabert, J. Barichivich, V. Rozas, A. Lara, Y. Rojas, C. Bahamondez, M. Rojas-Badilla, T. Gipoulou-Zuniga, E. Cuq
Summary: The study in Chilean Andes evaluated the growth patterns, climate response, and drought resilience of Nothofagus obliqua forests across different latitudinal gradients. Tree growth was found to be influenced by stand dynamics and related to precipitation, with a negative impact from maximum temperature. The two northern stands showed higher resilience to drought, while overall climate conditions did not solely define the tolerance of stands, as local environmental factors played a significant role.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Remote Sensing
Roberto O. Chavez, Oliver Meseguer-Ruiz, Matias Olea, Matias Calderon-Seguel, Karina Yager, Rosa Isela Meneses, Jose A. Lastra, Ignacio Nunez-Hidalgo, Pablo Sarricolea, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Manuel Prieto
Summary: This study provides an integrated analysis of NDVI anomalies, drought severity, and water rights granted to industry to understand the conservation status and threats to bofedales in the Andes. The results highlight the significant impact of climate change, water extraction for industrial activities, and increased water rights on the loss of bofedales.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Magdalena Fuentealba, Camila Bahamondez, Pablo Sarricolea, Oliver Meseguer-Ruiz, Claudio Latorre
Summary: The study focused on mountain lakes in central Chile from 32 degrees to 36 degrees South, analyzing changes in lake surfaces over the past 36 years. Results showed a decrease in the number and surface area of lakes from south to north, consistent with the current rainfall gradient. During the 'megadrought' from 2010 to 2020, lake surface areas decreased significantly between 7% and 25%, highlighting the importance of freshwater availability for the region's society and environment.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY-REGIONAL STUDIES
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Akhilesh K. Yadava, Krishna G. Misra, Vikram Singh, Sandhya Misra, Yogesh K. Sharma, Bahadur S. Kotlia
Summary: A study using tree-ring data from Himalayan cedar developed a drought index that extends back to AD 1773, revealing long-term year-to-year and inter-decadal variations in the region, aiding in understanding the drought fluctuations in the area.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Citlalli Cabral-Aleman, Jose Villanueva-Diaz, Geronimo Quinonez-Barraza, Armando Gomez-Guerrero
Summary: Extreme drought events reduce forest productivity. This study aimed to estimate resilience rates of Pinus durangensis Martinez trees at different heights along the stem. Radial growth of tree stems at various heights was analyzed and transformed into ring-width indices, which were correlated with a six-month drought index. Seven extreme drought events were identified, and resistance, recovery, and resilience indices were calculated. Results showed significant correlation between radial growth and climate indices, with higher sensitivity in lower stem sections. Resistance was better expressed in higher stem sections. The latest extreme drought events led to lower tree resilience, suggesting the importance of managing tree density to increase drought tolerance.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Milagros Rodriguez-Caton, Laia Andreu-Hayles, Valerie Daux, Mathias Vuille, Arianna M. Varuolo-Clarke, Rose Oelkers, Duncan A. Christie, Rosanne D'Arrigo, Mariano S. Morales, Mukund Palat Rao, Ana M. Srur, Francoise Vimeux, Ricardo Villalba
Summary: The climate variability in tropical South America is regulated by the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM). In this study, stable oxygen isotopes from tree rings were used to analyze past precipitation changes and El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability in the Chilean and Bolivian Altiplano. The results showed that the tree rings can effectively register summer precipitation and ENSO variability, making it a novel climate proxy for the southern tropical Andes.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Jose M. Cuadrat, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Samuel Barrao, Miguel Angel Saz, Ernesto Tejedor
Summary: This study analyzes the temporal intensity and variability of the urban heat island (UHI) in Zaragoza, Spain, and identifies wind as an important factor influencing the UHI. The results show that the temperature in the city center is frequently 1-2 degrees Celsius higher than in the surrounding areas, sometimes even exceeding 8 degrees Celsius. The UHI is more pronounced in summer than in winter, and more intense during the night than during the day. The maximum UHI value occurs under calm atmospheric conditions, but diminishes significantly with wind speeds over 50 km/h.
CUADERNOS DE INVESTIGACION GEOGRAFICA
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Viviana Tudela, Pablo Sarricolea, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Oliver Meseguer-Ruiz
Summary: Cherry trees in Chile are an important specialty crop, and their growth and yield are affected by extreme weather events. The study of an integrated risk index reveals regional and altitudinal variations in climate risk, which has implications for improving climate impact assessments in agricultural production systems.
Article
Forestry
Maria Royo-Navascues, Edurne Martinez del Castillo, Ernesto Tejedor, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Luis Alberto Longares, Miguel Angel Saz, Klemen Novak, Martin de Luis
Summary: This study analyzed the effects of drought on tree growth in the Mediterranean Basin. The results showed that different pine species had varying responses to drought intensity, duration, and seasonality. Understanding these responses is crucial, especially as droughts are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change.
Article
Plant Sciences
Nina Skrk, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Martin de Luis, Katarina Cufar
Summary: Climate change is expected to affect the spatial distribution of tree species in Europe, including the drought-sensitive European beech. This study utilized forest inventory data and modeled climate data to explore the relationship between climate variables and the dominance of beech trees in forest stands.
