Abstract
The long-lived pioneer species Pericopsis elata is one of the rare tropical timbers on the list of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, supporting the need for accurate and reliable growth data. In one planted and one natural forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, respectively four and 37 Pericopsis stem disks were collected. The tree-ring series of planted trees were used to confirm annual tree-ring formation. For the natural forest, a tree-ring chronology with 24 stem disks ranged from 1852 up to 2008. This chronology was compared with time-series of local precipitation, resulting in a significant correlation with the second half of the rainy season (September–November). This seasonal precipitation was related with sea surface temperatures of the West Indian Ocean. Higher precipitation during El Niño years corresponded with higher tree-ring indices but differences were not significant. In addition, pointer years were rare and did not have a consistent link with extreme climatic conditions. The existence of annual tree rings encourages further tree-ring analyses of P. elata and other flagship timber species in order to further document climate-growth responses and to provide the long-term framework that is needed for sustainable management planning.
Highlights
The advantages of tree-ring analyses are well known and multifold
Dendrometer studies in combination with monthly microcores are recommended to study in further detail the link between wood formation and precipitation
Using planted trees and successful crossdating proved the dendrochronological potential of P. elata
Summary
The advantages of tree-ring analyses are well known and multifold. Tree rings provide growth data from the past up to the present [1], enable the exact dating of growth and/or climatic events [2,3] and aid in reconstructing climatic time-series beyond the age of instrumental registration [4,5]. Tree-ring series are used to calculate logging parameters and productivity [6] as well as to estimate growth of carbon stocks [7,8]. Tree-ring analysis in combination with sound inventory data and density measurements could provide a complete toolbox for estimating sustainable yield, biomass growth, and forest management at the long term [9]. If tree-ring research in the tropics were to be separated into two types, the first type deals with general “qualitative” studies on the potential of tree-ring analysis of one or several species within one region [12,13] whereas the second type considers detailed “quantitative” studies on a small number of well-known tree species like Tectona grandis L.f. [14,15] and Cedrela odorata L. [16,17,18]
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