Parameter-specific hydroclimatic sensitivity of a low-elevation network of living and historical tree-ring series from north-eastern Austria

Compared to the alpine regions of Austria, the eastern part of the country is overall warmer and drier with some tree species growing at the dry limit within their ecological range. This suggests that tree rings may be a valuable proxy for hydroclimatic variability. In this study, we develop ring-width, earlywood-width and latewood-width chronologies obtained from drought sensitive living trees and historical timber from one of the driest and warmest regions of Austria, the Weinviertel. For this, samples of four different tree species − fir (Abies alba Mill.), spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), oak (Quercus petraea Liebl., Q. robur L., Q. cerris L.), and pine (Pinus sylvestris L., P. nigra Arnold) were collected from 88 sites (23 forest stands and 65 historical constructions). 1589 samples (oak: 592 samples, pine: 577, spruce: 212, fir: 208) were dated. Dendro-provenancing was required to ensure that only regional material has entered the chronologies. According to the analyses, historical pine and oak wood were nearly 100% regional, while spruce and fir wood were imported to a great extent with only 44% spruce and 35% fir confirmed to be regional. Because site conditions of historical wood samples are unknown but can have a significant influence on tree growth, changes to site replication over time were important in the assessment of chronology reliability. We also controlled for potential artificial increases in sample depth when more than one construction element is made from a single trunk.We assessed the pine (1584-2011 AD) and oak (1244-2011 AD) chronologies’ potential for reconstructing past hydroclimatic variability by means of response functions in a 17-months window from previous June to current October with climate data from three weather stations (Vienna, Retz, Brno) from 1897 to 2010 AD. The highest seasonal response coefficients are for oak and pine ring width (∼0.43) with respect to aggregated March to July precipitation totals and Thornthwaite climatic water balance. These chronologies reveal a high potential for estimating past changes in regional-scale moisture availability during the earlier growing season.     

Responses to climate change in radial growth of Picea schrenkiana along elevations of the eastern Tianshan Mountains,northwest China

Tree growth is largely driven by climate conditions in arid and alpine areas. A strong change in climate from warm-dry to warm-wet has already been observed in northwest China. However, little is known about the impacts of regional climate variability on the radial growth of trees along elevations of the eastern Tianshan Mountains. Consequently, we developed three tree-ring width chronologies of Schrenk spruce (Picea schrenkiana Fisch. et Mey.) ranging in elevation from 2159 to 2552 m above sea level (a.s.l.), which play an important role in the forestry ecosystem, agriculture, and local economy of Central Asia. In our study, the correlation analyses of growth-drought using the monthly standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at different temporal scales demonstrated that drought in growing season was the main factor limiting tree growth, regardless of elevation. The relationships between radial growth of Schrenk spruce and main climate factors were relatively stable by moving correlation function, and the trend of STD chronologies and basal area increment (BAI) also showed a synchronous decline across the three elevations in recent decades. And meanwhile, slight differences in responses to climate change in radial growth along elevations were examined. The drought stress increased as elevations decreased. Radial growth at the higher elevation depended on moisture availability due to high temperature, as indicated by the significant negative correlation with mean temperature in the late growing season of the previous year (August-September, p < 0.001). However, radial growth at the lower elevation were restricted by drought stress due to less precipitation and higher temperatures, as demonstrated by the significant negative correlation with mean temperature but positive with total precipitation in the early growing season of the current year (April-May, p < 0.05). In addition, the decline of radial growth (BAI) at the higher elevation (3.710 cm² yr⁻¹/decade, p < 0.001) was faster than that of the middle elevation (2.344 cm² yr⁻¹/decade, p < 0.001) and the lower elevation (3.005 cm² yr⁻¹/decade, p < 0.001) since 2000, indicating that the trees at higher elevation of a relatively humid environment were more susceptible to the effects of climate change due to their poor adaptability to water deficit. Therefore, the forest ecosystems would be suppressed as a result of increasing drought stress in the future, especially in the high-elevation forests of arid and semi-arid areas.     

