Ecological interpretation of tree-ring width and intraannual density fluctuations in Pinus sylvestris on dry sites in the central Alps and Siberia

• Published in: Canadian journal of forest research Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 18 - 31
• Main Authors: Rigling, Andreas, Waldner, Philipp O, Forster, Theodor, Bräker, Otto U, Pouttu, Antti
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa, Canada NRC Research Press 01.01.2001; National Research Council of Canada; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agricultural and forest meteorology; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Climate variability; Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change; Cold springs; Dendrometry. Forest inventory; Drought; Dunes; Earth, ocean, space; Evergreen trees; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Fluctuations; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities, techniques; Generalities. Techniques. Climatology. Meteorology. Climatic models of plant production; Growing season; Meteorology; Pine trees; Pines; Pinus sylvestris; R&D; Research & development; Rocks; Russia; Switzerland; Synecology; Terrestrial ecosystems; Alps; Eurasia; Switzerland; Europe; Siberia; Russia; Site; Climatology; Dendroclimatology; Diameter increment; Environmental factor; Forest soil; Physical environment; Pinus sylvestris; Dendrochronology; Density; Climatic condition; Mountain; Seasonal variation; Softwood forest tree; Gymnospermae; Taiga; Width; Data analysis; Fluctuations; Ecology; Interpretation; Statistical study; Bioclimatology; Tree ring; Regional study; Forestry; Coniferales; Spermatophyta; Soil plant relation; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0045-5067; 1208-6037
• DOI: 10.1139/x00-126

The radial growth of Pinus sylvestris L. from nine sites at the semiarid lower forest border of the central Alps (Switzerland) and central Siberia (Russia) has been investigated using dendroecological methods. Tree growth differed according to soil substrate, with trees on dune sites showing lower mean ring widths, lower mean sensitivities, and higher autocorrelation. The relationships between climate and tree-ring width were studied using response function analysis. Independent of the climatic zone and the soil substrate, precipitation just before and at the beginning of the growing season is positively correlated with radial growth. The climatic response of dune sites is low, possibly because of the poor water-holding capacity and the high permeability of the sandy soils. Intraannual density fluctuations (IADFs) were observed at all the sites. Most IADFs were found in latewood. On dunes, fewer cores contain IADFs, and their frequency is lower. All stands showed significant relationships between IADF frequency and tree-ring width (positive) and ring age (negative). For Swiss sites, moist-cool conditions in the middle of the growing season are demonstrated as the triggering factor for IADFs. For the Russian sites, inadequate climatic data made it impossible to demonstrate any climate dependence of IADFs.