The altitudinal variability and temporal instability of the climate–tree-ring growth relationships for Changbai larch (Larix olgensis Henry) in the Changbai mountains area, Jilin, Northeastern China

Abstract

We investigated the variability of the relationships between climate and tree-ring growth along an altitudinal gradient and the temporal instability of the relationships under warming for Changbai larch ( Larix olgensis Henry) in northeast of China. Growth response of trees to climate has been found to vary with elevation, but their relationships might also be altered with ongoing global climate change. We developed residual chronologies of tree-ring growth parameters at three sites to investigate variability of the interactions between climate and tree-ring growth for Changbai larch (Larix olgensis Henry) along an altitudinal gradient on the northern slopes of the Changbai Mountains area in Northeastern China. The results indicate that temperature and precipitation are linked differently to the formation of the annual ring width of Changbai larch at different elevations. Tree-ring density of Changbai larch is mainly positively associated with temperature while negatively responding to precipitation. The relationships between temperature and tree-ring growth became unstable, however, after the notable warming of the late 1980s in the study area. Tree-ring width decreased at low elevation under drought stress, whereas showed more positive sensitivity to warming at higher altitudes. We found that the tree-ring density relationship with temperature also became unstable under the rising temperature regime. These findings could be applied in simulating tree-ring growth and forest distribution under various climatic and environmental scenarios.