Abstract
It is generally assumed that tree growth in the upper limit of a forest is mainly controlled by summer temperature. This general statement is mostly based on studies from extra-tropical mountains and has been rarely evaluated in subtropical latitudes frequently characterized by drier climates. In the subtropical mountains from Northwestern Argentina (∼23° S), annual precipitation decreases with elevation from >1500 mm at 1200– 1500 m, to <200 mm above 4000 m. In consequence, tree growth at high elevations in the region may be seriously limited by water supply. In order to assess the influence of precipitation on tree growth, we evaluated the relationships between climatic variations and radial growth in four species growing at different altitudinal zones: Juglans australis from the montane cloud forest at 1800 m; Alnus acuminata from the montane savanna-like woodland at 2700 m; Prosopis ferox from the subalpine dryland at 3500 m; and Polylepis tarapacana from the high-elevation alpine dryland at 4750 m. D...
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