Login Register
 
Home Accepted Papers
Response of tree ring width to recent climate change, south slope of Altai Mountains
Paper ID : 1017-ADA2013
Authors:
Shang Huaming *1, Yuan Yujiang2
144# Jianguo Road， Tianshan District Urumqi, Xinjiang China 830002
246# Jianguo Road, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China 830002
Abstract:
In cold and mid-to-high latitudes area, evidence for reduced sensitivity of tree growth to increasing temperature has been reported from multiple forests under the global warming background. This phenomenon, known as the “divergence problem” (DP), described the incapacity of temperature-sensitive tree-ring width to track increasing instrumental temperature measurements since the mid-20th century. Did the divergence response phenomena exist in the south slope of Altai Mountains where the tree ring width at upper tree line was significantly positive relative to mean June temperature? The time span of meteorological data from Katongkalagai of northeastern Kazakhstan is more than 70 years, much longer than that of western China, which benefited the testing for DP at the south slope of Altai Mountains. In autumn 2007, we took tree ring samples of Larix sibirica Ledeb. with increment borer at the south slope of Altai Mountains, north eastern Kazakhstan. The tree ring width series were detrended with negative exponent function and three tree ring width chronologies were developed by Arstan. Based on the meteorological data from Katongkalagai weather station, we analyzed the change trends of precipitation and temperature since 1932. The annual precipitation of Katongkalagai has decreased by the decreasing rate of 8.3mm•(10a)-1, the increase could not reach the 95% confidence level. However, the annual mean temperature of Katongkalagai has increased significantly since 1932 by the increasing rate of 0.208℃•(10a)-1, and winter temperature has increased fastest by the increasing rate of 0.348℃•(10a)-1). It coincided with that warming in winter is the uppermost contributor to global warming. Correlation analysis on tree ring width and monthly precipitation and temperature of Katongkalagai from last September to September showed that tree ring width was positive relative to mean June temperature significantly with the coefficient over 0.60. The relationship was significant in plant physiology. Such relationship between ring width and temperature also exists at the north slope and upper tree line at the south slope of Altai Mountains. The running correlation analysis between 31a mean June temperature and tree ring width standardized chronology showed that, with the increase of mean June temperature, the correlation coefficient decrease slightly. The coefficient is the highest at the lower temperature stage before 1960s. In general, tree ring width responded stably to mean June temperature. There is no obvious “divergence response” in the south slope of Altai Mountains. The temperature increasing rate in summer is lower and the mean June temperature at sampling site lower than the domain of growth of Larix sibirica Ledeb., which causes the stable responding. However, the response of tree ring width to temperature would change under the continuing warming and drying. The year of 1992 is an abnormal response year. It was uncertain that whether it is relative to Pinatubo volcano eruption.
Keywords:
Kazakhstan；Altai Mountains；Larix sibirica Ledeb.；tree ring；divergence response
Status : Abstract Accepted