Blue intensity from a tropical conifer’s annual rings for climate reconstruction: An ecophysiological perspective

We developed Blue Intensity (BI) measurements from the crossdated ring sequences of Fokienia hodginsii (of the family Cupressaceae) from central Vietnam. BI has been utilized primarily as an indirect proxy measurement of latewood (LW) density of conifers (i.e., LWBI) from high latitude, temperature-limited boreal forests. As such, BI closely approximates maximum latewood density (MXD) measurements made from soft x-ray. The less commonly used earlywood (EW) BI (EWBI) represents the minimum density of EW and is influenced by the lighter pixels from the vacuoles or lumens of cells. The correlation of our BI measurements with climate, strongest for EWBI, rivals that for total ring width (RW), and we demonstrate that it can be successfully employed as an independent predictor for reconstruction models. EWBI exhibits robust spatial correlations with winter and spring land temperature, sea surface temperature (SST) over the regional domain of ENSO, and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) over Indochina. However, in order to mitigate the effects of color changes at the heartwood – sapwood boundary we calculated ΔBI (EWBI-LWBI), and it too exhibits a significant (p < 0.05), temporally stable response to prior autumn (Oct-Nov) rainfall and winter (December to April) dry season temperature. We interpret this response as reflecting a potential cavitation defense by reducing lumen diameter as a means to safeguard hydraulic conductivity in the stem, and to prevent the xylem from imploding due to negative pressure. This study has wide implications for the further use of BI from the global tropics, though it is unclear how many tropical tree species will be appropriate for use. It seems very likely that other wood anatomical measurements can be combined with BI and RW for climate reconstruction.     

Microdensitometric records from humid subtropical China show distinct climate signals in earlywood and latewood

Blue intensity (BI) from tree rings is a technique that has been widely explored for temperature reconstruction purposes in middle and high latitudes. However, it is still rather untested at lower latitudes and in drier climates, particularly in subtropical areas. Here, we develop the first series of BI-based tree-ring parameters (earlywood BI, EWBI; latewood BI, LWBI and ΔBI, the difference between LWBI and EWBI) in humid subtropical China from the species Pinus massiniana. Although the BI parameters have weaker inter-series correlations than do ring widths, they are generally better correlated with climate parameters. Our study shows a positive temperature response in the EWBI parameter and negative responses in the LWBI and ΔBI parameters. Interestingly, the correlation pattern is almost the opposite of that observed at high latitudes, where there is a pronounced positive sensitivity of the LWBI/ΔBI/MXBI parameters to temperature.We find the EWBI to be the most robust parameter for reconstruction purposes. The positive March–May average temperature signal of EWBI is stable across frequencies and shows consistent interdecadal variations with other temperature proxy series from the region. The compilation of new tree-ring records using the BI technique will ultimately support our understanding of climate history. For this reason, we encourage similar attempts to push the boundaries of the BI technique even further.     

An investigation of the snowpack signal in moisture-sensitive trees from the Southern Canadian Cordillera

Variations in mountain snowpack in the western Canadian Cordillera have widespread and important impacts on ecosystems, environmental processes and socio-economic activities (e.g. water availability downstream). Historical records of snowpack generally span only the latter half of the 20th century offering a limited perspective on the causes and uniqueness of recently observed changes across the region. This paper explores the potential utility of a network of low elevation Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) tree ring-width chronologies to reconstruct past snowpack variations. Correlation coefficients between the tree-ring chronologies and a set of snow water equivalent (SWE) records are calculated and mapped. Separate analyses were carried out for total ring- width (TRW) and partial-ring measurements (earlywood and latewood; EW and LW). A set of Adjusted LW chronologies was also developed; in these, the relationship between LW and the preceding EW width has been removed. The ring-width chronologies exhibit moderately strong relationships with SWE records from the western Canadian Cordillera and these relationships vary in sign across the region. Distinctive regional groups are identified where chronologies exhibit same-sign correlations with SWE, in possible accordance with the elevation and characteristics of the tree-ring chronology sample sites. The EW chronologies correlate more strongly and consistently with SWE records in regions where the growth relationship with SWE is negative. The LW chronologies, and particularly the Adjusted LW chronologies, exhibit a greater number of positive correlations with the set of SWE records. Collectively these results offer valuable insights for developing a targeted sampling and/or reconstruction strategy that can exploit these different relationships with SWE to generate more robust estimates of pre-instrumental snowpack for the region.     

