Forests

Research

15 pages, 5707 KiB

Open AccessArticle

August Temperature Reconstruction Based on Tree-Ring Latewood Blue Intensity in the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau

by Teng Li and Jinbao Li

Forests 2023, 14(7), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071441 - 13 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1688

Tree-ring blue intensity (BI) has been widely applied for temperature reconstructions in many regions around the globe. However, it remains untested in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) where a large number of ancient trees are distributed. In this study, we developed earlywood blue [...] Read more.

Tree-ring blue intensity (BI) has been widely applied for temperature reconstructions in many regions around the globe. However, it remains untested in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) where a large number of ancient trees are distributed. In this study, we developed earlywood blue intensity (EWBI), latewood blue intensity (LWBI), and delta blue intensity (ΔBI) chronologies based on tree-ring samples collected from Abies spectabilis at two sites in the southeastern TP. Our results reveal that the EWBI and ΔBI chronologies correlated negatively with temperature parameters and LWBI chronology correlated positively with temperature parameters, respectively. Among them, the LWBI chronology was identified most suitable for reconstructing the mean temperature in August. A linear regression model was developed for the August temperature reconstruction, which accounts for 34.31% of the observed variance in the period of 1954–2017. The reconstruction, spanning 1789–2017, is highly consistent with other tree-rings based temperature reconstructions from the neighboring regions. Our findings reveal a potential linkage between the August temperature anomaly in the southeastern TP and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), which suggests that the AMO fingerprint in the region is not just evident in winter but also in summer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response of Forests to Climate Change: Tree-Ring Analysis and Wood Anatomy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 9197 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal Changes in Growth–Climate Relationship of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata in Subtropical China

by Hanxue Liang, Zhou Wang, Shaowei Jiang, Cun Zhang and Jianguo Huang

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1502; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091502 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1582

Abstract

Whether the tree growth–climate relationship is consistent in subtropical China has not yet been reported. To fill this gap, we chose Pinus taiwanensis which grow on Lushan Mountain in a subtropical region of China as the target tree species, established a standard tree-ring [...] Read more.

Whether the tree growth–climate relationship is consistent in subtropical China has not yet been reported. To fill this gap, we chose Pinus taiwanensis which grow on Lushan Mountain in a subtropical region of China as the target tree species, established a standard tree-ring width chronology, and conducted a moving correlation analysis with climatic factors. The results showed that the relationship between radial growth of P. taiwanensis and climate changed significantly during 1980–1990. From 1955 to 1985, tree rings were negatively affected mainly by precipitation in September of the current growing season. From 1990 to 2014, however, a significant negative correlation appeared between tree rings and sunshine duration from March to April in the growing season. Our results suggest the need to pay attention to this growth–climate inconsistency when conducting dendroclimatology studies in subtropical China. However, the causes of the inconsistency still require further confirmation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response of Forests to Climate Change: Tree-Ring Analysis and Wood Anatomy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2833 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intra-Annual Growth and Its Response to Climatic Factors of Two Salix Species under Warm Temperate Environment

by Yiping Zhang, Pengfei Luo, Junliang Xu, Jiayu Hou and Lexin Zhai

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091441 - 8 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1567

Abstract

Monitoring cambial activity and intra-annual growth dynamics is an effective method for identifying tree growth response to climate change. However, there have been few pieces of research on intra-annual wood formation of diffuse-porous species under monsoonal warm temperate environment. Here, we monitored weekly [...] Read more.

Monitoring cambial activity and intra-annual growth dynamics is an effective method for identifying tree growth response to climate change. However, there have been few pieces of research on intra-annual wood formation of diffuse-porous species under monsoonal warm temperate environment. Here, we monitored weekly the cambial activity and xylem differentiation of Salix babylonica and Salix matsudana by collecting microcores during the 2018 growing season. Two willow species exhibited similar cambial activity and xylem differentiation processes, of which the onset and cessation of xylem growth was from middle/late March to early/middle November. The onset and cessation of cambial activity were slightly earlier for Salix matsudana (19 March and 12 October) than for Salix babylonica (26 March and 17 October), which peaked on 2 June and 31 May, respectively. Salix babylonica showed wider xylem increment and higher growth rate than that of Salix matsudana, of which the intra-annual xylem width was 8525 ± 1201 µm and 7603 ± 826 µm, respectively, fitted by Gompertz function. Moreover, the maximum growth rate of Salix babylonica and Salix matsudana was 79.75 μm day⁻¹ and 66 μm day⁻¹, respectively, occurring on 4 June (DOY155) and 26 May (DOY146). Both temperature and water availability were important factors influenced the xylem growth for two species, which Salix matsudana had a stronger response to temperature but not to water availability than Salix babylonica. These results suggested that Salix babylonica seem to grow better under moist warm temperate environment due to it being a more conservative response to the climate than Salix babylonica. These observed species-specific differences at the intra-annual scale may help researchers more accurately anticipate the species suitability in temperate forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response of Forests to Climate Change: Tree-Ring Analysis and Wood Anatomy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 4578 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Isolated Trees in Two Tibetan Plateau Treelines Reveal Growth Plasticity to Harsh Conditions of the Little Ice Age

