Different growth patterns of Picea schrenkiana subsp. tianshanica (Rupr.) Bykov and Juglans regia L. coexisting under the same ecological conditions in the Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve in Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

Abstract:The main aim of the study was to compare the radial growth of Persian walnut and Schrenk spruce trees growing under the same ecological conditions in the Sary-Chelek range of the Tien-Shan Mountains, as well as to analyse the response of these species to the selected climate factors in line with the altitude gradient. Four study plots were established at the altitude of 1350, 1400, 1450 and 1500 m a.s.l. Results indicated that (1) walnut and spruce in the Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve have different patterns of radial increment and reaction to climate factors, despite growing in the same habitat, (2) spruce radial growth responded to low precipitation and low temperature during the April to September period of the previous year; (3) walnut radial increment patterns varied significantly with changes in altitude, whereas spruce patterns did not; and (4) walnut radial increment patterns responded positively to high temperature during contemporary growing season and to precipitation during the prior growing season. In addition, it was noted that precipitation during the contemporary growing season could negatively influence growth.

Searching for the best correlation between climate and tree rings in the Trans-Ili Alatau, Kazakhstan

“…Correlations with temperatures in current July, especially with maximum temperature is also in agreement with Borscheva's results (1983) which showed that, in July LW formation starts and we see that temperature has the primal effect on this process. Negative correlations with temperature in July are also in agreement with results published by Magnuszewski et al (2015). It can be also considered as a manifestation of drought stress, because low precipitation and high temperature can affect the production of sugars (LaMarche, 1974).…”

Improving local forest growth prediction by terrain-derived attributes, airborne γ-ray, and leaf area index

“…Even though the elevation was not specifically targeted, it was tested as altitude has a known effect on tree growth (Coomes & Allen 2007). However, the results of the presented research matched those reported in earlier studies (Monserud & Sterba 1996;Adams et al 2014;Magnuszewski et al 2015). In addition, the same effect has been reported by different studies in different climate zones, e.g.…”

“…temperate zones (in the presented dissertation), and semi-arid zones (Adams et al 2014), and this lends support to the findings. The effect of altitude was also proven to be significant and small differences in altitudes have been seen to affect some forest trees species (Magnuszewski et al 2015). For the sake of discussion, one could argue that the effects of the elevation may reflect the vertical distance to the groundwater, and not to allude to any low variations of elevation within the study area, therefore this particular observation must be interpreted with caution.…”

“…The slow growth of spruce as shadetolerant compared to pine may also be influential, as the latter species is light-demanding and can respond immediately to changes in local conditions (Miina 1994). Another explanation could be that spruce species are less affected by changes in soil moisture content which result from changes in topography or changes in altitude (see Magnuszewski et al 2015), and the national model had been fitted with pine as the main species. However, these assumptions could have been valid in cases of the source DTM being of higher cell size (as seen in Sub-Study I).…”

Two twentieth-centuryMLH= 7.5 earthquakes recorded in annually laminated lake sediments from Sary Chelek, western Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan

“…The local climate is humid continental with relatively warm summers and mild but snowy winters. The long-term average annual air temperature in the nearby village Arkit (~10 km south of Sary Chelek, ~1300 m asl) is about 8°C; January and July means are about −5°C and 19°C, respectively (Magnuszewski et al, 2015). The average annual rainfall amounts to about 900–1000 mm (Academy of Science of the Kyrgyz SSR, 1987; Magnuszewski et al, 2015) with monthly averages of 120–150 mm from March to May, ~40 mm in August and September, and 60–80 mm between December and February (Magnuszewski et al, 2015).…”