| Climatic response of three tree species growing at different elevations in the Lüliang Mountains of Northern China |
| Paper ID : 1058-ADA2013 |
| Authors: |
|
Qiuang Cai *1, Yu Liu2 110 Fenghui South Road,Xi'an High-Tech Zone, Xi'an, 710075 ,China 210 Fenghui South Road,Xi'an High-Tech Zone, Xi'an |
| Abstract: |
| Dendroclimatological studies in China have made great progress since the 1990s, especially in the Tibetan Plateau and in the arid to semi-arid regions of Northern China. Most of these studies have only involved single tree species in specific locations to investigate the past climate variability. In this study, we present the results of a dendroclimatological investigation of three coniferous tree species, Larix principis-rupprechtii, Picea meyeri and Pinus tabulaeformis, growing along an altitudinal gradient at the Lüliang Mountains in Northern China. Totally five tree-ring width chronologies were developed to explore the climate-growth responses of these tree species. No obviously regular trend associated with the increase of elevation was found by comparing the statistical characteristics of the chronologies. Correlation analysis indicated that the chronologies from lowest to middle-high sites (SZ, BWD, BDGL and BDGP, respectively) were highly correlated, and different species from the same site showed the highest correlation. Growth-climate analysis indicated that the chronology of Larix principis-rupprechti at the uppermost site near the tree line (XWS) did not exhibit a significant response to the seasonal climatic factors, whereas the other four lower chronologies were consistently and significantly influenced by both the mean temperature from May to July and the total precipitation from March to June, regardless of tree species and elevation. The similarity of the tree growth-climate relationships of different species growing at different elevations (except that from the tree line) suggests that the trees in this region can provide common regional climate information, and combinations of multiple species (RC) are more successful in reconstructing the climate data than single species. The results of this research are very crucial for the future forest management and dendroclimatological sampling strategy in the arid to semi-arid area of northern China. |
| Keywords: |
| Larix principis-rupprechtii; Picea meyeri; Pinus tabulaeformis; different elevation; tree-ring width; climatic response; multi-species reconstruction |
| Status : Abstract Accepted |
© 2010 - 2024 All Rights Reserved. Powered by sinaweb.