Castle Pišece,Slovenia – Building history and wood economy revealed by dendrochronology,dendroprovenancing and historical sources

Castle Pišece, located in SE Slovenia near the border with Croatia, is thought to have been built in the 12th/13th century as one in the line of Salzburg fortresses on the then SE border of the Holy Roman Empire. During thorough restoration that started in 2005, its wooden constructions became accessible for dendrochronological investigations. We collected representative samples from floor or ceiling constructions in most of the rooms in the castle. Dendrochronology helped us to identify felling dates of wood and to propose probable years of reconstructions in 1515, 1578, 1644, 1697, 1752, 1758, 1775 and 1878. The dating showed that the constructions in the presumed Romanesque and Renaissance parts of the building were not as old as expected, whereas those in the supposedly Baroque part of the castle were older than assumed. The selection of wood species used for constructions varied over time. Constructions with end dates 1515–1697 were made of oak (Quercus petraea and Q. robur), those dated to 1752 of silver fir (Abies alba), those dated to 1758 of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and those dated to 1878 of common beech (Fagus sylvatica). Comparison of forestry archives and vegetation in the area showed that most of the timber could have originated from nearby forests; only silver fir had to be transported from sites that were at least 20 km away from the castle. Cross-dating of tree-ring series of oak elements with two reference chronologies from Slovenia and two from Austria confirmed the great likelihood that the wood used mostly originated from Slovenia. This indicates that dendroprovenancing, not used in the area before, could also be used SE of the Alps. Both the existing archival documents and dendrochronology indicate that woodworks have taken place every few decades in some periods. The dendrochronological dates can be partly linked to reports on earthquakes (especially the devastating one in 1511), rebellions and year marks carved on the stone plaques.     

A 1700-year Athrotaxis selaginoides tree-ring width chronology from southeastern Australia

Few Southern Hemisphere tree-ring chronologies exceed 1000 years in length. We present a ca. 1700 years of indexed values for the long-lived conifer Athrotaxis selaginoides at Cradle Mt in southeastern Australia and compare it with the only other published millennial-plus length tree-ring chronology for Australia: the nearby Mt Read Lagarostrobos franklinii. We use simple correlation function and pointer year analyses to compare the climate responses of the two species (temperature, precipitation and growing degree days). Both chronologies show accelerated growth at their modern ends, but this growth acceleration is not synchronous, beginning approximately a quarter of a century earlier at the Cradle Mt site. This discrepancy may highlight the relevance of chronology composition and/or physiological differences in the species. Although the seasonality of the climatic responses of the two species is similar, that of A. selaginoides is generally weaker than that of L. franklinii. Somewhat paradoxically, the only pointer years in common between the chronologies are 1898 and 1908 CE. The periods from 600 to 900 CE and ∼1200–1450 CE are conspicuous for their absence of positive pointer years while no negative pointer years occur for either site from ∼1200–1350 CE. It is possible that differing patterns of pointer years can be partially explained by a peak in establishment from ∼1150–1850 CE at the Mt Read L. franklinii site compared to continuous establishment at Cradle Mt. Although statistically significant and time-stable climate responses for the A. selaginoides chronology are too weak to base a single-chronology climate reconstruction on, the long chronology will likely make an important contribution to future multi-proxy temperature reconstructions for southeastern Australia.     

Age-dependent tree-ring growth responses of Schrenk spruce (Picea schrenkiana) to climate—A case study in the Tianshan Mountain,China

For both its climatic and ecological importance, Schrenk spruce (Picea schrenkiana) is a crucial tree species living at mid-altitude on the western area of the Tianshan Mountains. It plays a key role on understanding climatic change in the Tianshan Mountains in the past 500 years. However, whether the relationship between tree growth and limiting climate factors is stable over time is still not well-known. In this study, standard and residual chronologies of four 100-year age classes (AC1 < 110a, 110a < AC2 < 210a, 210a < AC3 < 310a and AC4 > 310a) were established for detecting divergence in climate–growth relationships as well as comparing low-frequency and high-frequency variations. The results show that climate can account for a high amount of variance in tree-ring width and higher climate sensitivity was detected in younger trees. Younger trees (<210a) exhibit significantly negative growth responses to mean monthly air temperature of previous June and positive relationship with total monthly precipitation of current April and May, while mean monthly air temperature of current March may inhibit growth of older trees (>210a). Tree-ring chronology statistics and response function reveal that the age-growth patterns are non-monotonic. Our results together with previous studies demonstrate that the age effects on tree-ring growth–climate response is attributed to a combination of genetic characteristics and site microclimate, which suggests that it is necessary to consider both age-dependent and species-specific climate responses when using tree-ring measurements as a proxy for valid climate reconstructions.     

