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Biology
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Dendrochronology in Arid Regions
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Dendrochronology in Arid Regions

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 13004

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zongshan Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Interests: dendroclimatology; dendroecology; the arid to semiarid lands in China
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Drylands are home to more than 38% of the total global population and are one of the most sensitive areas to climate change and human activities, and the IPCC reportedly expects a considerable increase in the dryland expansion rate resulting in drylands covering half of the global land surface by the end of this century. Such an expansion of drylands would lend to reduced carbon sequestration and enhanced regional warming that will exacerbate the risk of land degradation and desertification in the near future. Tree rings have long been recognized as a useful proxy for past climate variations because of their special characteristics, such as precise dating, annual resolution, long time series, and climate sensitivity. Because forest vegetation is particularly sensitive to changes in moisture availability in drylands, tree-ring materials have been frequently used to resolve climatic and ecological questions in drylands.

For this Special issue, we encourage the submission of manuscripts on any aspects of tree-ring studies in drylands, including tree-ring materials of forest (tree species) and non-forest (shrub and perennial herb species) vegetation and forests. We accept reviews and short- and full-size research papers which cover the aforementioned subjects, such as climatic, ecological, wood anatomical or tree physiological issues based on tree rings in drylands.

Dr. Zongshan Li
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • tree rings
  • forest and non-forest vegetation
  • climatic response
  • arid and semi-arid lands

