Moisture-Limited Tree Growth for a Subtropical Himalayan Conifer Forest in Western Nepal

Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.) is a common tree species with ecological and economic importance across the subtropical forests of the central Himalayas. However, little is known about its growth response to the recent warming and drying trends observed in this region. Here, we developed a 268-ye...

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Published inForests Vol. 9; no. 6; p. 340
Main Authors Sigdel, Shalik, Dawadi, Binod, Camarero, J., Liang, Eryuan, Leavitt, Steven
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.06.2018
Subjects
central Himalayas
Chronology
Climate change
Coniferous forests
Coniferous trees
dendrochronology
Dieback
Drought
Drying
Economic importance
Evapotranspiration
Forest growth
Forests
Pine
Pine trees
Pinus roxburghii
pre-monsoon season
Precipitation
Rainfall
Software
Studies
subtropical forest
Synchronism
Synchronization
Trends
Tropical forests
western Nepal
Wind
Winter
Beijing China
Tibetan Plateau
China
Nepal
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Summary:Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.) is a common tree species with ecological and economic importance across the subtropical forests of the central Himalayas. However, little is known about its growth response to the recent warming and drying trends observed in this region. Here, we developed a 268-year-long ring-width chronology (1743–2010) from western Nepal to investigate its growth response to climate. Based on nearby available meteorological records, growth was positively correlated with winter (November to February; r = 0.39, p < 0.05) as well as March to April (r = 0.67, p < 0.001) precipitation. Growth also showed a strong positive correlation with the sum of precipitation from November of the previous year to April of the current year (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). In contrast, a negative relationship with the mean temperature in March to April (r = −0.48, p < 0.05) suggests the influence of warming-induced evapotranspiration on tree growth. Spring droughts lasting 4–6 months constrain Chir pine growth. These results are supported by the synchronization between droughts and very narrow or locally missing rings. Warming and drying tendencies during winter and spring will reduce forest growth and resilience and make Chir pine forests more vulnerable and at higher risk of growth decline and dieback.
ISSN:1999-4907
1999-4907
DOI:10.3390/f9060340