by Jiacheng Zheng, Lixin Lyu and Qibin Zhang

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1371; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091371 - 28 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1638

Abstract

Trees greater than 150 years old growing in the current treelines were most likely isolated tree outposts above previous treelines of the Little Ice Age (LIA). An intuitive question is, how did these isolated trees grow at such a high elevation in the [...] Read more.

Trees greater than 150 years old growing in the current treelines were most likely isolated tree outposts above previous treelines of the Little Ice Age (LIA). An intuitive question is, how did these isolated trees grow at such a high elevation in the cold environment? Here, we tackle this question using tree-ring width data of the Northern Hemisphere’s highest treelines at 4900 m a.s.l. (Basu) and 4680 m a.s.l. (Langkazi) on the Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that an age-related exponential growth trend did not exist in most of the ring-width sequences of the sampled trees. The values of ring widths in the isolated trees had a similar pattern of probability distribution during and after the LIA. The coefficients of variation in ring widths of the isolated trees were significantly greater than those of the non-isolated trees in their common growth period. Synchronicity of annual change in radial growth among trees varied in time. These results indicated that the isolated trees in the LIA developed an adaptive ability to slow down radial growth rate and modulate growth synchronicity among individuals in cold stressful environments. Our study highlights growth plasticity in isolated trees above treelines for coping with harsh conditions in the LIA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response of Forests to Climate Change: Tree-Ring Analysis and Wood Anatomy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 3696 KiB

Open AccessArticle

495-Year Wood Anatomical Record of Siberian Stone Pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) as Climatic Proxy on the Timberline

by Dina F. Zhirnova, Liliana V. Belokopytova, Keshav K. Upadhyay, Shri K. Tripathi, Elena A. Babushkina and Eugene A. Vaganov

Forests 2022, 13(2), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020247 - 6 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2744

Abstract

The application of quantitative wood anatomy (QWA) in dendroclimatic analysis offers deep insight into the climatic effect on tree-ring formation, which is crucial in understanding the forests’ response to climate change. However, interrelations between tree-ring traits should be accounted to separate climatic signals [...] Read more.

The application of quantitative wood anatomy (QWA) in dendroclimatic analysis offers deep insight into the climatic effect on tree-ring formation, which is crucial in understanding the forests’ response to climate change. However, interrelations between tree-ring traits should be accounted to separate climatic signals recorded during subsequent stages of cell differentiation. The study was conducted in the South Siberian alpine timberline on Pinus sibirica Du Tour, a species considered unpromising in dendroclimatology. Relationships between tree-ring width, cell number N, mean and maximum values of radial diameter D, and cell wall thickness (CWT) were quantified to obtain indexed anatomical chronologies. Exponential functions with saturation D(N) and CWT(N) were proposed, which explained 14–69% and 3–61% of their variability, respectively. Indexation unabated significance of the climatic signals but separated them within a season. Analysis of pointer years and climatic extremes revealed predominantly long-term climatogenic changes of P. sibirica radial growth and QWA and allowed to obtain QWA-based 11-year filtered reconstructions of vegetative season climatic characteristics (R²_adj = 0.32–0.66). The revealed prevalence of low-frequency climatic reactions is probably explained by a strategy of slow accumulation and utilization of resources implemented by P. sibirica. It makes this species’ QWA a promising proxy for decadal climatic variations in various intra-seasonal timeframes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response of Forests to Climate Change: Tree-Ring Analysis and Wood Anatomy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2283 KiB

Open AccessArticle

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

by Xiaoxia Huang, Xiaoneng Sun, Yuan Jiang, Feng Xue, Minghao Cui, Shoudong Zhao and Muyi Kang

Forests 2021, 12(11), 1602; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12111602 - 20 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2040

Abstract

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 [...] Read more.