樟子松树轮δ13C的年内变化特征及其对气候要素的响应

对大兴安岭北部两株樟子松(Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica)树轮样品的年内稳定碳同位素比率(δ13C)进行测定,结果表明:樟子松树轮年内δ13C值在不同生长阶段总体表现出每年生长季中期最高、早期次之、晚期最低的变化特征.δ13C的年内变化趋势在幼龄期至速生期变化剧烈,成熟期至衰老期相对平缓.从幼龄期至衰老期的整个生长阶段,同时期年内δ13C的变动幅度基本为晚材大于早材.幼龄期年内晚材的δ13C一直明显高于早材,而成熟期年内早晚材δ13C的差别逐渐减小,至衰老期年内晚材δ13C已低于早材且无显著差别.树轮δ13C的年内变化主要体现在生长季中后期,即早晚材之间的过渡段至晚材.年内不同时段的d13C序列与同时段的宽度去除生长趋势序列(去趋势序列)之间的相关性随生长季节的推移而逐渐降低.当年早材宽度与前一年晚材宽度显著正相关,当年早材δ13C序列与前一年晚材宽度和当年早材宽度的去趋势合并序列呈现较显著的负相关性,与前一年晚材δ13C序列或宽度去趋势序列之间均未表现出显著的相关性.分析结果表明:早材的形成很可能来源于前一年光合作用的产物,在利用树轮年内不同材质宽度或δ13C序列进行气候环境重建时需要考虑这一点.年内早材、过渡段和晚材三个时段的δ13C分别对应于4月下旬至6月中旬土壤湿度较大、温度上升较快的时期,6月下旬至7月中旬降水增加、温度达到最高而相对湿度降低的时期,以及7月下旬至9月中旬降水增加、温度下降而相对湿度较大的时期.     

Characteristics of a multi-species conifer network of wood properties chronologies from Southern Australia

Progress in quantitative wood anatomy has resulted in a growing number of increasingly understood proxies from the tree-ring archive. Much of this work has been based on tree species in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we present and examine a relatively dense network of wood property chronologies (wood density, tracheid radial diameter, cell wall thickness and ring width) from several species in Tasmania, southern Australia. We ask how the relationships amongst the different types of chronologies differ within and amongst species. We also consider how each chronology responds to monthly climate. In general terms, and similar to findings in the Northern Hemisphere, relationships between the various wood properties and climate are stronger than those between climate and ring width chronologies. An important exception to this is the highest elevation Lagarostrobos franklinii site. Additionally, strongest response to climate for the wood properties generally occurs for the concurrent growing season compared to the prior growing season for ring width. Relationships amongst the various chronology types differ for the various species, with L. franklinii also showing some variation in these relationships by site (possibly associated with elevation). Results suggest there is considerable value in further exploring the potential for developing anatomical wood chronologies for climate reconstruction from other species for which ring widths do not exhibit a strong climate signal.     

中国北部不同地点樟子松人工林径向生长对气候响应的差异

通过树木年代学方法,测定了毛乌素和塞罕坝相同密度樟子松(Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica)全木(Ringwood,RW)、早材(Earlywood,EW)和晚材(Latewood,LW)宽度,计算胸高断面积增量(Basal area increment,BAI),并建立了樟子松年轮宽度年表,分析其对气候响应的差异。结果显示,毛乌素(Mu Us)樟子松轮宽随树龄呈"升-降"的曲线变化,塞罕坝(Saihanba)呈线性下降,两地樟子松BAI变化相似,呈"升-降"的曲线变化,EW占RW的65%—70%,表明EW对RW贡献较大。生长期间,毛乌素樟子松早晚材比例保持平稳,塞罕坝EW/RW值下降,LW/RW值上升,两地干旱事件均使LW/RW值下降,EW/RW值上升。差值年表(Residual chronology,RES)相关性分析显示,毛乌素樟子松径向生长主要与4、7月平均降雨,7月标准化降水蒸散发指数(Standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index,SPEI),3、8月平均温度及上年12月和当年3月最低温度呈正相关关系,与上年11月和当年6月最高温度呈负相关关系。塞罕坝樟子松径向生长主要与7、8月平均降雨、SPEI和最低温度呈正相关关系,与当年3、5月最高温度呈负相关关系。结构方程模型表明,毛乌素年平均温度和年SPEI对樟子松RW产生极显著负效应,年平均降雨对RW产生显著正效应,年平均降雨对EW产生极显著正效应,年最低温度和年平均温度分别对LW产生极显著正/负效应。塞罕坝樟子松径向生长对其年气象因子响应与毛乌素相似,但有部分差别,塞罕坝年平均降雨对LW产生极显著负效应,但对EW未达到显著性水平,且年SPEI对塞罕坝樟子松RW和EW产生的干旱胁迫效应明显小于毛乌素。     

