Abstract
Ongoing climate variability strongly affects high-elevation forests, influencing the wood formation process (e.g., xylogenesis). Furthermore, spatio-temporal studies to establish links of wood properties and tree performance are needed. Using linear mixed-effects models, empirical cumulative distribution functions, and spatial analysis, we explore time trends and space connections of wood density of Pinus hartwegii Lindl. to remotely sensed variables (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer MODIS-derived) in two high-elevation forests in México, Tláloc (TLA) and Jocotitlán (JOC) Mountains. Results indicated that elevation and cambial age effects are important factors explaining wood density variation. Minimum earlywood—MID, average—AVE, and maximum latewood density—MXD were statistically similar between mountains (p > 0.05), but TLA showed a significant increase in MID over time with higher values after 1950. Wood density values and spatial correlations were site-dependent with TLA exhibiting the highest correlations between MXD and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of the spring season (r = 0.59, p < 0.05). Overall, correlations to remotely sensed information were positive with MXD, negative for MID and divergent for AVE. Historical temperature defines MID along the elevation gradient, while MXD was related to soil moisture only at low-elevation sites where soils are deeper. We found that two high-elevation forests, 115 km away from each other, with similar climate, soil, and vegetation, behaved differently regarding their xylogenesis, indicating the potential of using the link between wood micro-density and remotely sensed information to understand forest response to climate change effects.
Highlights
IntroductionWood micro-density (hereinafter named wood density) is linked to the water and nutrient transport processes, plant mechanical support and in the long-term is related to the carbon-storing capacity of trees [1,2]
Wood micro-density is linked to the water and nutrient transport processes, plant mechanical support and in the long-term is related to the carbon-storing capacity of trees [1,2]
With few exceptions, tree-ring density and remote sensed properties have been studied parallel [21,40,41]. Addressing this knowledge gap, we studied trends of minimum earlywood density (MID), average wood density (AVE), and maximum latewood density (MXD)
Summary
Wood micro-density (hereinafter named wood density) is linked to the water and nutrient transport processes, plant mechanical support and in the long-term is related to the carbon-storing capacity of trees [1,2]. Climate change is a complex process that results from the alteration of the chemistry of the atmosphere and the global balance of energy, resulting in elevated temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events [14,15] In this context, given that high-elevation forests are climate-sensitive ecosystems [16,17], they are suitable to monitor climate change effects since they experience more rapid changes in temperature than low-elevation sites [18,19]. Given that high-elevation forests are climate-sensitive ecosystems [16,17], they are suitable to monitor climate change effects since they experience more rapid changes in temperature than low-elevation sites [18,19] It is expected trees growing in the tree-line zone modulate wood formation process to climate constraints, securing water transport and physical support while balancing the trade-offs for transpiration and photosynthesis [20]. We postulate that seasonal indices of canopy activity explain the variation of wood density in tree rings
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