Evaluating the dendroclimatological potential of central Appalachian Table Mountain pine (Pinus pungens LAMB.)

Table Mountain pine (Pinus pungens Lamb.) is an Appalachian endemic that occurs in a patchy distribution from Georgia to Pennsylvania on xeric, fire-prone sites. Beginning in the 1990s, Table Mountain pine first showed usefulness in reconstructing fire regimes in these xeric Appalachian forests. The next step in Table Mountain pine research, the relationships between fire occurrence and climate variables, cannot happen until the dendrochronological potential of the species has been proven. This research investigates the annual ring structure and formation, relationship between climate and growth, and dendrochronological dating between trees in the same stands to prove the species’ effectiveness in climate reconstructions. Table Mountain pine cores and cross-sections were collected from four sites in the Virginia Appalachian Mountains. Results indicate that the species is sensitive to climate (monthly precipitation and temperature, PDSI and PHDI). Climate analyses revealed that Table Mountain pine growth is reduced when the previous year's September is drier than normal, the current year’s February is wetter than average, and the winter is colder than average. Results of these climate analyses illustrate a regional climate signal in Table Mountain pine stands; however, results from individual sites provided more significant details on the influence of climate on the species.