The potential of intra-annual density information for crossdating of short tree-ring series

The crossdating of tree-ring series is typically based on tree-ring width sequences, which is a crude abstraction of the growth signal stored in tree rings. In contrast, intra-annual wood density data allows a much more detailed comparison of wood growth processes and new measurement techniques scale well to measure large amounts of samples. Thus, chronologies of intra-annual densitometric curves can be built. Here, we investigate to what extent intra-annual wood density information can improve crossdating. We evaluate different approaches on a data set of Norway spruce trees (Picea abies) and compare the results to standard methods that are based on ring width or maximum density. Our results show that intra-annual densitometric data indeed increases crossdating success rate notably for short tree ring series that cover less than 25 years.     

Influence of climate on multiple tree-ring parameters of Pinus kesiya from Manipur,Northeast India

Tree-rings of Pinus kesiya from southern region of Manipur, Northeast India were used to develop chronologies of multiple tree-ring parameters that are: total-ring width (TRW), earlywood width (EW), latewood width (LW) and adjusted latewood (LWadj). The time span of these chronologies is 39 years (1980–2018 C.E.) and we compared their growth responses with monthly and daily climatic records. The comparison revealed a broadly consistent pattern of climate sensitivity with daily climate exhibiting higher correlation. The climate signals during pre-monsoon (March–May) were recorded in TRW and EW, whereas late-monsoon to post-monsoon climate signals were recorded in LW and LWadj. The spatial correlation analysis of tree-ring parameters and global sea surface temperature (SST) showed a positive relationship between tree growth with tropical Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean during winter (December–February) and pre-monsoon (March–May) seasons. The LW and LWadj were also correlated with peak summer monsoon (July–August) SST over the tropical Pacific Ocean. IADFs observed in EW (E-IADF) were caused by dry and warm conditions during March–April. IADFs in LW (L-IADF) occurred due to a combination of enhanced rainfall and temperature during post-monsoon (October–November) season. Evidence of stand-specific micro-climatic conditions in the formation IADFs in this species was also found. This study showed that multiple parameters of P. kesiya provides a lucid understanding of climate response on its growth and can be considered as a proxy for studying sub-seasonal changes in past environmental conditions in longer records.     

大兴安岭北部樟子松树轮δ13C的高向变化及其与树轮宽度的关系

通过对大兴安岭北部樟子松树轮样品高向的年轮宽度和稳定碳同位素比率(δ¹³C)进行测定,分析了高向上δ¹³C的变化特征及其与年轮宽度的关系.结果表明： 在木质部全轮、早材和树皮内皮3种成分中,样品高向δ¹³C均呈现由顶部至基部先显著增加,在冠层底部达到最大值,再向下迅速减少至谷值的变化趋势.早晚材平均宽度比由基部至顶部增大.高向上δ¹³C年均值序列与轮宽年均值序列呈现较为明显的反向对应关系,与早晚材宽度比年均值序列呈现在冠层以上较为一致的变化趋势.样本高向上年轮宽度序列及δ¹³C序列均存在不同程度的显著差异,δ¹³C值的高向变化与年际变化基本处于同一量级.树体高向δ¹³C序列逐年变化趋势基本一致,同一高度盘的δ¹³C序列与年轮宽度序列基本呈负相关,但不同高度的显著性有所差异.
     

Climatic response of three tree species growing at different elevations in the Lüliang Mountains of Northern China

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 lowerest 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.     