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3784 KiB  
Article
Factors Limiting Radial Growth of Conifers on Their Semiarid Borders across Kazakhstan
by Nariman B. Mapitov, Liliana V. Belokopytova, Dina F. Zhirnova, Sholpan B. Abilova, Rimma M. Ualiyeva, Aliya A. Bitkeyeva, Elena A. Babushkina and Eugene A. Vaganov
Biology 2023, 12(4), 604; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12040604 - 16 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2328
Abstract
The forests of Central Asia are biodiversity hotspots at risk from rapid climate change, but they are understudied in terms of the climate–growth relationships of trees. This classical dendroclimatic case study was performed for six conifer forest stands near their semiarid boundaries across [...] Read more.
The forests of Central Asia are biodiversity hotspots at risk from rapid climate change, but they are understudied in terms of the climate–growth relationships of trees. This classical dendroclimatic case study was performed for six conifer forest stands near their semiarid boundaries across Kazakhstan: (1–3) Pinus sylvestris L., temperate forest steppes; (4–5) Picea schrenkiana Fisch. & C.A. Mey, foothills, the Western Tien Shan, southeast; (6) Juniperus seravschanica Kom., montane zone, the Western Tien Shan, southern subtropics. Due to large distances, correlations between local tree-ring width (TRW) chronologies are significant only within species (pine, 0.19–0.50; spruce, 0.55). The most stable climatic response is negative correlations of TRW with maximum temperatures of the previous (from −0.37 to −0.50) and current (from −0.17 to −0.44) growing season. The strength of the positive response to annual precipitation (0.10–0.48) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (0.15–0.49) depends on local aridity. The timeframe of climatic responses shifts to earlier months north-to-south. For years with maximum and minimum TRW, differences in seasonal maximal temperatures (by ~1–3 °C) and precipitation (by ~12–83%) were also found. Heat stress being the primary factor limiting conifer growth across Kazakhstan, we suggest experiments there on heat protection measures in plantations and for urban trees, alongside broadening the coverage of the dendroclimatic net with accents on the impact of habitat conditions and climate-induced long-term growth dynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid Regions)
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16 pages, 43297 KiB  
Article
Spatial Heterogeneity of Root Water Conduction Strategies of Zygophyllaceae Plants in Arid Regions of China
by Ying Chen, Yanjun Dong, Jie Liu, Zongshan Li, Xiaochun Wang, Maierdang Keyimu, Cong Wang, Guangyao Gao and Xiaoming Feng
Biology 2022, 11(10), 1502; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11101502 - 13 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1962
Abstract
Desert plants are the main component of species diversity in desert ecosystems, and studying the anatomy and function of desert plant xylem is of great significance for understanding climate sensitivity and adaptation mechanisms to arid ecosystems. In this study, 11 sampling points were [...] Read more.
Desert plants are the main component of species diversity in desert ecosystems, and studying the anatomy and function of desert plant xylem is of great significance for understanding climate sensitivity and adaptation mechanisms to arid ecosystems. In this study, 11 sampling points were selected in the region starting from the Loess Plateau to the Jungar Basin, the taproot anatomy materials of 9 samples of Zygophyllaceae plants were collected, and the water conduction strategies and spatial distribution characteristics of these species were analyzed. The age, growth rate, vessel number, vessel fraction, vessel area within a fixed measurement range (TVA), MVA, water conductivity (TKp, MKp) and vessel diameter ranged between 1 and 27 years, 43.67 and 678.10 μm/year, 20 and 1952, 4.43 and 26.58%, 8009.62 and 192069.12 μm², 27.63 and 2164.33 μm², 0.417 and 364.97 kg m−1 MPa−1 s−1, 0.000624 and 7.60 kg m−1 Mpa−1 s−1, and 5.57 and 73.87 μm, respectively. The number of root vessels (R = 0.27, p > 0.05) of Zygophyllaceae plants decreased with the decrease in precipitation, and the average vessel area (R = −0.28, p > 0.05) and hydraulic diameter (R = −0.29, p > 0.05) showed an upward trend. This shows that the water hydraulic efficiency priority strategy may be adopted in the root system of Zygophyllaceae plants in severe drought stress condition, and the water hydraulic safety priority strategy may be used in mild drought stress conditions. With the increase in temperature, the root age of Zygophyllaceae plants showed an increasing trend, and the growth rate showed a downward trend, indicating that the radial growth of the roots of Zygophyllaceae plants is mainly affected by temperature. Altitude influences plant growth by affecting temperature and precipitation in arid habitats. The findings of the present study on root xylem anatomical characteristics and life history strategies provides a scientific basis for the ecological restoration of vegetation in arid and semi-arid areas of China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid Regions)
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19 pages, 10170 KiB  
Article
Early Summer Temperature Variation Recorded by Earlywood Width in the Northern Boundary of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata in Central China and Its Linkages to the Indian and Pacific Oceans
by Meng Peng, Xuan Li, Jianfeng Peng, Jiayue Cui, Jingru Li, Yafei Wei, Xiaoxu Wei and Jinkuan Li
Biology 2022, 11(7), 1077; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11071077 - 19 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1808
Abstract
The Tongbai Mountains are an ecologically sensitive region to climate change, where there lies a climatic transitional zone from a subtropical to a warm–temperate monsoon climate. The northern boundary of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata is here; thus, climate information is well recorded in its [...] Read more.