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. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response of Forests to Climate Change: Tree-Ring Analysis and Wood Anatomy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2875 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Comparison of Intra-Annual Xylem and Phloem Formation of Picea crassifolia Stands at Two Latitudes in Northwest China

by Biyun Yu, Xuebin Li, Ping Zhao and Jianguo Huang

Forests 2021, 12(11), 1445; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12111445 - 23 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1940

Abstract

Understanding the changes in xylem and phloem formation of trees and their relationship along latitudes are important for evaluating and predicting how fragile forests may respond to climate change; however, corresponding studies are still relatively scarce. This study investigated the intra-annual dynamics of [...] Read more.

Understanding the changes in xylem and phloem formation of trees and their relationship along latitudes are important for evaluating and predicting how fragile forests may respond to climate change; however, corresponding studies are still relatively scarce. This study investigated the intra-annual dynamics of xylem and phloem formation of Picea crassifolia and their relationship at two latitudes of arid and semi-arid forests in China. The results showed that both xylem and phloem formation varied at different latitudes. Xylem formation at the low-latitude site (Luoshan) started two weeks earlier than that at the high-latitude site (Helanshan) but ended one week later, resulting in an extended growing season at the low-latitude site. Phloem formation preceded cambium activity and xylogenesis at both sites by 24.6 days in Luoshan, which had warmer conditions, and by 17.3 days in Helanshan. In Luoshan, compared to Helanshan, there occurred significantly more enlarging and wall thickening cells, during (relatively wet) June–August, but significantly fewer enlarging and wall thickening cells as well as total xylem cells, during (relatively dry) April–May. Sample trees produced significantly fewer early phloem cells during the early growing season (April–May) in Luoshan, but generated significantly more late phloem cells during the late growing season in Helanshan. Additionally, different trade-offs between xylem and phloem formation were observed at different sites. The longer duration of early phloem formation might have shortened the duration of xylem lignification in Helanshan; in Luoshan, the date that late phloem reached its maximum growth rate was significantly positively correlated with the date when xylem lignification ended. The results revealed the plasticity of xylem and phloem formation under changing environmental conditions and a complex and site-specific relationship between xylem and phloem formation. These findings could help us better understand and predict the future growth of arid and semi-arid forests in China in response to climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response of Forests to Climate Change: Tree-Ring Analysis and Wood Anatomy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2951 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Radial Growth Response of Picea crassifolia to Climatic Conditions in a Dryland Forest Ecosystem in Northwest China

by Hanxue Liang, Shaowei Jiang, Ali Muhammad, Jian Kang, Huoxing Zhu, Xuebin Li, Lin Chen, Liangjun Zhu and Jian-Guo Huang

Forests 2021, 12(10), 1382; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12101382 - 11 Oct 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2397

Abstract

As an important barrier against desert invasion in Northwest China, Helan Mountains (HL), Luoshan Mountains (LS) and their natural forests have an extremely important ecological status. It is of great significance to study the relationship between forest growth and climate in this region [...] Read more.

As an important barrier against desert invasion in Northwest China, Helan Mountains (HL), Luoshan Mountains (LS) and their natural forests have an extremely important ecological status. It is of great significance to study the relationship between forest growth and climate in this region under the background of global change. At present, relevant research mostly focuses on the Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.), and little is known about how Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia Kom.) responds to climate change. To investigate the potential relationships between radial growth of P. crassifolia and climatic conditions in Ningxia, China, we collected tree-ring samples from P. crassifolia growing in the HL and LS and then established the standard tree-ring width chronologies for the two sites. Correlation analysis together with multivariate linear regression and relative contribution analyses were used, and results showed that radial growth in the HL was determined by the precipitation in the previous September, by the standardized evapotranspiration index (SPEI) in the current March and June, and by the maximum air temperature in the current September. The maximum air temperature in the current September contributed the most (0.348) to the radial growth in the HL. In the LS, radial growth was determined by the precipitation in the previous September and in the current March and by the minimum air temperature in the current July. The factor that made the most contribution was the precipitation in the current March (0.489). Our results suggested that in the wetting and warming future, growth of P. crassifolia in the HL will increase while that in the LS needs further investigation. Our results also provide a basis for predicting how P. crassifolia in northwest China will grow under the background of future climate change and provide a reference for formulating relevant management measures to achieve ecological protection and sustainable development policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response of Forests to Climate Change: Tree-Ring Analysis and Wood Anatomy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Response of Forests to Climate Change: Tree-Ring Analysis and Wood Anatomy

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI