Growth-climate response and drought reconstruction from tree-ring of Mongolian pine in Hulunbuir,Northeast China

Aims Drought affected by atmosphere–ocean cycle is a dominant factor influencing tree radial growth of sandy Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) and regional vegetation dynamics in Hulunbuir, China. However, historical droughts and its correlations with tree radial growth and atmosphere–ocean cycle in this area have been little tested. Methods We developed tree-ring chronologies of Mongolian pine from Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China and analyzed the correlations between tree-ring width index, the normalized difference vegetation index and Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), then developed a linear model to reconstruct the drought variability from 1829 to 2009. Long-term trends and its linkages with atmosphere–ocean cycle were performed by the power spectral, wavelet and teleconnection analysis.Important findings The local moisture variations affected largely the regional vegetation dynamics and tree-ring growth of Mongolia pine in the forest–grassland transition. Using tree-ring width chronology of Mongolian pine, the reconstruction explains 49.2% of PDSI variance during their common data period (1951–2005). The reconstruction gives a broad-scale regional representation of PDSI in the Hulunbuir area, with drought occurrences in the 1850s, 1900s, 1920s, mid-1930s and at the turn of the 21st century. Comparisons with other tree-ring drought reconstructions and historical records reveal some common drought periods and drying trends in recent decades at the northern margin zones of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). The drying trends in these zones occurred earlier than weakening of the EASM. A REDFIT spectral analysis shows significant peaks at 7.2, 3.9, 2.7–2.8, 2.4 and 2.2 years with a 0.05 significance level, and 36.9, 18.1 and 5.0 years with 0.1 significance level. Wavelet analysis also shows similar cycles. Drought variations in the study area significantly correlated with sea surface temperatures in the western tropical Pacific Ocean and middle and northern Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation. This suggests a possible linkage with the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation, the EASM and the Westerlies.     

Tree-ring-based reconstruction of drought variability (1792–2011) in the middle reaches of the Fen River,North China

We developed a tree-ring chronology based on 52 ring-width series from 25 Pinus tabulaeformis trees at Tianlong Mountain (TLM) using the signal-free method. TLM is located in the middle reaches of the Fen River, North China, and is influenced by the East Asian monsoon system. Tree growth was highly correlated (0.789) with the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) from May to July and indicated a drought-stress growth pattern. Therefore, we developed a robust May-July PDSI reconstruction for 1792–2011 that explained 62.3% of the instrumental variance for 1951–2005. Severe drought years determined by the reconstruction are consistent with conditions reported in historical documents. The TLM PDSI reconstruction was consistent with other tree-ring-based hydroclimate reconstructions in North China; thus, it may accurately represent dry/wet changes that occur over a large area. Cyclical spectral peaks at 2–8 years in the reconstructed PDSI may indicate ENSO activity, as suggested by the positive correlation with the western Pacific sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) and the negative correlation with the eastern Pacific SSTs on the inter-annual scale.     

Tree-ring based December–February precipitation reconstruction in the southern Zagros Mountains,Iran

We developed the first tree-ring width chronology from Quercus brantii Lindel for the period 1796–2015 in the southern Zagros Mountains, Iran, using standard dendrochronological procedures. Climate-growth relationships revealed that DecemberöFebruary precipitation has strong positive effects (r = 0.66; P < 0.01) on the species’ growth while mean temperature during the growing season has strong negative effects. Spatial correlations with Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and gridded precipitation data revealed that the chronology contains regional climate signals and tree growth variations may represent precipitation fluctuations over large areas of the Middle East. The linear regression model accounts for 44% of the actual DecemberöFebruary precipitation variance. The reconstructed precipitation revealed that over the period 1850–2015 extreme dry years occurred in 1870-71, 1898, 1960 and 1963-64, and extreme wet years occurred in 1851, 1885, 1916 and 1921 in the southern Zagros region. The longest dry period lasted 16 years and occurred from 1958 to 1973. Two-year consecutive wet and dry events showed the highest frequencies and the average length of dry and wet events were 2.9 and 3.6 years over the reconstructed period. Correlations between the long-term reconstructed precipitation and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) confirmed the effects of teleconnection patterns on precipitation in the southern Zagros region.     