Article
Environmental Sciences
James Apaestegui, Carol Romero, Mathias Vuille, Juan Sulca, Angela Ampuero
Summary: This study presents eight years of monthly isotopic precipitation data in the Mantaro River Basin, with the aim of understanding the factors influencing isotopic variability and evaluating the impact of regional climate events. The results suggest that the rainout upstream and air mass transport, as well as local processes, play important roles in determining isotopic variability. The study provides recommendations for hydroclimate studies and paleoclimate reconstructions in the region.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Abel Centella-Artola, Arnoldo Bezanilla-Morlot, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Ranses Vazquez-Montenegro, Maibys Sierra-Lorenzo, Dayron Chang -Dominguez
Summary: The paper introduces a high-resolution (-3km) gridded dataset for daily precipitation in Cuba for the period 1961-2008, named CubaPrec1. The dataset is constructed using data from 630 stations operated by the National Institute of Water Resources. The missing values in the original station data were estimated independently for each day and location, and a grid of 3 x 3 km spatial resolution was created. This dataset provides a precise spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation in Cuba and serves as a valuable baseline for future research in hydrology, climatology, and meteorology. The data collection described is available on Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.©2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Article
Forestry
Laia Andreu-Hayles, Ernesto Tejedor, Rosanne D'Arrigo, Giuliano Maselli Locosselli, Milagros Rodriguez-Caton, Valerie Daux, Rose Oelkers, Arturo Pacheco-Solana, Kathelyn Paredes-Villanueva, Clara Rodriguez-Morata
Summary: This Special Issue presents recent advancements in tropical dendrochronology in the Americas, focusing on new species identification, climate analysis using tree-ring records, and systematic reviews of past research. These studies contribute to understanding suitable tree species and dating techniques in dendrochronology, as well as the response of tropical forests to environmental change and past climate conditions. The importance of accurately distinguishing annual ring boundaries in complex tropical species and integrating dating methods and visualization techniques is emphasized. With a synthesis of diverse research findings, this Special Issue provides an overview of tropical dendrochronology, identifies knowledge gaps, and suggests future research directions. Ultimately, these advancements promote a deeper understanding of tropical forests, their role in the global climate system, and the need for their sustainable management and conservation.
Article
Forestry
Jose Manuel Fernandez-Guisuraga, Paulo M. Fernandes, Elena Marcos, David Beltran-Marcos, Pablo Sarricolea, Massimiliano Farris, Leonor Calvo
Summary: This study examines the fire severity divergence among different strata in Mediterranean forests and shrubland ecosystems. The results show that fire effects can be decoupled across strata, with upper strata in broadleaf forests and substrate stratum in shrublands experiencing the least severity. The study also finds that individual CBI attributes contribute significantly to the spectral variability of fire severity indices.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Angel Gonzalez-Zamora, Laura Almendra-Martin, Martin de Luis, Jaime Gaona, Jose Martinez-Fernandez
Summary: This study examines the relationship between soil moisture and the growth of four main pine species in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as their response to soil drought. The study also evaluates the role of climatic and geographic factors in the resilience of these species to drought events. The results show that species with lower dependence on soil moisture perform better during droughts, while those with higher dependence show greater adaptability. Climatic and geographic factors have a stronger influence on species' resilience to soil drought at higher altitudes.
Article
Geography
Pablo Sarricolea, Hugo Romero-Aravena, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Oliver Meseguer-Ruiz, Vincent Dubreuil, Beatriz M. Funatsu
Summary: Chile is highly impacted by climate change, especially in terms of precipitation variability and projections. The Puna of Atacama Desert, a region known for its copper and lithium mining, lacks reliable meteorological observations. Despite data limitations, a daily precipitation database was constructed for 35 weather stations to evaluate extreme precipitation indices and generate spatial maps. The study found no significant trends in most stations, except for consecutive dry days showing an increase. This research contributes to expanding observations and understanding the challenges of living with uncertainty.
INVESTIGACIONES GEOGRAFICAS-SPAIN
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Oliver Meseguer-Ruiz, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Adriana Aranguiz-Acuna, Magdalena Fuentealba, Ignacio Nunez-Hidalgo, Pablo Sarricolea, Rene Gerreaud
Summary: Droughts pose a major environmental challenge for Chile due to its geographical characteristics. Different regions in Chile experience varying levels of precipitation and temperature, resulting in different occurrences and severity of droughts. This study found that different climate modes show correlations with the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI). There are negative drought trends in the north and center of Chile, while positive trends appear in the south. The SPEI shows stronger and more significant negative trends, influenced by the overall warming of the country. Climate modes can be useful for drought prediction and informing public policies.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Oscar Chimborazo, Justin R. Minder, Mathias Vuille
Summary: Many mountain regions, including the Andes of Ecuador, are experiencing enhanced warming compared to their surroundings, which threatens the environmental services provided by mountains. This elevation-dependent warming (EDW) effect is evident in observations and simulations, with different rates of warming on the eastern and western slopes. Multiple feedback mechanisms, such as upper-tropospheric warming and changes in circulation, contribute to the EDW effect. Additionally, reductions in snow cover and increased absorption of sunlight further enhance the warming. Regardless of emission scenario, high elevations in Ecuador will continue to warm at accelerated rates in the future.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2022)