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Climate Warming Alters Age-Dependent Growth Sensitivity to Temperature in Eurasian Alpine Treelines
- Source :
- Forests, Volume 9, Issue 11, Forests, Vol 9, Iss 11, p 688 (2018), Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC, instname
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2018.
-
Abstract
- Treeline ecotones are considered early-warning monitors of the effects of climate warming on terrestrial ecosystems, but it is still unclear how tree growth at treeline will track the forecasted temperature rise in these cold environments. Here, we address this issue by analysing and projecting growth responses to climate on two different cold-limited alpine treelines: Pinus uncinata Ram. in the Spanish Pyrenees and Larix sibirica Ledeb. in the Russian Polar Urals. We assess radial-growth changes as a function of tree age and long-term climate variability using dendrochronology and a process-based model of tree growth. Climate‒growth relationships were compared considering young (age &lt<br />50 years) and old trees (age &gt<br />75 years) separately. Warm summer conditions enhanced radial growth, particularly after the 1980s, in the Polar Urals sites, whereas growth was positively related to warm spring and winter conditions in the Pyrenees sites. These associations were stronger in young than in old trees for both tree species and regions. Forecasted warm conditions are expected to enhance growth rates in both regions, while the growing season is forecasted to lengthen in the Pyrenees treelines, mostly in young trees. The observed age-related responses to temperature also depend on the forecasted warming rates. Although the temperature sensitivity is overall increasing for young trees, those responses seem more divergent, or even reversed, throughout the contrasting emission scenarios. The RCP 8.5 emission scenario corresponding to the most pronounced warming and drier conditions (+4.8 &deg<br />C) could also amplify drought stress in young trees from the Pyrenees treelines. Our modelling approach provides accessible tools to evaluate functional thresholds for tree growth in treeline ecotones under warmer conditions.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
dendroecology
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Growing season
Age dependent
01 natural sciences
Dendroecology
emission scenarios
Pinus uncinata
Dendrochronology
growth modelling
treeline ecotone
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
biology
Global warming
Forestry
lcsh:QK900-989
Ecotone
biology.organism_classification
Larix sibirica
Vaganov–Shashkin-Lite model
Growth modelling
Emission scenarios
lcsh:Plant ecology
Environmental science
Terrestrial ecosystem
Physical geography
Treeline ecotone
Tree species
010606 plant biology & botany
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19994907
- Volume :
- 9
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Forests
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....7ec7c34593139578a4758fd9b74c74d4