川西雅江地区过去567年3—8月干旱变化的树轮重建

使用零信号去趋势法建立了四川甘孜州拉日玛采点川西云杉标准化树轮宽度年表。结果表明: 云杉树轮年表与雅江3—8月一个月时间尺度的标准化降水蒸散指数(SPEI1)间存在显著正相关。由树轮年表当年与次年序列重建了雅江地区1442—2008年3—8月SPEI1指数变化,方差解释量达42.8%。重建序列主要揭示了历史时期SPEI1的低频变化。川西雅江地区3—8月SPEI1在过去567年中存在1442—1465年、1516—1601年和1836—2008年3个偏湿阶段,位于其间的为2个偏干阶段;重建序列在1455—1762年间存在显著变干趋势,而1833—1950年具有显著变湿趋势,1959—2008年的变湿趋势最为明显;3—8月SPEI1重建值在1512、1733、1767、1831、1941、1957和1975年发生了从干旱向湿润的突变,而在1684年与1961年则相反。与周边气候重建序列的对比显示,川西雅江地区3—8月SPEI1重建序列的低频变化与青藏高原东北部年降水量和祁连山东段北坡SPEI05指数的变化具有一定相似性。该重建序列对青藏高原东部及青海南部的3—8月SPEI1变化具有较好的代表性。     

Droughts and broad-scale climate variability reflected by temperature-sensitive tree growth in the Qinling Mountains, central China

The relationship between temperature and drought was investigated using the temperature-sensitive growth of Larix chinensis Beissn in the Qinling Mountains, central China. Extremely high tree-ring width index values (TRWI) agreed well with dry conditions defined by the dryness-wetness index (DWI) obtained from data in Chinese historical documents and climate-related papers between 1814 and 1956 (before the short of instrumental measurements); the reverse applied to extremely low TRWI values. The main severe drought epochs occurred from the late 1850s to the 1870s, the 1920s to 1930s and in the 2000s, whereas wet spells occurred from 1817–1827 and 1881–1886. The droughts in the 2000s exhibited a similar pattern as the ones from the 1920s to 1930s, with obviously an increasing temperature. The variation of tree growth agreed well with other reconstructed temperature series from nearby and remote regions, suggesting that Larix chinensis could respond to broad-scale climate variability. The longest cold interval, 1817–1827, could be associated with the influence of the Tambora eruption in 1815.     

河谷澜沧黄杉指示的青藏高原东南地区过去205年干湿变化

利用采集自青藏高原东南地区察隅县低海拔河谷澜沧黄杉建立树轮宽度差值年表。将树轮宽度差值年表与气候因子进行皮尔逊相关分析,利用线性回归方法重建了青藏高原东南地区1812—2016年4—5月帕尔默干旱指数(PDSI)变化(方差解释量为47%)。结果表明: 树轮宽度指数与PDSI指数有良好相关性(r=0.69,P<0.01)。PDSI重建序列存在4个偏湿阶段(1831—1844年、1853—1863年、1938—1948年和1988—2002年)、3个偏干阶段(1864—1876年、1908—1926年和2003—2016年)。与其他序列和历史记录对比分析表明,该重建序列能够较好地指示研究区历史时期干湿变化。空间分析显示,重建序列与青藏高原东南地区 PDSI 指数的变化趋势较为一致,具有很强的空间代表性。多窗谱分析表明,PDSI重建序列具有19～20、3.9、3.2、2.4和2.1年准周期变化特征,这些周期性干湿变化与亚洲夏季风和ENSO活动相关。     

Privatization, Drought, and Fire Exclusion in the Tuul River Watershed, Mongolia

Global wildfire frequency and extent are expected to increase under projected climate change in the twenty-first century, yet little is known about how human activities might affect this trend. In central Mongolia, there has been a 2.5°C rise in spring and summer temperatures during the last 40 years and a decrease in moisture availability during the latter half of the twentieth century. Concurrently, Mongolia has experienced multiple shifts in socioeconomic systems during the twentieth century, most notably the establishment of a Soviet-backed communist economy in the 1920s and a rapid transition to privatization in the 1990s. Observed records of fire in the late twentieth century suggested that fire activity had increased, but no long-term data existed to place these trends in a historical context. Our objective was to identify spatial and temporal patterns in fire occurrence in the forest-steppe ecotone of the Tuul River watershed in the context of changing climatic and social conditions since 1875. We used fire-scarred trees to reconstruct past fire occurrence during the period 1875–2009. Our results indicate a significant association between human activity and fire occurrence independent of climatic variables. The greatest evidence for an anthropogenic fire regime exists following the transition to a free market economy during the early 1990s when land-use intensification near the capital city of Ulaanbaatar resulted in fire exclusion. We emphasize the importance of including socio-political variables in global models of wildfire potential, particularly where fuels limit fire activity.     