Precipitation reconstruction for the southern Altay Mountains (China) from tree rings of Siberian spruce,reveals recent wetting trend

We developed six tree-ring width chronologies of Siberian spruce (Picea obovata) from the low elevation forest of the southern Altay Mountains in northern Xinjiang, China. Although the six chronologies come from different sampling sites, significant correlations existed among the chronologies (r ≥ 0.477), and the first principal component (PC1) accounted for 72.2% of total variance over their common period 1825–2010. Correlation response analysis revealed that radial growth of Siberian spruce is mainly limited by a 12-month precipitation starting from July of the previous year to June of the current year. We therefore developed a July–June precipitation reconstruction spanning 1825–2009, which explained 65.5% of the instrumental variance for the period 1962–2009. The information of our precipitation reconstruction suggested that dry conditions existed for the periods 1829–1838, 1852–1855, 1876–1888, 1898–1911, 1919–1923, 1932–1936, 1943–1955, 1963–1968, 1973–1984 and 2007–2009, and wet conditions for the periods AD 1825–1828, 1839–1851, 1856–1875, 1889–1897, 1912–1918, 1924–1931, 1937–1942, 1956–1962, 1969–1972 and 1985–2006. Spatial climate correlation analyses with gridded land surface data revealed that our precipitation reconstruction contains a strong precipitation signal for the Altay Mountain ranges. Our reconstruction agreed with the moisture-sensitive tree ring width series of Siberian larch from the Altay Mountains of Mongolia on a decadal timescale. In addition, in contrast to a drying trend in north central China, a clear wetting trend has occurred in the southern Altay Mountains since 1980s.     

The influence of the de Vries (∼ 200-year) solar cycle on climate variations: Results from the Central Asian Mountains and their global link

Long-term climatic changes related to solar forcing were examined using millennium-scale palaeoclimatic reconstructions from the Central Asian mountain region, i.e. summer temperature records for the Tien Shan mountains and precipitation records for the Tibetan Plateau. The reconstructions were based on juniper tree-ring width records, i.e. Juniperus turkestanica for the Tien Shan and Sabina przewalskii for the Tibetan Plateau. The data were processed using spectral and wavelet analysis and filtered in the frequency range related to major solar activity periodicities. The results obtained for various tree-ring chronologies indicate palaeoclimatic oscillations in the range of the de Vries (～ 210-year) solar cycles through the last millennium.The quasi-200-year variations revealed in the palaeoclimatic reconstructions correlate well (R² = 0.58–0.94) with solar activity variations (Δ¹⁴C variations). The quasi-200-year climatic variations have also been detected in climate-linked processes in Asia, Europe, North and South America, Australia, and the Arctic and Antarctica. The results obtained point to a pronounced influence of solar activity on global climatic processes.Analysis has shown that climate response to the long-term global solar forcing has a regional character. An appreciable delay in the climate response to the solar signal can occur (up to 150 years). In addition, the sign of the climate response can differ from the solar signal sign. The climate response to long-term solar activity variations (from 10s to 1000s years) manifests itself in different climatic parameters, such as temperature, precipitation and atmospheric and oceanic circulation. The climate response to the de Vries cycle has been found to occur not only during the last millennia but also in earlier epochs, up to hundreds of millions years ago.     

The influence of natural disturbances on developmental patterns in Acadian mixedwood forests from 1946 to 2008

We used dendrochronological analyses to identify periods of natural disturbance and resulting growth responses in 32 mixed species stands in the Acadian forest. Stands represented five different development patterns, based upon 1946 softwood (SW) content (70–80%, termed SW versus 30–60%, termed mixedwood (MW)) and change in SW content from 1946 to 2006: SW-stable, SW-declining, MW-fluctuating, MW-stable, and MW-declining. Standardized growth chronologies were developed from 1163 increment cores sampled from balsam fir (Abies balsamea), red spruce (Picea rubens), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). Growth chronologies clearly identified three spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreaks from 1914 to 1921, 1954 to 1961, and 1975 to 1984, and birch dieback from 1938 to 1948. Stand developmental patterns were caused by species characteristics and multiple interacting disturbances, resulting in mortality, growth reductions, releases, and establishment of new cohorts. Balsam fir was present in all stands, but its tendency to establish and release from advanced regeneration following budworm-caused mortality resulted in cyclical proportions of fir in the canopy. Red spruce was less vulnerable to spruce budworm and longer lived, allowing them to persist and better withstand disturbance. Periodic growth index values less than 0.9 for fir and spruce were correlated with mortality of softwoods caused by defoliation, which resulted in release and growth index values >1.1 for sugar maple. Our results demonstrated substantial variation in mixedwood development patterns over a 60-year period within a small (45 km) area.     

South Swedish bog pines as indicators of Mid-Holocene climate variability

Dendroclimatic investigations of subfossil Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) from two raised bogs in southern Sweden yielded a continuous floating 1492-year long tree-ring record. By cross-dating with bog-pine chronologies from Lower Saxony, Germany, the South Swedish record was assigned an absolute age of 5219–3728 BC. The cross-match between ring-width chronologies from these two regions, separated by 500–700 km, is remarkably strong and the correlation positive, which indicates that large-scale climate dynamics had a significant impact on the growth of bog pines during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM) when bog-pine distribution reached a maximum in both regions. However, local population dynamics were also influenced by peatland ontogeny and competition, as shown by differences in replication and mean tree age between the Swedish and German records. Comparisons with chronologies developed from modern bog pines in southern Sweden indicate that more coherent climate was controlling pine growth on natural peatlands during warm periods in the past. This study demonstrates the usefulness of Swedish subfossil bog-pine material as a climate proxy, with particular potential for decadal- to centennial-scale reconstructions of humidity fluctuations.     

Growth response of Sabina tibetica to climate factors along an elevation gradient in south Tibet

We examine the climate significance in tree-ring chronologies retrieved from Sabina tibetica Kom. (Tibetan juniper) at two sites ranging in elevation from 4124 to 4693 m above sea level (a.s.l.) in the Namling region, south Tibet. The study region is under the control of semi-arid plateau temperate climate. The samples were grouped into high- and low-elevation classes and standard ring-width chronologies for both classes were developed. Statistical analysis revealed a decreasing growth rate yet increasing chronology reliability with increasing elevation. Overall, correlation analyses showed that radial growth in S. tibetica at the study sites was controlled by similar climatic factors, regardless of elevation; these factors comprised early winter (November) and early summer (May–June) temperatures as well as annual precipitation (July–June). Slight differences in the correlation between tree growth along the elevation gradient and climate variables were examined. The correlations with early winter temperature varied from significantly positive at the low-elevation site to weakly positive at the high-elevation site, whereas the correlations between radial growth and early summer temperature increased from weakly negative at the low-elevation sites to strongly negative at the high-elevation sites. The abundant precipitation through the year may have masked variations in tree growth on different elevation aspects. Our results will aid future dendroclimatological studies of Namling tree rings in south Tibet and demonstrate the potential of S. tibetica Kom. for improving our understanding of environmental impacts on tree growth.     

Stable oxygen isotope signatures of early season wood in New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis) tree rings: Prospects for palaeoclimate reconstruction

One of the longest Southern Hemisphere tree ring chronologies that has potential to provide past climate reconstructions has been produced using New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis). Work to date on kauri has been limited to reconstructions from whole-ring width analysis. In this study, we present the first replicated stable oxygen isotopic composition of early season alpha-cellulose from calendar-dated kauri tree rings within the natural growth range of the species. We also use newly established kauri physiology information about stomatal conductance and a mechanistic model to place initial interpretations on kauri δ¹⁸O signatures.Kauri early season δ¹⁸O has a range from 26 to 34‰ (V-SMOW) for a site located at Lower Huia Dam in west Auckland, and the mean δ¹⁸O chronology from that site is significantly correlated (p < 0.05) to October-December vapor pressure, May-December relative humidity and other associated hydroclimatic variables. The observed statistical relationships are consistent with mechanistic δ¹⁸O simulations using the forward model of Barbour et al. (2004) that incorporates a leaf temperature energy balance model to calculate transpiration as forced with local meteorological variables and a range of physiological parameters. The correlation results and mechanistic model simulations suggest kauri δ¹⁸O early season wood has the potential to provide new quantitative past climate information for northern New Zealand, and also complement whole ring-width reconstructions of past regional climate variability – a component of which is previously established as sensitive to El Niño-Southern Oscillation activity. Additional work is required to determine whether the observed relationships are consistent across the growth range of kauri and what the optimum sample depth is before long isotope-based palaeoclimate reconstructions from modern and sub-fossil kauri sites are undertaken.     