The Tongbai Mountains are an ecologically sensitive region to climate change, where there lies a climatic transitional zone from a subtropical to a warm–temperate monsoon climate. The northern boundary of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata is here; thus, climate information is well recorded in its tree rings. Based on developed earlywood width (EWW), latewood width (LWW) and total ring width (RW) chronologies (time period: 1887–2014 year) of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata in the Tongbai Mountains in central China, this paper analyzed characteristics of these chronologies and correlations between these chronologies and climate factors. The correlation results showed that earlywood width chronology contains more climate information than latewood width chronology and total ring width chronology, and mean temperature and mean maximum temperature in May–June were the main limiting factors for radial growth of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata. The highest significant value in all correlation analyses is −0.669 (p < 0.05) between earlywood width chronology and May–June mean temperature (TMJ) in the pre-mutation period (1958–2005) based on mutating in 2006. Thus, this paper reconstructed May–June mean temperature using earlywood width chronology from 1901 to 2005 (reliable period of earlywood width chronology is 1901–2014). The reconstructed May–June mean temperature experienced eight warmer periods and eight colder periods and also showed 2–3a cycle change over the past 105 years. The spatial correlation showed that the reconstructed series was representative of the May–June mean temperature variation in central and eastern China and significant positive/negative correlation with the sea surface temperature (SST) of the subtropical Pacific Ocean and the tropical Western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean from the previous October to the current June. This also indicated that May–June mean temperature periodic fluctuations might be related to the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. The results of this study have extended and supplemented the meteorological records of the Tongbai Mountains and have a guiding significance for forest tending and management in this area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid Regions)
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16 pages, 4064 KiB  
Article
Climate-Growth Relationships of Chinese Pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) at Mt. Shiren in Climatic Transition Zone, Central China
by Jianfeng Peng, Jinbao Li, Xuan Li, Jiayue Cui and Meng Peng
Biology 2022, 11(5), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11050753 - 15 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2227
Abstract
Tree ring data from the southern boundary of Chinese Pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) distribution where is the southern warm temperate margin, the paper analyzes the response of climate factors along north–south direction to tree growth. The results show that temperature and precipitation [...] Read more.
Tree ring data from the southern boundary of Chinese Pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) distribution where is the southern warm temperate margin, the paper analyzes the response of climate factors along north–south direction to tree growth. The results show that temperature and precipitation in May–June and relative moisture from March to June are main limiting factors on trees growth; however, the temperature in the south of the mountains and the moisture in the north of the mountains have relatively greater influence on trees’ growth. Additionally, we also found that the regional scPDSIMJ (that is scPDSI in May–June) was the most significant and stable factor limiting tree growth to be used for reconstruction. The reconstructed scPDSIMJ revealed that there were 29 extremely dry years and 30 extremely wet years during 1801–2016, and it could represent the drought variation in central and eastern monsoon region. The variation exists in good agreement with the reconstructed PDSI for Mt. Shennong and the drought/wetness series in Zhengzhou. Further research found that the droughts of May–June in central China were mainly impacted by local temperature and moisture (including precipitation, soil moisture, potential evaporation and water pressure), and then by the northern Pacific Ocean and the northern Atlantic Ocean. These results may provide better understanding of May–June drought variation and service for agricultural production in central China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid Regions)
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16 pages, 3136 KiB  
Article
Vegetation Greenness Dynamics in the Western Greater Khingan Range of Northeast China Based on Dendrochronology
by Jibin Dong, Tingting Yin, Hongxiang Liu, Lu Sun, Siqi Qin, Yang Zhang, Xiao Liu, Peixian Fan, Hui Wang, Peiming Zheng and Renqing Wang
Biology 2022, 11(5), 679; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11050679 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3698
Abstract
Understanding the vegetation greenness dynamics in the forest–steppe transition zone is essential for ecosystem management, and in order to study ecological changes in the region. This study provides a valuable record of the vegetation greenness dynamics in the western Greater Khingan Range over [...] Read more.
Understanding the vegetation greenness dynamics in the forest–steppe transition zone is essential for ecosystem management, and in order to study ecological changes in the region. This study provides a valuable record of the vegetation greenness dynamics in the western Greater Khingan Range over the past 193 years (1826–2018) based on tree-ring data represented by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The reconstructed vegetation greenness dynamics record contains a total of 32 years of high vegetation greenness and 37 years of low vegetation greenness, together occupying 35.8% of the entire reconstructed period (193 years). Climate (precipitation) is the main influence on the vegetation greenness dynamics at this site, but human activities have also had a significant impact over the last few decades. The magnitude, frequency, and duration of extreme changes in vegetation greenness dynamics have increased significantly, with progressively shorter intervals. Analyses targeting human behavior have shown that the density of livestock, agricultural land area, and total population have gradually increased, encroaching on forests and grasslands and reducing the inter-annual variability. After 2002, the government implemented projects to return farmland to its original ecosystems, and for the implementation of new land management practices (which are more ecologically related); as such, the vegetation conditions began to improve. These findings will help us to understand the relationship between climate change and inter- and intra- annual dynamics in northeastern China, and to better understand the impact of human activities on vegetation greenness dynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid Regions)
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