Growing-season precipitation since 1872 in the coastal area of subtropical southeast China reconstructed from tree rings and its relationship with the East Asian summer monsoon system

Tree rings from temperate zones of the world have provided abundant palaeo- ecological and paleo-hydroclimatic information. However, tree rings from subtropical to tropical regions remain relatively scarce, which greatly limit our fully understanding about the climate change issues. In the present work, tree-ring-width (TRW) measurements of Masson pine from Fujian province, the coastal area of subtropical southeast China were successfully crossdated and a TRW STD chronology was developed from 1854 to 2012. Significantly positive correlation was identified between the tree rings and April–November total precipitation (r = 0.71, p < 0.01). The reconstructed April–November precipitation exhibited two comparatively wet (1876–1886 and 1957–1962) and one comparatively dry (1986–2004) periods. An evident drying trend since 1959 was seen and it was mitigated after 1993. Most of the extreme low-precipitation years in the reconstruction were supported by the historical records. As revealed by the spatial correlation patterns, our precipitation reconstruction was also consistent with other hydroclimatic records along the coastal areas of southeast China, proving its ability to capture the large-scale hydrological signal in southeast China (mainly refers to the south of the middle-lower reaches of Yangtze River). The reconstructed precipitation showed significant correlation with the East Asian summer Monsoon (EASM) index. Moreover, it also indicated simultaneous variation with the monsoon precipitation in North China on a decadal scale, implying that growing season precipitation variations in both regions were influenced by the EASM strength. This work highlights the potential of using tree-ring width to reconstruct precipitation in subtropical southeast China, while the relevant issues about precipitation variation in this region is far from resolved.     

Summer temperature variability inferred from tree-ring records in the central Hengduan Mountains,southeastern Tibetan Plateau

Current understanding of the paleoclimatic variability across the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is still limited because of the lack of long-term climatic records. We developed a regional tree–ring width chronology of Picea likiangensis var. balfouriana from the central Hengduan Mountains region, in the southeastern TP. Climate-growth correlation analysis revealed that the current year’s July (cJuly) and the current year’s August (cAugust) mean minimum temperature was the main climatic factor controlling tree-ring growth. Using a linear regression function, we reconstructed this indicator for the past 214 years (1795–2008) to produce the first mean minimum temperature reconstruction for the central Hengduan Mountains. The reconstruction satisfied all statistical calibration and validation tests, and represented 35.9% of the temperature variance recorded over the 1958–2008 instrumental period (34.6% after adjusting for the loss of the degrees of freedom). During the past 214 years, two major cold periods were identified from 1839 to 1853 and 1857–1942, and four major warm periods from 1802 to 1813, 1819–1838, 1972–1981, and 1988–2008. The degree of warming from 1988 to 2008 was unprecedented over the past two centuries. Spatial field correlation with the gridded temperature dataset revealed that our reconstruction captures large-scale regional temperature variations for the southeastern TP and its vicinity. The reconstructed variations were consistent when compared to other regional temperature datasets, historical documents, and records of glacier fluctuations in the surrounding high mountains. This consistency with multiple records suggests that our reconstructed sequence is reliable and it could represent historical large-scale temperature changes on the southeastern TP.     

Increased extreme drought events in south–central China since the last century：Evidence from oxygen isotope signatures preserved in tree ring cellulose

