El Niño and related monsoon drought signals in 523-year-long ring width records of teak (Tectona grandis L.F.) trees from south India

We present a 523-year (A.D. 1481–2003) tree-ring width index chronology of Teak (Tectona grandis L.F.) from Kerala, Southern India, prepared from three forest sites. Dendroclimatological investigations indicate a significant positive relationship between the tree-ring index series and Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) and related global parameters like the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). A higher frequency of occurrence of low tree growth is observed in years of deficient Indian monsoon rainfall (droughts) associated with El Niño since the late 18th century. Prior to that time, many low tree growth years are detected during known El Niño events, probably related to deficient Indian monsoon rainfall. The general relationship between ISMR and El Niño is known to be negative and the spatial correlations between our Kerala tree-ring chronology and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over the Niño regions follow similar patterns as those for ISMR. This relationship indicates strong ENSO-related monsoon signals in the tree-ring records. These tree-ring chronologies with a high degree of sensitivity to monsoon climate are useful tools to understand the vagaries of monsoon rainfall prior to the period of recorded data.     

Hydroclimatic variability of the upper Nazas basin: Water management implications for the irrigated area of the Comarca Lagunera, Mexico

Earlywood ring-width chronologies derived primarily from Douglas-fir trees were used to reconstruct winter–spring (November–May) precipitation and fall–spring (September–June) streamflow volumes for the period 1765–1993 in the forested upper Nazas watershed in Durango, Mexico. The tree-ring data were obtained from mixed conifer stands within or adjacent to the upper Nazas watershed. Precipitation data were derived from one of the longest regional records. The streamflow data were obtained from a guage located in the upper Nazas watershed. The Principal Component 1 (PC1) of nine residual earlywood chronologies accounted for 73% of the variance in November–May precipitation 1967–1993, and 64% for the total period with available data 1941–1993. The mean of three residual earlywood chronologies from Douglas-fir explained 51% of the normalized streamflow at Sardinas from 1971–1992. The 20th century was characterized by severe droughts, especially between 1950 and 1963 that also affected other regions of Mexico and the southwestern United States. Additional droughts of similar or greater magnitude occurred in the 1790s, 1810s, 1860–1870s and 1890–1910s. Similar periods of low flow occur in the September–June streamflow reconstruction between 1765 and 1993. These results indicate that tree-ring chronologies from this region document a high percentage of the precipitation and streamflow variance. Spectral analysis detected significant high periodicities in both records at peaks of 4 and 7 years that could be related to the ENSO frequency bands (approximately 4.0 and 6.25 years). Analysis of the reconstructed records show strong influence of ENSO on precipitation and streamflow amounts on an interannual basis. These results can provide significant inputs to decisions regarding management of water resources that are used to irrigate land in the Comarca Lagunera: specifically they indicate that water budgeting should be managed over longer time periods to account for this ENSO-related variability rather than on the year-to-year basis that is presently used.     

“El Niño” events recorded in dry-forest species of the lowlands of northwest Peru

The northwest coast of Peru (5°S, 80°W) is very sensitive to and impacted by the climate phenomenon El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Though mainly desert, this warm, dry region contains an equatorial dry forest. We report the first dendrochronological studies from this region and identify several species that have dendrochronological potential. Short ring-width chronologies of Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens) show a well-developed response to the ENSO signal over the last 50 years and good inter-site correlations. Preliminary isotopic studies in Algarrobo (Prosopis sp.) also show evidence of the 1997–98 El Niño event. ENSO events have a strong effect on the variability in the growth of several species and thereby on the economy of rural communities where the wood is used for housing, cooking, furniture, tools, fodder and medicinal uses. The extensive use of wood in archeological sites also offers the possibility of ultimately developing longer records for some of these species.     

树木年内径向生长对干旱事件的响应——以贺兰山油松为例

在贺兰山苏峪口国家森林公园,利用径向生长测量仪监测2017和2018年2个生长季内、2个海拔(2010和2330 m)油松的径向生长,研究树木径向生长对干旱的响应。结果表明: 2018年6月的干旱事件使得油松径向生长速率减慢,生长量减小;而7—8月的降水使油松的径向生长重新激活。2018年油松的径向生长主要发生在6—8月,相比2017年延长一个月。油松径向生长与气候因子的响应关系在不同海拔间没有明显的差异。生长季早期干旱对树木径向生长有抑制作用,生长季中后期降水对树木径向生长具有促进作用。该区的气候重建工作中应当充分考虑8月的气候要素对树轮宽度的影响。     

Paleoclimatic potential of the northernmost juniper trees in Europe

In late summer 2004 stem discs were collected from about 40 juniper trees (Juniperus Siberica Burgsd) growing at the remote central part of Kola Peninsula behind the polar circle at the northern timberline. Up to now these juniper trees are oldest ones found at Kola Peninsula. Data processing was difficult due to extremely small tree rings as well as the occurrence of missing and false rings. However, finally it was possible to build up a 676-year long chronology and retrieve information on the past climatic variations at Kola Peninsula that could partly be linked to extraterrestrial factors such as changes in solar activity and galactic cosmic ray activity. It was obtained that:

(1) There is a rather good agreement between long-term climatic variation in Europe and at Kola Peninsula.

(2) The minima of solar activity Sporer (1416–1534 AD), Maunder (1645–1715 AD) and Dalton (1801–1816 AD) were accompanied by temperature decreases. Cooling during the end of the Wolf minimum (until 1350) is reflected in the juniper tree-ring series from Kola Peninsula whereas it is not reflected in the European temperature reconstructions.

(3) Some recent decreases in solar activity around 1900 and 1960 are linked to phases of reduced growth in juniper.

(4) The juniper chronologies from Kola Peninsula do not indicate a temperature rise at the end of the XX century.

(5) MTM spectral and wavelet analysis of juniper tree-ring records showed:

(a) more pronounced 22- and 80–100-year periodicities;

(b) the main cycle of solar activity, the 11-year Schwabe cycle, was not present;

(c) 20–22-year periodicity was not significant throughout the entire ca.700-year period, but during certain time intervals: 1328–1550, 1710–1800, 1985 to present.

Responses of tree-ring growth and crop yield to drought indices in the Shanxi province,North China

In this paper, we analyze the relationships among the tree-ring chronology, meteorological drought (precipitation), agricultural drought (Palmer Drought Severity Index PDSI), hydrological drought (runoff), and agricultural data in the Shanxi province of North China. Correlation analyses indicate that the tree-ring chronology is significantly correlated with all of the drought indices during the main growing season from March to July. Sign test analyses further indicate that the tree-ring chronology shows variation similar to that of the drought indices in both high and low frequencies. Comparisons of the years with narrow tree rings to the severe droughts reflected in all three indices from 1957 to 2008 reveal that the radial growth of the trees in the study region can accurately record the severe drought for which all three indices were in agreement (1972, 1999, 2000, and 2001). Comparisons with the dryness/wetness index indicate that tree-ring growth can properly record the severe droughts in the history. Correlation analyses among agricultural data, tree-ring chronology, and drought indices indicate that the per-unit yield of summer crops is relatively well correlated with the agricultural drought, as indicated by the PDSI. The PDSI is the climatic factor that significantly influences both tree growth and per-unit yield of summer crops in the study region. These results indicate that the PDSI and tree-ring chronology have the potential to be used to monitor and predict the yield of summer crops. Tree-ring chronology is an important tool for drought research and for wider applications in agricultural and hydrological research.     

新疆阿勒泰地区西伯利亚红松径向生长对气候水文的响应

利用采自新疆阿勒泰地区西伯利亚红松树轮样本,建立树轮标准化年表,对气候水文因子对西伯利亚红松径向生长的影响进行了研究。结果表明: 西伯利亚红松年表包含较高的气候信息,与当年5—6月平均温度、平均最高温度表现出显著的负相关,与当年5—6月帕默尔干旱指数(PDSI)表现出显著的正相关,与当年1—6月降水表现出显著的正相关,与上一年11月额尔齐斯河径流表现出明显的正相关。温度和降水共同影响该地区西伯利亚红松的径向生长,其中生长期前期降水与夏季温度是影响径向生长的关键气候要素。对年表极值年的研究发现,厄尔尼诺-南方振动(ENSO)及全球大尺度环流与西伯利亚红松径向生长存在联系,ENSO通过对中亚上空气旋位置的影响使输送到阿勒泰地区的水汽产生变化,从而影响到西伯利亚红松的径向生长。     

滇西不同海拔云南松径向生长对气候水文要素的响应

利用滇西地区两个不同海拔采样点的云南松树轮样本,建立树轮宽度标准化年表,研究其径向生长对气候和水文要素的响应。结果表明:滇西云南松径向生长主要受降水量、气温和径流量的影响,其中高海拔(2413.3 m)云南松径向生长受夏季高温的制约和季风季节径流量影响,而低海拔(1062.6 m)云南松径向生长受生长季的降水量和全年径流量影响。滇西高海拔云南松径向生长对气温变化的响应受温度阈值影响表现出不稳定性;低海拔云南松径向生长对降水量和径流量的响应,在20世纪80年代均受到东亚夏季风的减弱而出现波动。滇西不同海拔云南松径向生长与亚洲夏季风活动及厄尔尼诺存在联系。     

Temporal mortality pattern of pedunculate oaks in southern Sweden

Decline of the oak forests decline in southern Sweden has been reported for more than two decades. Little empirical data exists, however, to study the temporal pattern of the phenomenon in detail. In this study we quantified the temporal pattern of non-windfall oak mortality by analyzing the dataset of 44 dendrochronologically dated dead pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) trees. We compared tree-ring chronologies from recently dead and living trees from the same sites (number of sites=13) located in the nemoral and boreo-nemoral zones in southern Sweden. For each dead tree, tree-ring chronologies were analyzed for the presence of pre-death growth depressions. A growth depression was defined as a period (of one or more years) when growth remained below the 5%, 7%, or 10% quantiles of the ring-width distribution obtained from living trees for a particular year and site.

The most recent peak in oak mortality occurred around the year 2000. Growth depressions were recorded in 80% (n=35) of all dead oaks and were most prominent during the 1990s. While some oaks showed an obvious reduction in growth over several decades, 51% of the dead trees had growth depression for at least 4 years prior to death. Although diameter growth rate differed between living and recently dead trees for at least 30 years, this difference started to amplify in late 1980s–early 1990s. Presence of pre-death growth depression in tree-ring chronologies implies that (a) non-windfall mortality of oak is a decade-long process and (b) the actual death events might be lagging behind the timing of the mortality-inducing factors. ANOVA revealed significant differences in tree responses to the drought year 1992. The cumulative growth increment ratio between 1992–1994 and 1989–1991, was higher in living trees than in those that had recently died. We suggest that the spring and summer drought of 1992 resulted in the mortality of oaks that was observed in southern Sweden at the end of the 20th century. If this time lag exists, it may complicate analyses of decline-related factors and the choice of appropriate actions by forest managers. We conclude that studies of oak decline may benefit from widening the time perspective to include several decades preceding the sampling year.     

A preliminary reconstruction (A.D. 1635–2000) of spring precipitation using oak tree rings in the western Black Sea region of Turkey

Tree-ring data for Turkey are crucial to the understanding of the climatological effect of drought and rainfall from one era to the next. To this end, the present study reconstructed precipitation patterns in the western Black Sea region of Turkey. Tree-ring widths of oak trees were used to reconstruct March–June precipitation patterns for the years A.D. 1635–2000. According to the findings, during the past four centuries drought events in this region persisted for no more than 2 years, and extreme dry and wet events occurred generally in 1-year intervals. Historical records of droughts in Anatolia and neighboring countries corroborate the data furnished by tree-ring widths to indicate that major droughts and famine events occurred in 1725, 1757, 1887, 1890–1891, 1893–1894 and 1927–1928.     