Climate–growth relationships of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) in marginal populations of Central Italy

This study is part of a LIFE+ project on marginal mountain ecosystem conservation. In five mixed European beech-silver fir forests of Central Italy (Tuscany and Marches), classified as priority habitats of the Natura 2000 Network, we analysed the climate–growth relationships of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) along an altitudinal gradient. The aims of this study were: (i) to identify the main spatial patterns in the frequency domain of both silver fir growth and climate variables in five different sites and (ii) to detect the overall climate sensitivity of the target species through time.Multivariate analysis displayed groups of chronologies with similar growth patterns for each frequency band-pass, discriminating for altitude and geographical location. The spectral density of climate variables at seasonal scale displayed common spatial patterns during late-spring and summer months. In stands where fir grows in optimal conditions, the most significant growth responses to climate were the positive influence of late-spring and summer precipitations of the previous year and the negative effect of summer temperatures of both previous and current year, although decreasing during the last decades. On the other hand, the site at lowest altitude shows a low and not very consistent climate sensitivity as compared to the preferred altitudes. At the highest site (1375 m asl) the positive effect of previous year spring–summer precipitation and summer temperature of both previous and current year disappears.Results suggest that in the studied areas a water-use increase in summer is a possible response of silver fir to the significant reduction of spring precipitation and general temperature increase throughout the 20th century.These findings provide additional information on silver fir responses to climate variability at different altitudes, useful for calibrating silvicultural treatments to apply for conservation of sensitive ecosystems and of tree species in mountain areas.     

Centennial Scots pine chronologies for western,central and eastern Lithuania

Although two centennial Scots pine chronologies for the dating of timber in Lithuania were constructed in the 2000 s, the Baltic countries still lack a network of regional chronologies. To fill this gap, we constructed three Scots pine chronologies for western, central and eastern Lithuania. Here we present chronologies covering the fifteen to the twentieth centuries. Our analysis revealed a strong teleconnection of the compiled chronologies with Scots pine chronologies constructed in Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Belarus. The established link with Belarus chronologies and the fact that some of the timber in Lithuanian buildings could be of Belarus origin is important in the long-distance timber trade during the last 500 years. Dendroclimatological analysis has shown that constructed tree-ring chronologies are sensitive to air temperatures in February and March. Therefore, the constructed chronologies have a potential for climate reconstructions and dendroprovenancing.     

Growth/climate response shift in a long subalpine spruce chronology

A new Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) tree-ring width chronology based on living and historic wood spanning the AD 1108–2003 period is developed. This composite record combines 208 high elevation samples from 3 Swiss subalpine valleys, i.e., Lötschental, Goms, and Engadine. To retain potential high- to low-frequency information in this dataset, individual spline detrending and the regional curve standardization are applied. For comparison, 22 high elevation and 6 low-elevation instrumental station records covering the greater Alpine area are used. Previous year August–September precipitation and current year May–July temperatures control spruce ring width back to ～1930. Decreasing (increasing) moving correlations with monthly mean temperatures (precipitation) indicate instable growth/climate response during the 1760–2002 period. Crucial June–August temperatures before ～1900 shift towards May-July temperature plus August precipitation sensitivity after ～1900. Numerous of comparable subalpine spruce chronologies confirm increased late-summer drought stress, coincidently with the recent warming trend. Comparison with regional-, and large-scale millennial-long temperature reconstructions reveal significant similarities prior to ～1900 (1300–1900 mean r=0.51); however, this study does not fully capture the commonly reported 20th century warming (1900–1980 mean r=?0.17). Due to instable growth/climate response of the new spruce chronology, further dendroclimatic reconstruction is not performed.     

Evaluating the temperature sensitivity of radial growth patterns from whitebark pine in the western Canadian Cordillera

We present a network of thirteen annual ring-width chronologies from high elevation whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) sites in the western Canadian Cordillera in order to assess the dendroclimatic potential of this long-lived tree species. The temperature signal within the chronologies is complex and strongly influenced by diverging trends in the summer temperature and ring-width records from across the region. A first differences transformation of the tree-ring and temperature records illustrates a loss of frequency coherence in growth response to summer temperatures following reduced radial growth in the 1950s. Prior to reduced growth, we note a positive association with summer temperatures for both first differenced (r_d = 0.60) and traditional (r = 0.50) records. Following reduced growth, the association at first differences is maintained (r_d = 0.49) whereas there is a change in the lower frequency component of tree growth response to summer temperatures (r = ?0.34). We suggest the cause of this reduced temperature sensitivity is related to the interaction between diurnal temperature and cloud cover patterns, the hydrological regime of snowpack, and site conditions which have been amenable to the initiation of moisture stress during the latter half of the 20th century. Reduced radial growth is coincident with the arrival of white pine blister rust (Cronatium ribicola J.C. Fisch. ex Raben) into the study region which suggests this infestation may be related to the observed reduction in radial growth. Whitebark pine has considerable potential for the field of dendroclimatology. Unfortunately, the decline of the species due to the combined effects of climate change, white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk.), and forest fire exclusion practices indicate this potential may remain unfulfilled.     

Temporal instability in tree-growth/climate response in the Lower Bavarian Forest region: implications for dendroclimatic reconstruction

This paper explores the temporal stability of growth/climate relationships in ring-width chronologies of Norway spruce [ Picea abies (L.) Karst] and silver fir ( Abies alba Mill) in the Lower Bavarian Forest region in southern Germany. These chronologies were compiled, using both historic and living tree-ring data, with the main aim of developing a dendroclimatic reconstruction for the region covering the last 500 years. Moving window correlation analysis shows that prior to the twentieth century, both species co-vary in a similar way (1480–1899 mean r =0.66). There is no significant correlation between the species chronologies since ca. 1930, which partly reflects anomalous growth trends in the fir chronology since ca. 1960. Multiple regression analysis was utilised to assess the ability of both species chronologies to model March–August precipitation. The precipitation signal of the spruce data was found to be both stronger than the fir data (1872–1930 calibration: r ²=0.45 vs 0.25) and more time stable. After ca. 1930, the fir chronology loses it ability to model March–August precipitation until there is no climate signal at all in the fir data in recent decades. The spruce data also express a later weakening in their climate signal in the mid 1970s. We present compelling evidence indicating that the anomalous trends observed in the fir data, since the mid 1960s, appear to be predominantly related to local SO₂ emissions from power plants and refineries. It is also likely that this local anthropogenic forcing is the cause of the weakening of the climate signal in the spruce data since the mid 1970s. The conclusions from this study are: (1) The fir tree-ring data cannot be used for traditional dendroclimatic calibration, although prior to the twentieth century the decadal variability in the fir data is very similar to spruce and so these data could be used to extend potential reconstructions in the future; (2) The recent decline and recovery event in the fir data appears to be unique to the twentieth century and is not part of a natural episodic phenomenon; (3) Traditional dendroclimatic calibration of March–August precipitation will be made using solely the spruce ring-width data. However, due to SO₂ forcing in recent decades, the calibration period will be shortened to the 1871–1978 period.     

The Origin and Dynamics of Subalpine White Spruce and Balsam Fir Stands in Boreal Eastern North America

Associations among the few tree species in the North American boreal landscape are the result of complex interactions between climate, biota, and historical disturbances during the Holocene. The closed-crown boreal forest of eastern North America is subdivided into two ecological regions having distinct tree species associations; the balsam fir zone and the black spruce zone, south and north of 49°N, respectively. Subalpine old-growth stands dominated by trees species typical of the balsam fir forest flora (either balsam fir or white spruce) are found on high plateaus, some of which are isolated within the black spruce zone. Here we identified the ecological processes responsible for the distinct forest associations in the subalpine belt across the eastern boreal landscape. Extensive radiocarbon dating, species composition, and size structure analyses indicated contrasted origin and dynamics of the subalpine forests between the two ecological regions. In the black spruce zone, the subalpine belt is a mosaic of post-fire white spruce or balsam fir stands coexisting at similar elevation on the high plateaus. With increasing time without wildfire, the subalpine forests become structurally similar to the balsam fir forest of the fir zone. These results concur with the hypothesis that the subalpine forests of this area are protected remnants of an historical northern expansion of the fir zone. Its replacement by the fire-prone black spruce forest flora was caused by recurrent fires. In the subalpine belt of the fir zone, no fire was recorded for several millennia. Harsh climate at high altitude is the primary factor explaining white spruce dominance over balsam fir forming a distinct subalpine white spruce belt above the balsam fir dominated forest.     

Ancient juniper trees growing on cliffs: toward a long Mediterranean tree-ring chronology

Juniperus phoenicea is a tree that can grow on vertical cliff faces in dry and warm Mediterranean climate conditions. These trees are adapted to extreme growing conditions where the main constraints are verticality, compact hard limestone, and low water supply. They respond to these constraints via various specific features and high longevity. The objective of this study is to confirm whether or not their tree-rings are annual in order to specify growth strategies and accurately date these trees. Trunk morphology, anatomical wood anomalies and radial growth were analyzed on 53 trees in the Ardèche canyon. Crossdating of the ring widths using traditional dendrochronological techniques was unsuccessful, so radiocarbon dating of tree pith was used to assess tree age, and wiggle-match dating was used to test for differences between number of rings counted and radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon dates span the period 2520–685 BP. Minimal difference between radiocarbon dates and ring counts was apparently small—missing rings occur, but not in large numbers. Tree-ring formation is annual and radial growth is low, which creates stunted old trees. Such old living trees are uncommon in the Mediterranean basin, especially at low elevation. They can provide long tree-ring chronologies back to 792–524 cal BC. Results from the radiocarbon dating indicate that accurate annual dating of these rings may be possible by crossdating. J. phoenicea growing on cliffs offer a valuable model to better understand cliff population ecology and the functional responses of trees that can live in harsh environmental conditions.     

Temporal resolution measurement of 128-slice dual source and 320-row area detector computed tomography scanners in helical acquisition mode using the impulse method

PurposeTo analyse the temporal resolution (TR) of modern computed tomography (CT) scanners using the impulse method, and assess the actual maximum TR at respective helical acquisition modes.MethodsTo assess the actual TR of helical acquisition modes of a 128-slice dual source CT (DSCT) scanner and a 320-row area detector CT (ADCT) scanner, we assessed the TRs of various acquisition combinations of a pitch factor (P) and gantry rotation time (R).ResultsThe TR of the helical acquisition modes for the 128-slice DSCT scanner continuously improved with a shorter gantry rotation time and greater pitch factor. However, for the 320-row ADCT scanner, the TR with a pitch factor of <1.0 was almost equal to the gantry rotation time, whereas with pitch factor of >1.0, it was approximately one half of the gantry rotation time. The maximum TR values of single- and dual-source helical acquisition modes for the 128-slice DSCT scanner were 0.138 (R/P = 0.285/1.5) and 0.074 s (R/P = 0.285/3.2), and the maximum TR values of the 64 × 0.5- and 160 × 0.5-mm detector configurations of the helical acquisition modes for the 320-row ADCT scanner were 0.120 (R/P = 0.275/1.375) and 0.195 s (R/P = 0.3/0.6), respectively.ConclusionBecause the TR of a CT scanner is not accurately depicted in the specifications of the individual scanner, appropriate acquisition conditions should be determined based on the actual TR measurement.     

Altitudinal variation in lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster populations from the Firtina Valley,northeastern Turkey

Studies of altitudinal changes in phenotype and genotype can complement studies of latitudinal patterns and provide evidence of natural selection in response to climatic factors. In Drosophila melanogaster, latitudinal variation in phenotype and genotype has been well studied, but altitudinal patterns have rarely been investigated. We studied populations from six different altitudes varying between 35 m and 2173 m in the Firtina Valley in northeastern part of Turkey to evaluate clinal trends in lifespan under experimental conditions. Lifespan in the D. melanogaster populations was examined in relation to altitude, sex, temperature (25 °C and 29 °C), and dietary yeast concentration (5 g/L and 25 g/L). As expected high temperature decrease lifespan in all populations. However, it was shown that lifespan was slightly affected by dietary stress. We found that lifespan decreases significantly under thermal stress conditions with increasing altitude. Moreover, there was a slightly negative relationship between altitude and lifespan, which was closely associated with climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation, may suggest local adaptation to climate.