Tree-ring cellulose oxygen isotope ratios (δ¹⁸O) is a well-established proxy for hydroclimatic conditions in monsoon Asia. We reconstructed June–October relative humidity (RH_J–O) variations from 1808 to 2017, based on tree-ring cellulose δ¹⁸O data, which explain 46.2% of the actual RH variance in the Nanyue region, south–central China. Extreme wet events occurred frequently prior to the 1900s, but there have been more extreme dry events since the 1900s, apart from the late 1930s and early 1950s. Periodicity analysis revealed that the reconstructed RH_J–O records show obvious 15–30 years cycles from the 1830–1970s. The multi-decadal signals may reflect the effect of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) on hydroclimate. In the positive PDO phase, there is drying in south–central China, which is related to a weaker East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) via the Pacific–Japan teleconnection. The decadal signal has weakened since the 1970s. In addition, the reconstructed RH_J–O record shows strong interannual variations, which may be related to the Central Pacific El Niño–Southern Oscillation (CP ENSO). During extreme CP El Niño events, there is a weaker EASM due to the Pacific–Japan teleconnection, and the study site experienced drought. Our reconstructed moisture record is characterized by a decreasing influence from the PDO and increasing influence from the CP ENSO in recent decades. Moreover, the frequency of CP ENSO events is projected to increase under anthropogenic warming. Consequently, more extreme droughts which are related to CP ENSO events may increase in the south–central China in near future.     

Tree-ring based spring precipitation reconstruction in western Nepal Himalaya since AD 1840

Spring (March–June) precipitation has been reconstructed since AD 1840 for the Rara National Park (RNP), western Nepal Himalaya using Abies spectabilis tree-ring width. The reconstruction accounts for 35.8% of the total variance of the instrumental precipitation from 1958 to 2012 and captured distinct wet and dry variability. The longest wet periods occurred during 1850–1862, 1878–1886, 1909–1917, 1971–1984 and 2000–2008 while dry periods were usually shorter and occurred during 1873–1877, 1921–1923, 1925–1929, 1951–1956, 1958–1962 and 1994–1996. Spectral analysis of the reconstruction shows significant peaks at periodicity ranging 2.4–6.5 year, suggesting a covariation in inter-annual variability similar to that of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Spectral analysis of the reconstruction shows significant quasi–cyclic (2.4–3.4 year) and multidecadal (24.8–39.2 year) periodicity, suggesting a potential association with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO).     

Drought variations in the middle Qilian Mountains,northeast Tibetan Plateau,over the last 450 years as reconstructed from tree rings

Based on the tree-ring width chronology of Sabina przewalskii Kom., a 450-year Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) series was reconstructed in the middle Qilian Mountains, northeast Tibetan Plateau. During the calibration period of 1957–2004, the predictor variable accounts for 47% of the variance in the modeled PDSI data. There were three sustained severe multiyear droughts during the periods of 1705–1723, 1814–1833, and 1925–1941 before the instrumental period of 1957–2004, while no drought event lasting longer than 10 years occurred during the instrumental period. Although the modeled PDSI during the 1957–2004 period adequately assessed the intensity of the multiyear droughts for the last 450 years, the potential for prolonged droughts was underestimated. In the multidecadal scale, the drought of 1640–1730 had the greatest magnitude and the longest duration, the drought of 1808–1846 had the highest intensity, and the drought of 1917–1973 was moderate. Both the multiyear and decadal scale droughts in the middle Qilian Mountains corresponded to the droughts in the northeast Tibetan Plateau, demonstrating that drought occurrences in the northeast Tibetan Plateau are synchronous in decadal to multidecadal scales. The drought variations in the middle Qilian Mountains have significant periodicities of 2.05–2.31, 54.44, 98, and 122.5 years at a 99% confidence level.     

Moisture changes over the past 467 years in the central Hexi Corridor,northwestern China

The long-term characteristics of precipitation in arid and semi-arid areas are of great interest because these areas are very sensitive to climate change and human activities. The Hexi Corridor is an arid and semi-arid region in northwestern China that also is an important sector of the Silk Road Economic Belt; despite the region’s dependence on precipitation, annually resolved, long-term moisture records are still lacking for this region. Here, a standard tree-ring width chronology spanning 1484–2015 AD is developed for the Hexi Corridor using Qilian juniper (S. przewalskii Kom.). The chronology is used to reconstruct moisture changes in the region over the past 467 years. Correlation analyses indicate that the tree-ring width index has a significant positive correlation with the June SPEI (standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index) on a twelve-month time scale (r=0.73, n=65, p<0.001). We used this information to build a transfer function that explains 52.5% of the variance in the SPEI reconstructed for the period from 1549 CE to 2015 CE. Our study area experienced clear alternations between dry and wet periods. Especially long wet periods include 1600–1650 AD and 1762–1804 AD; long dry periods include 1670–1693 AD, 1917–1970 AD, and 1990–2015 AD. The 1920s was the most severe period of drought in the last 467 years. The results of wavelet analysis and running correlation analysis indicate that the atmospheric circulation system experienced a notable shift around the 1800s, after which point the role of the westerly system grew more pronounced.     