Potential of Schinopsis lorentzii for dendrochronological studies in subtropical dry Chaco forests of South America

The lack of knowledge about species with well-delimited annual rings has hampered the development of dendrochronological records in the subtropical Chaco region of South America. In this contribution, we present the first tree-ring chronology of Schinopsis lorentzii (Anacardiaceae), a dominant species in the semi-arid Chaco. Cross sections were collected near Las Lajitas, Salta, Argentina, and processed following the methods commonly used in dendrochronology. Annual growth variations between radii from a single individual and between radii from different trees were highly correlated. To determine the climatic parameters that control radial growth, we compared annual tree-ring variations against regional temperature and precipitation records. Correlation functions indicate that tree growth is highly influenced by spring–summer rainfall variations, which represent more than 80% of the total annual precipitation. The chronology, which covers the interval from 1829 to 2004, provides a context for the unprecedented increase in precipitation since the mid-1970s in the region. The climatic-sensitivity of S. lorentzii provides a unique opportunity to reconstruct precipitation variations during past centuries in the extensive semiarid regions of subtropical South America.     

Development of tree-ring width chronologies and tree-growth response to climate in the mountains surrounding the Issyk-Kul Lake,Central Asia

Three tree-ring width chronologies were developed from 75 Picea schrenkiana trees ranging from low- to high-elevation in the mountains surrounding the Issyk-Kul Lake, Northeast Kyrgyzstan. The reliable chronologies extend back to the mid-18th and late-19th centuries. Spatial correlation analysis indicates that the chronologies for the relatively high-elevation trees contain large-scale climatic signals, while the chronology at relatively low elevation may reflect the local climate variability. The results of the response of tree growth to climate show that these chronologies contain an annual precipitation signal. Furthermore, the influence of temperature indicates mainly moisture stress that is enhanced with rising elevation. The tree-ring records also captured a wetting trend in eastern Central Asia over the past decades. These new tree-ring width chronologies provide reliable proxies of precipitation variability in Central Asia and contribute to the International Tree-Ring Data Bank.     

不同去趋势方法的新疆东天山高低海拔雪岭云杉树轮宽度年表对气候的响应

利用新疆东天山高低海拔雪岭云杉(Picea schrenkiana Fisch.et Mey.)年轮样本,采用样条函数法、负指数函数法和区域曲线法3种去趋势方法研制树轮宽度标准化年表,通过分析不同去趋势方法的新疆东天山高低海拔云杉树轮宽度标准化年表特征、年表与气候响应的关系和年表间在不同频域互相关,及其与其它资料对比发现:(1)3种去趋势法对东天山年表质量影响较小,低海拔树轮年表含有更多可靠的气候变化信息。(2)高海拔的雪岭云杉树木径向生长与6—9月平均气温均呈显著正相关,其中标准化树轮年表与7月平均气温相关系数达0.553(P0.01,n=58),夏季温度可能是东天山高海拔雪岭云杉径向生长的主要限制因子;低海拔雪岭云杉树木径向生长与春季降水显著正相关,同时与春季平均气温显著负相关,春季高温和缺水共同作用的春旱可能是影响低海拔雪岭云杉径向生长的主导因子,且负指数函数年表对气候响应更敏感。(3)区域曲线法能够保留树轮标准化年表中更多低频信息,但优势不明显。高低海拔标准化年表在低频域相关系数较大,并和历史干旱事件有很好的对应。在东天山高低海拔雪岭云杉的去趋势方法研究中,负指数函数法比样条函数法和区域曲线法更适合。     

Climate–growth relationships of the dominant tree species from semi-arid savanna woodland in Ethiopia

Long-term climate–growth relationships, were examined in tree rings of four co-occurring tree species from semi-arid Acacia savanna woodlands in Ethiopia. The main purpose of the study was to prove the presence of annual tree rings, evaluate the relationship between radial growth and climate parameters, and evaluate the association of El Niño and drought years in Ethiopia. The results showed that all species studied form distinct growth boundaries, though differences in distinctiveness were revealed among the species. Tree rings of the evergreen Balanites aegyptiaca were separated by vessels surrounding a thin parenchyma band and the growth boundary of the deciduous acacias was characterized by thin parenchyma bands. The mean annual diameter increment ranged from 3.6 to 5.0 mm. Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal showed more enhanced growth than Acacia tortilis and B. aegyptiaca. High positive correlations were found between the tree-ring width chronologies and precipitation data, and all species showed similar response to external climate forcing, which supports the formation of one tree-ring per year. Strong declines in tree-ring width correlated remarkably well with past El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events and drought/famine periods in Ethiopia. Spectral analysis of the master tree-ring chronology indicated occurrences of periodic drought events, which fall within the spectral peak equivalent to 2–8 years. Our results proved the strong linkage between tree-ring chronologies and climate, which sheds light on the potential of dendrochronological studies developing in Ethiopia. The outcome of this study has important implications for paleoclimatic reconstructions and in restoration of degraded lands.     

亚热带人工和天然马尾松、杉木林生长对干旱的生态弹性差异

选取福建中西部地区相似气候条件下马尾松和杉木的天然林和人工林进行研究,利用年轮宽度、年轮宽度指数和断面积增量重建了4种林型共109株松树20年(1993—2012年)的年生长量,计算其对连续两次极端干旱事件(2003—2004年和2011年)的抵抗力、恢复力和弹性指数,分析人工林和天然林在抵抗力和弹性方面的差异。结果表明:马尾松和杉木对水分的需求在时间上存在差异,这解释了其对2003—2004年干旱事件的响应不一致。干旱压力极大地降低了马尾松和杉木的生长,但树木生长并未表现出干旱遗留效应。受干旱强度的影响,4种林型径向生长对2003—2004年干旱的响应强于2011年。干旱事件后马尾松比杉木具有更强的恢复能力;天然林比人工林对干旱的敏感性更高,同时弹性也更大。杉木人工林更容易受到频发的极端干旱事件的影响,在人工林抚育管理中应选择抗旱能力较强的遗传种源,以应对气候变暖导致的干旱频发。     

呼伦贝尔沙地樟子松年轮生长对气候变化的响应

以内蒙古呼伦贝尔地区沙地樟子松为样本,建立了樟子松树木年轮宽度年表,应用相关分析和响应函数分析等年轮气候学方法,研究了樟子松径向生长对气候变化的响应。结果表明,樟子松年轮宽度与4月和6—9月平均温度呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05);与各月降水量多呈正相关关系,特别是与当年5—8月的月降水量呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05);树轮年表与前一年10月至当年10月的PDSI均呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05),其中与5月份PDSI的相关性最高。响应函数分析表明,年表与当年6—7月的平均气温、上一年10月和当年5—7月份的降雨存在显著的相关性,与5—7月份PDSI存在较显著的正相关性;综合来看,呼伦贝尔沙地樟子松生长同时受降水和温度的影响,其径向生长与气候因子间的关系属于降水敏感型,为区域降水重建提供了科学基础。     

First dendrochronological studies of Quercus protoroburoides

Quercus protoroburoides Donchev and Bouzov ex Tashev and Tsavkov (Rila oak) is a species with extremely limited and localized distribution. It is found only on several locations on slopes above Rila Monastery in Rila Mountains (Bulgaria) at elevations between 1500 m and 1750 m a.s.l. The trees are in small groups or scattered, usually situated on ridges slightly higher than the local population of sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) and above mixed fir-beech forests. The species was first discovered and described in 1968 by Boris Buzov, but was officially validated in 2017 by Tashev and Tsavkov. Up to this moment there were no dendrochronological studies of the species and there is general lack of data on how climate affects its growth. Our aim was to contribute to filling this knowledge gap. In our study we analyzed 42 series (22 trees) from Q. protoroburoides from two locations (Drushlyavitsa and Brichebor) and compared them to cores from Q. petraea from the same region. The Rila oak trees varied in age from 30 to 170 years. Nearly half of them were about 50 years old. The composed tree-ring chronology spans from 1856 to 2019 with more than 5 included series after 1870. The sessile oak trees were generally older and the chronology spanned from 1743, having more than 4 series after 1786. The climate-growth analysis with local and gridded data revealed positive effects on growth of previous August and current April-June precipitation, positive correlations with previous May-June temperatures and negative with August temperatures. Most of the pointer years with low growth were characterized by extreme climate conditions, such as summer droughts, unusually cold summers or delayed start of the vegetation period due to late frost events at the end of May or early June. Our data indicate that Q. protoroburoides and Q. petraea trees at this unusually high location for oaks are sensitive to climate conditions including summer droughts.     

Comparison of living-tree and subfossil ringwidths with summer temperatures from 18, 19 and 20 centuries in Northern Finland

This work seeks to analyse the importance of summer-temperatures an the tree-ring growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) during the past three centuries. Three living-tree chronologies, subfossil pine chronology and one composite tree-ring chronology were constructed from latitudinal and altitudinal forest-limits of pine in northern Finland and compared with meteorological data comes from three localities. These data include early instrumental temperature observations from 18^th and 19^th centuries. The modern meteorological data covers the period from 1860 to present. Response functions were derived by means of Pearson correlations using five subperiods as follows: 1738–1748, 1802–1822, 1825–1835, 1861–1926 and 1927–1992. It was demonstrated that the correlations between ringwidths and mid-summer (July) temperatures did not vary significantly as a function of time. Early(June) and late-summer (August) mean temperatures were secondary in relation to mid-summer temperatures in controlling the radial growth. Early-summer temperatures governed pine radial growth most clearly during the 19^th century, whereas late-summer temperatures had strongest influence an ring-widths during the 18^th century and later part of the 20^th century. There was no clear signature of temporally reduced sensitivity of Scots pine ring-widths to mid-summer temperatures over the periods of early meteorological observations. Subfossil pine chronology, constructed using pines recovered from small Jakes along the forest-limit zone, showed a consistent pattern of response to summer-temperatures in relation to living-tree chronologies.     

普达措国家公园四种针叶树径向生长对气候因子的响应

运用树木年代学的原理和方法,对普达措国家公园大果红杉、长苞冷杉、高山松和麦吊云杉4个优势针叶树种的年轮宽度进行测量,建立年轮宽度差值年表。分析年表与香格里拉气象站的日、月气候数据的相关性,研究4个优势针叶树种的径向生长对气候因子的响应。结果表明: 大果红杉的年生长速率最高,长苞冷杉的年生长速率最低;4种针叶树径向生长对气候因子的响应存在物种特异性,大果红杉与气候因子的相关性最强,麦吊云杉的径向生长对气候因子的响应不敏感;长苞冷杉树轮宽度年表与上年冬季(11、12月)和当年夏季(7月)的平均温度呈显著正相关;大果红杉树轮宽度年表与生长季早期(6月)温度呈显著正相关,与同期降水量和相对湿度呈显著负相关;而高山松树轮宽度年表与生长季早期(5月)的降水量和相对湿度呈显著正相关,与同期最高温度呈显著负相关,表明高山松的径向生长主要受生长季早期水分可利用性的影响。     

河北塞罕坝樟子松径向生长动态变化及其与气象因子的关系

树木是森林生态系统的基本组成, 其生长受气象因子的影响, 基于此, 该研究通过监测樟子松(Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica)的径向生长, 研究樟子松生长日动态规律、季节动态规律及其与气象因子的关系, 探讨河北塞罕坝地区樟子松森林生态系统对气候变化的响应机制。此外, 以往研究树木生长大多数基于树轮年代学, 缺少短期树木径向生长动态的研究。该研究利用径向生长记录仪监测河北塞罕坝机械林场内樟子松连续3年(2016-2018)的树干径向动态变化。结果表明: 由于树干的水分吸收与蒸腾作用, 樟子松树干径向昼夜变化呈现季节性规律, 可划分为4个阶段: 春季萌动期、夏季生长期、秋冬交替期和冬季休眠期。塞罕坝樟子松树干径向生长开始于每年4月初; 4月初至5月中旬为水分恢复阶段; 5月中旬至7月中旬为快速生长阶段; 7月中旬至10月中旬为缓慢生长阶段; 10月中、下旬生长趋于停止, 并有树干径向收缩现象。以一天为时间尺度, 在快速生长阶段(5月初至7月中旬)樟子松径向生长主要受空气温度的影响; 缓慢生长阶段(7月中旬至10月下旬)降水量、空气温度均影响樟子松径向生长。以15天为时间尺度, 温度对樟子松径向生长的影响显著。结果显示樟子松的生长动态规律及其影响因子, 为未来樟子松生理研究提供参考时间节点, 同时在极端低温与干旱的情况下, 为半干旱地区樟子松的生长状态提供参考依据。