Abstract
Climate warming has been detected and tree growth is sensitive to climate change in Northwestern Yunnan Plateau. Abies georgei is the main component of subalpine forest in the area. In this study, A. georgei ring width chronologies were constructed at four sites ranging from 3300 to 4150 m a.s.l. in Haba Snow Mountain, Southeastern edge of Tibetan Plateau. We analyzed the relationship between four constructed chronologies and climatic variables (monthly minimum temperature, monthly mean temperature, monthly maximum temperature, monthly total precipitation, the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index, and monthly relative humidity) by using response function analysis, moving interval analysis, and redundancy analysis. Overall, the growth of A. georgei was positively affected by common climatic factors (winter moisture conditions, autumn temperature, and previous autumn precipitation). At low and middle-low sites, May moisture condition and previous December precipitation controlled its radial growth with positive correlations. At middle-high and high sites, previous November temperature was the key factor affecting tree growth. The result of moving interval analysis was consistent with correlation analyses, particularly for May moisture at low altitudes.
Highlights
Effects of climate change on forest ecosystems have been widely concerned [1,2,3], for those forests at high altitudes where trees are more susceptible to climate warming [4,5]
0.90, mean indicating that the nothigher show aexpressed clear trendpopulation along the altitudinal gradient, all above had higher sensitivity chronologies had aexpressed high quality and could represent the characteristics of tree-ring width (MS) and higher population signal (EPS) with a value above 0.90, indicating inthat thethe area, and that they could be used in this dendrochronological study
Tree-ring chrochronologies had a high quality and could represent the characteristics of tree-ring nologies from adjacent sites showed significant and positive correlations over the comwidth in the area, and that they could be used in this dendrochronological study
Summary
Effects of climate change on forest ecosystems have been widely concerned [1,2,3], for those forests at high altitudes where trees are more susceptible to climate warming [4,5]. It is generally believed that the radial growth is mainly affected by temperature in high altitudinal areas, while moisture conditions control tree growth at low altitudes [14,15]. Due to the difference in the rate of climate change along the altitudinal gradient, this rule is not applicable in all cases [16,17], some research has showed that the same tree species respond consistently to climate variables at different altitudes [17]. Studying climategrowth relations across species distributional range could help to learn how tree growth responds to climates in an area, and to better understand forest dynamics and formulate proper management strategies under climate change scenarios
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