Tree-ring-based reconstruction of precipitation in the Changling Mountains, China, since A.D.1691

Seven different tree-ring parameters were obtained from Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) in the Changling Mountains, China. The chronologies were analyzed individually and then compared with each other. The climate response analysis shows that total precipitation (September–July) is the main factor limiting the radial growth of Chinese pine in the Changling Mountains. Thus, the residual earlywood width chronology was used to estimate precipitation (September–July) for the period AD 1691–2006, and explained 46.9% of the precipitation variance. Drought events in our reconstruction are compared to historical archives for Gansu and north-central China. The results reveal the climatic extremes over much of Gansu. Some events have had profound impacts on the Gansu people over the past several centuries. Spatial analysis shows that the precipitation reconstruction has strong common signals for North-central China. The reconstructed series is correlated significantly with Helan Mountains Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), as well as with previous results from Jiuquan, Shandan, Huashan, Luya Mountains, and even the state of Mongolia. Our results suggest that some dry periods are coincident with solar minima over the past several hundred years. Multitaper spectral analysis reveals the existence of significant 24.4-year, 12.2-year, and 2.4- to 3.4-year periods of variability.     

基于树轮宽度数据重建的阴山东部过去399年降水变化

基于阴山东部油松树轮样芯,建立采样区域树轮宽度年表,并计算器测时期(AD 1952—2007)月均温和月降水量与树轮宽度年表的相关系数。结果表明: 树轮宽度年表与上一年9月至当年6月降水量变化的相关性最高(r=0.73,n=56,P<0.01),基于此重建了阴山东部过去399年(AD 1619—2017)上一年9月至当年6月的降水量变化历史。该重建解释了器测时期上一年9月至当年6月降水量54.9%的方差,经“留一法”交叉验证和分段独立检验证明,重建方程稳定可靠。在年代际尺度上,过去399年存在4个湿润时期(AD 1619—1663、AD 1705—1711、AD 1945—1963和AD 1979—2017)和4个干旱时期(AD 1734—1767、AD 1786—1814、AD 1839—1867和AD 1888—1942)。其中,AD 1979—2017是最湿润的时期,而AD 1888—1942是干旱持续最长的时段,包含最干旱时期1920s晚期。功率谱分析显示,过去399年该区降水具有2～7年和125年准周期变化。通过与邻近区域重建对比及空间相关分析表明,本降水重建序列可以较好地代表研究区域的降水变化。     

An improved reconstruction of May–June precipitation using tree-ring data from western Turkey and its links to volcanic eruptions

We developed a high quality reconstruction of May–June precipitation for the interior region of southwestern Turkey using regional tree-ring data calibrated with meteorological data from Burdur. In this study, three new climate sensitive black pine chronologies were built. In addition to new chronologies, four previously published black pine chronologies were used for the reconstruction. Two separate reconstructions were developed. The first reconstruction used all site chronologies over the common interval AD 1813–2004. The second reconstruction used four of the chronologies with a common interval AD 1692–2004. R ² values of the reconstructions were 0.64 and 0.51 with RE values of 0.63 and 0.51, respectively. During the period AD 1692–1938, 41 dry and 48 wet events were found. Very dry years occurred in AD 1725, 1814, 1851, 1887, 1916, and 1923, while very wet years occurred in AD 1736, 1780, 1788, 1803, and 1892. The longest dry period was 16 years long between 1860 and 1875. We then explored relationships between the reconstructed rainfall patterns and major volcanic eruptions, and discovered that wetter than normal years occurred during or immediately after the years with the largest volcanic eruptions.     

A Hollywood drama of butterfly extirpation and persistence over a century of urbanization

Few long-term examples exist of wildlife population trends in urban environments despite the recent recognition of the importance of biodiversity in cities. Founded in 1896, Griffith Park’s over 1,700 ha in Los Angeles adjacent to Hollywood represent the largest municipal park in California. Through the 1920s, biologists studied the natural area with great interest but in the decades that followed, little fieldwork was conducted here as Los Angeles developed into a megacity surrounding the park. We combined thorough examination of Griffith Park historical field notes and specimen records (1900–1960) with recent field surveys (2011–2012) to determine (1) the extent of urbanization impacts on butterfly extirpation and persistence and (2) how butterfly traits and host plant relationships might be contributing to butterfly species status. Here we document multiple local butterfly extinctions in Griffith Park; 10 species or 18 % of the historically reconstructed community. Many of these species were lost early in the twentieth century, highlighting the importance of the historical record in understanding urban biodiversity patterns and trends. An analysis of larval host plant status and relationships suggests that a primary factor determining butterfly presence or extirpation is the abundance of the larval host plant in the park, in addition to host plant specificity. Despite these extirpations, we also found that the majority (over 80 %) of native butterfly species have persisted including species of conservation interest. While urban parks certainly suffer from surrounding anthropogenic pressure and impacts, this study also demonstrates the potentially high and underappreciated conservation and ecological value of urban parks.     

Long-Term Persistence and Fire Resilience of Oak Shrubfields in Dry Conifer Forests of Northern New Mexico

Extensive high-severity fires are creating large shrubfields in many dry conifer forests of the interior western USA, raising concerns about forest-to-shrub conversion. This study evaluates the role of disturbance in shrubfield formation, maintenance and succession in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico. We compared the environmental conditions of extant Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) shrubfields with adjoining dry conifer forests and used dendroecological methods to determine the multi-century fire history and successional dynamics of five of the largest shrubfields (76–340 ha). Across the study area, 349 shrubfields (5–368 ha) occur in similar topographic and climate settings as dry conifer forests. This suggests disturbance, rather than other biophysical factors, may explain their origins and persistence. Gambel oak ages and tree-ring fire scars in our sampled shrubfields indicate they historically (1664–1899) burned concurrently with adjoining conifer forests and have persisted for over 115 years in the absence of fire. Aerial imagery from 1935 confirmed almost no change in sampled shrubfield patch sizes or boundaries over the twentieth century. The largest shrubfield we identified is less than 4% the size of the largest conifer-depleted and substantially shrub-dominated area recently formed in the Jemez following extensive high-severity wildfires, indicating considerable departure from historical patterns and processes. Projected hotter droughts and increasingly large high-severity fires could trigger more forest-to-shrub transitions and maintain existing shrubfields, inhibiting conifer forest recovery. Restoration of surface fire regimes and associated historical forest structures likely could reduce the rate and patch size of dry conifer forests being converted to shrubfields.     

Multi‐century tree‐ring precipitation record reveals increasing frequency of extreme dry events in the upper Blue Nile River catchment

Climate‐related environmental and humanitarian crisis are important challenges in the Great Horn of Africa (GHA). In the absence of long‐term past climate records in the region, tree‐rings are valuable climate proxies, reflecting past climate variations and complementing climate records prior to the instrumental era. We established annually resolved multi‐century tree‐ring chronology from Juniperus procera trees in northern Ethiopia, the longest series yet for the GHA. The chronology correlates significantly with wet‐season (r = .64, p < .01) and annual (r = .68, p < .01) regional rainfall. Reconstructed rainfall since A.D. 1811 revealed significant interannual variations between 2.2 and 3.8 year periodicity, with significant decadal and multidecadal variations during 1855–1900 and 1960–1990. The duration of negative and positive rainfall anomalies varied between 1–7 years and 1–8 years. Approximately 78.4% (95%) of reconstructed dry (extreme dry) and 85.4% (95%) of wet (extreme wet) events lasted for 1 year only and corresponded to historical records of famine and flooding, suggesting that future climate change studies should be both trend and extreme event focused. The average return periods for dry (extreme dry) and wet (extreme wet) events were 4.1 (8.8) years and 4.1 (9.5) years. Extreme‐dry conditions during the 19th century were concurrent with drought episodes in equatorial eastern Africa that occurred at the end of the Little Ice Age. El Niño and La Niña events matched with 38.5% and 50% of extreme‐dry and extreme‐wet events. Equivalent matches for positive and negative Indian Ocean Dipole events were weaker, reaching 23.1 and 25%, respectively. Spatial correlations revealed that reconstructed rainfall represents wet‐season rainfall variations over northern Ethiopia and large parts of the Sahel belt. The data presented are useful for backcasting climate and hydrological models and for developing regional strategic plans to manage scarce and contested water resources. Historical perspectives on long‐term regional rainfall variability improve the interpretation of recent climate trends.