Abstract
Studying the capacity of some plant species to adapt to climate change is essential for ecological research and agricultural policy development. Chinese Torreya (Torreya grandis ‘Merrillii’) has been an important crop tree in subtropical China for over a thousand years. It is necessary to characterize its adaptation to climate change. In this study, the average monthly temperature and precipitation from 1901 to 2017 in the six regions with Chinese Torreya plantations at different provinces were analyzed. The results indicated that the average annual air temperature across these regions had increased by about 2.0 °C, but no general trend in the annual precipitation and incidence of drought was found. The annual air temperature that Chinese Torreya plantations had experienced was 12.96–18.23 °C; the highest and the lowest average monthly air temperatures were 30.1 °C and −0.8 °C, respectively. The lowest and the highest annual precipitation were 874.56 mm and 2501.88 mm, respectively. Chinese Torreya trees endured a severe drought period in the 1920s. The monthly air temperature at Zhuji, which is the central production region, showed a significant correlation with the air temperature in the other five regions. The monthly precipitation in Hunan and Guizhou had no significant correlation with that of Zhuji. Chinese Torreya plantations have been grown in the regions with a similar climate distance index of air temperatures but different precipitation. This tree has a high capacity to adapt to climate change based on the climate dynamics across its range. This approach may provide a way to evaluate climate adaptation in other tree species. These results may provide helpful information for the development of Chinese Torreya plantations.
Highlights
Climate is considered to be the primary limiting factor for the range limits of species [1,2], such as the distribution of forests and trees
The average annual air temperature across these regions increased by 2.0 ◦ C from the 1900s to the 2010s
There was no general trend in the annual precipitation across all of the regions (Figure 3)
Summary
Climate is considered to be the primary limiting factor for the range limits of species [1,2], such as the distribution of forests and trees. Considerable attention has been paid to the prediction of the future distribution of trees and forests using bio-climate envelope models. The assumptions behind these models include that (i) climate and environmental conditions are the primary factors of a realized tree species niche, and (ii) climate and tree species or forest distribution are at an equilibrium [3], which means that there are strong associations between climate and species range. Spatial climate variations among test sites are used to substitute
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