Topographic influences on radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) at small spatial scales

Dendroecological and numerical methods were used to study the influence of topographic position on radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stands exposed to soil dryness. The correlation structure of total tree-ring width and latewood width of eight scattered populations representing various topographic habitats (steep south-facing slopes, plateaus and hollows) within a rock-slide area (750 m a.s.l.) of about 1 km² was investigated by principal component analysis. Scatter plots of component loadings indicated that (i) total ring width and latewood width are influenced by various climatic factors, (ii) stands growing at similar topographic position show a high agreement in year-to-year variability of radial growth, and (iii) distinct effects of topographic features (slope aspect, slope magnitude) on tree growth are modified by local disturbances (erosion, grazing) and the age structure of stands. Furthermore, both the time series of component scores and non-metric multidimensional scaling of chronologies indicated years where extremely limiting or favorable climate conditions prevailed throughout the study area (pointer years). The influence of climate on tree growth in various topographic habitats was mediated through the influence of climatically stressful years. Because stands are located at sites with different levels of water stress, growth differences between chronologies are considered to be caused by site-specific susceptibility of tree growth to soil dryness. Significant correlations between precipitation in April to June and ring-width confirm that water availability is the primary growth-limiting factor within the study area. These small-scale variations in growth-climate relationships have significant implications for dendroclimatological studies. So paleoclimatic reconstructions based on tree rings will have to assure that an unbiased data set is used, which compensates for local growth-variabilities due to site related environmental stresses.     

Variations in Environmental Signals in Tree-Ring Indices in Trees with Different Growth Potential

We analysed two groups of Quercus robur trees, growing at nearby plots with different micro-location condition (W-wet and D-dry) in the floodplain Krakovo forest, Slovenia. In the study we compared the growth response of two different tree groups to environmental variables, the potential signal stored in earlywood (EW) structure and the potential difference of the information stored in carbon isotope discrimination of EW and latewood (LW). For that purpose EW and LW widths and carbon isotope discrimination for the period 1970–2008 AD were measured. EW and LW widths were measured on stained microscopic slides and chronologies were standardised using the ARSTAN program. α-cellulose was extracted from pooled EW and LW samples and homogenized samples were further analysed using an elemental analyser and IRMS. We discovered that W oaks grew significantly better over the whole analysed period. The difference between D and W oaks was significant in all analysed variables with the exception of stable carbon isotope discrimination in latewood. In W oaks, latewood widths correlated with summer (June to August) climatic variables, while carbon isotope discrimination was more connected to River Krka flow during the summer. EW discrimination correlated with summer and autumn River Krka flow of the previous year, while latewood discrimination correlated with flow during the current year. In the case of D oaks, the environmental signal appears to be vague, probably due to less favourable growth conditions resulting in markedly reduced increments. Our study revealed important differences in responses to environmental factors between the two oak groups of different physiological conditions that are preconditioned by environmental stress. Environmental information stored in tree-ring features may vary, even within the same forest stand, and largely depends on the micro-environment. Our analysis confirmed our assumptions that separate EW and LW analysis of widths and carbon isotope discrimination provides complementary information in Q. robur dendroecology.     

Climate response of cork growth in the Mediterranean oak (Quercus suber L.) woodlands of southwestern Portugal

In the Mediterranean climate regions, drought events are expected to affect the growth of forests ecosystems by changing trees growth rates and eventually inducing shifts in their growth patterns. Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is a strictly western Mediterranean tree species periodically harvested for its bark, the cork. So far, cork oak has received limited attention for dendroclimatological studies due to its typical faint and erratic tree wood rings. Moreover, its distinct cork rings chronologies have been completely neglected. In this study we introduce an approach using cork ring chronologies dated back 9–10 years for climate response. Despite enhancing interannual variability and increasing statistical response to short-term climatic variability, still poorly understood, this study will possibly allow infer long-term climate response. We analyzed the cork ring chronologies of 55 cork samples collected in mature (under exploitation) trees in three distinct locations in southwestern Portugal. Cork growth recorded a high climate signal, with highly significant and coherent responses to the yearly climate-related sources of variation. We successfully assessed trends of cork growth via correlation analysis including selected climate variables among mean monthly temperature, monthly precipitation and, on an annual basis, eight precipitation indices. The high mean sensitivities and inter-series correlations found for cork ring chronologies combined with the significant variance explained by climate variables suggest that climate is likely one dominant signal that affects cork growth, but local environmental stresses can decisively affect this (climate) signal. Assuming cork growth as a proxy for cork oak growth, it seems conceivable that despite the trees being highly resistant to drought stress, cork oak woodlands in southwestern Portugal would have to face lesser growth in a global warming scenario.     

