The increasing drought sensitivity of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is evident in the last two decades

Abstract

Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is still counted among drought-tolerant tree species. However, its ability to cope with the recent extremely dry period has not yet been sufficiently studied. The objective of research was to analyse differences in the climate-growth response between silver fir, Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) growing in areas with large-scale disintegration of spruce stands. In 2019–2021, the increment cores were sampled at 16 sites along the altitudinal gradient of 340–775 m a.s.l. in different regions of the Czech Republic affected by bark beetle outbreak. The radial growth pattern of fir was compared with that of spruce or larch growing under the same site conditions. In fir, the missing rings were frequently recorded during the period of peak SO2 pollution load in 1966–1985, but they were rarely identified in recent years. In spruce and larch, missing rings were less common and occurred mainly in the recent dry period after 2015. Fir was less sensitive to summer drought compared to larch and especially to spruce, which showed high sensitivity to summer drought regardless of the altitude. The significant positive response of fir to summer precipitation was recorded at sites up to 450 m a.s.l., however, its sensitivity to drought has increased in the last two decades. Hence, when considering the wider use of fir, it is necessary to respect its ecological requirements as much as possible in order to preserve its vitality and production potential in changing climatic conditions.