Radial growth change of temperate tree species in response to altered regional climate and air quality in the period 1901–2008

• Published in: Climatic change Vol. 115; no. 2; pp. 343 - 363
• Main Authors: Kint, Vincent, Aertsen, Wim, Campioli, Matteo, Vansteenkiste, Dries, Delcloo, Andy, Muys, Bart
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.11.2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 20th century; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Atmospheric Sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Climate change; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humidity; Outdoor air quality; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Pinus sylvestris; Plant growth; Plant populations; Productivity; Terrestrial environment, soil, air; Time series; Trees; Trends; Belgium; Europe; Belgium, Flanders; Growth Variability; Planetary Boundary Layer; Growth Change; Basal Area Increment; Growth Decline; Climate; Fagus; Growth; Interspecific comparison; Forest tree; Environmental factor; Pinus; Fagaceae; Modeling; Century 20th; Quercus; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Gymnospermae; Air pollution; Coniferales; Spermatophyta; Environmental monitoring
• ISSN: 0165-0009; 1573-1480
• DOI: 10.1007/s10584-012-0465-x

Both increasing and decreasing 20th century growth trends have been reported in forests throughout Europe, but only for few species and areas suitable modelling techniques have been used to distinguish individual tree growth (operating on a local scale) from growth change due to exogenous factors (operating on a broad geographical scale). This study relates for the first time observed growth changes, in terms of basal area increment (BAI) of dominant trees of pedunculate oak, common beech and Scots pine, in north-west European temperate lowland forests (Flanders) to climate, atmospheric CO 2 and tropospheric O 3 concentrations, N deposition, site quality and forest structure for more than a century (the period 1901–2008), applying mixed models. Growth change during the 20th century is observed for oak (increasing growth) and beech (increasing growth until the 1960s, growth decline afterwards), but not for pine. It was possible to relate growth change of oak and beech to climate time series and N deposition trends. Adding time series for CO 2 and O 3 concentration did not significantly improve model results. For oak and beech a switch from positive to negative growth response with increasing nitrogen deposition throughout time is observed. Growth increase for oak is mainly determined by the interaction between growing season temperature and soil water recharge. It is reasonable to assume that the observed growth trend for oak will continue for as long as early season water availability is not compromised. The decreasing trend in summer relative air humidity observed since the 1960s in the study area can be a main cause of recent beech BAI decrease. A further growth decline of beech can be expected, independent of site quality.