The utility of bulk wood density for tree-ring research

Bulk wood density measurements are recognized for their utility in ecology, industry, and biomass estimations. In tree-ring research, microdensitometric techniques are widely used, but their ability to determine the correct central tendency has been questioned. Though rarely used, it may be possible to use bulk wood density as a tool to check the accuracy of and even correct microdensitometric measurements. Since measuring bulk wood density in parallel with X-ray densitometry is quickly and easily done, we suspect that its omission is largely due to a lack of awareness of the procedure and/or its importance. In this study, we describe a simple protocol for measuring bulk wood density tailored for tree-ring researchers and demonstrate a few possible applications. To implement real-world examples of the applications, we used a sample of existing X-ray and Blue Intensity (BI) measurements from 127 living and dead Pinus sylvestris trees from northern Sweden to produce new measurements of bulk wood density.We can confirm that the central tendency in this sample material is offset using X-ray densitometry and that the diagnosis and correction of X-ray density is easily done using bulk wood density in linear transfer functions. However, this approach was not suitable for our BI measurements due to heavy discoloration. Nevertheless, we were able to use bulk wood density to diagnose and improve the use of deltaBI (latewood BI – earlywood BI) with regard to its overall trends and multi-centennial variability in a dendroclimatological application. Moreover, we experimented with percent of latewood width, scaled with bulk wood density, as a time- and cost-effective proxy for annual ring density. Although our reconstruction only explains about half of the variation in ring density, it is most likely superior to using fixed literature values of density in allometric equations aimed at biomass estimations.With this study, we hope to raise new awareness regarding the versatility and importance of bulk wood density for dendrochronology by demonstrating its simplicity, relevance, and applicability.     

Annual variation and influence of climate on the ring width and wood hydrosystem of Prosopis flexuosa DC trees using image analysis

We developed chronologies based on the width of tree rings, total area of vessels, and the number of vessels per tree ring of the Prosopis flexuosa wood samples from the xerophytic woodlands of central Argentina. We evaluated the influence of climate on these tree-ring characteristics considering the period from 1940 to 2004 (65 years). The width of the rings, the number of vessels, and the total area of vessels were positively influenced by regional precipitation corresponding to the seasonalized November to December period, which reflects the importance of the water availability in the initial stage of the formation of the wood. The width of the rings and the total area of vessels were negatively influenced by temperature during the same period, while the number of vessels was not significantly correlated with temperature. The high temperatures in spring increase evapotranspiration, which reduces water availability to plants and results in an inverse growth response. This study was the first to develop chronologies based on anatomical characters of wood from the arid and semiarid regions of South America and with significant applications in ecological and climatic studies.     

Different maximum latewood density and blue intensity measurements techniques reveal similar results

Annually resolved and absolutely dated Maximum Latewood Density (MXD) and Blue Intensity (BI) measurements are frequently used for reconstructing summer temperature variability over the last centuries to millennia. A direct comparison of the outcome of both methods using similar material is needed due to how quickly this method is being adopted. The application of slightly different measuring systems (hardware) and analysis tools (software) in tandem with different wood samples and preparation procedures further challenges any straightforward assessment. Here we process 26 Norway spruce samples from the upper timberline in the Polish Tatra Mountains with the six most frequently used MXD and BI applications. Although offset is found in the raw MXD and BI data (0.04–0.13 g/cm³ and 0.45–1.58 dimensionless blue intensity), interannual and longer-term fluctuations are significantly (p < 0.01) positively correlated between all MXD and BI time-series. Our results emphasize the potential of faster and cheaper, as well as overall more user-friendly techniques to generate reliable MXD surrogates for high-frequency dendroclimatological studies. Although the correlations between MXD and BI were lower than within MXD and BI, the results of growth-climate response performed for both proxies show only marginal differences. The obtained level-offset further questions the suitability of joining different density surrogates for developing long-term composite chronologies to reconstruct low-frequency climate variability.     

Relationship between wood anatomy,tree-ring widths and wood density of Pinus sylvestris L. and climate at high latitudes in northern Sweden

In this study, wood anatomy, tree-ring width and wood density of Pinus sylvestris at the northern timberline in Fennoscandia were used to identify relationships among the parameters and to screen them for their climatic signals. Furthermore we investigated the influence of the juvenile wood section for all parameters developed. The measurements of wood anatomy were conducted with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) while the density profiles were produced using an Itrax MultiScanner. We developed chronologies of ring width, wood density and anatomy for a period between 1940 and 2010. Correlations between wood density and wood anatomy were strong in the latewood part. For some wood anatomy and density chronologies youth trends were found in the juvenile part. Wood density decreased from the pith up to the 9th ring and stabilized afterwards, while cell lumen diameter and lumen area increased simultaneously up to the 15th ring. All chronologies contained strong summer temperature signals. The wood anatomical variables provided additional information about seasonal precipitation which could not be found in wood density and tree-ring widths. Our study confirmed previous results stating that the parameter maximum density contains the strongest climate signal, that is, summer temperatures at the northern timberline. Nevertheless, the intra-annual data on tracheid dimensions showed good potential to supply seasonal climatic information and improve our understanding of climatic effects on tree growth and wood formation.     

Elevation-dependent climate sensitivity in Eucalyptus pauciflora Sieb. ex Spreng

We examine climate sensitivity in tree-ring chronologies from Eucalyptus pauciflora Sieb. ex Spreng at three elevations—1,350, 1,475 and 1,600 m above the sea level. Consistent with the principle that the sensitivity of tree-ring chronologies increases with proximity to the limits of tree growth, statistics reflecting chronology reliability increased with elevation. Climatological analyses of the three elevation classes revealed that whilst ring width is significantly and positively correlated with maximum air temperature during spring (September–November) in the chronology from the highest elevation class, significant correlations with maximum temperature are not present at low elevations. Similarly, whilst ring width in the chronology from 1,350 m was significantly and positively correlated with precipitation during late summer and early autumn, no significant correlations are evident at higher elevations. Our results illustrate the importance of careful site selection in dendroclimatological studies of eucalypts and demonstrate the potential of E. pauciflora for climatological studies.     

The Suceava oak chronology: A new 804 years long tree-ring chronology bridging the gap between central and south Europe

Although the importance of centuries-long tree ring width oak chronologies in dating wood, eastern European regions are still lacking a reference chronology. To fill this geographical gap, we combined living and historical chronologies from the Moldova region, including part of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Here we present the “Suceava oak chronology” as the first 804 years long chronology continuously covering the 1216–2019 period. Our analyses further revealed the strong teleconnection of the Suceava oak chronology with south European ones. The link between Romania and northern Turkey chronologies is of particular importance in the context of the high abundance of undated subfossil and archaeological/historical oak wood in eastern Europe and intense wood trades with central Europe in XV-XVII centuries. The availability of the Suceava oak chronology will provide a good base for precise dating and climatic reconstructions.     

Climatic impacts and drought control of radial growth and seasonal wood formation in Pinus halepensis

Short- and long-term growth responses to drought and climatic influences still remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of climatic drivers (temperature, precipitation) and drought, using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) calculated at different time scales (1–48?months), on earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) widths in Pinus halepensis. Nine forests subjected to dry summer conditions were sampled in Mediterranean semi-arid areas from north-eastern Spain. In addition, we explored the seasonal dynamics of cambial activity and wood formation in relation to short-term climate variability. We found two peaks of tracheid cell production corresponding to EW (May–June) and LW (mid-July–August) growth phases, associated with a sharp decrease in enlarging cells in early July in response to low water availability. In the period of analysis (1970–2005), EW growth was positively correlated with precipitation in previous December and current January, April, May and June, while it was negatively correlated with temperature in June and July. LW was correlated positively with minimum temperatures in January. Probably this was an indirect relationship as a consequence of increased EW width at higher January temperatures. Drought affected more negatively EW than LW formation as evidenced the higher SPI-EW correlation (r?=?0.72) than the SPI-LW one (r?=?0.54). The strongest EW response to drought was observed in July, whereas the highest LW response to drought occurred in September; and this seasonal pattern matched the phases of lowest EW and LW tracheid production. Under a future reduction of winter and spring precipitation, the studied forests may show a decrease in tracheid cell production, causing a decline of radial growth, a reduction in hydraulic conductivity and, indirectly, a hampered carbon uptake in such semi-arid woodlands.