Extreme Radial Growth Reaction of Norway Spruce Along An Altitudinal Gradient in the Šumava Mountains

Abstract

Extreme radial growth reactions were analyzed over a 79-year period (1922-2000) to compare response of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) along an altitudinal gradient (376-1221 m a.s.l.) in the Šumava Mountains, the Czech Republic. Extreme growth events were defined as pointer years, when an average percentage of the site pointer years reached at least 50% strength observed at the relevant altitudinal zone (low < ca. 700 m; middle ca. 700-950 m, high > ca. 950 m). The comparison of the pointer years showed a specific pattern for altitudinal zones (Low: negative pointer years 2000, 1992, 1984, 1976, 1971 and positive 1997, 1975, 1960, 1949, 1932, 1926; middle: negative 2000, 1992, 1976 and positive 1997, 1989, 1978; high: negative 1996, 1980, 1974, 1965 and positive 1989, 1963, 1927). Negative pointer years were usually induced by summer drought at low elevations and by wet-cold summer at high altitudinal zone. These two main limiting factors were probably combined at the middle altitudinal zone. Detailed understanding of the extreme tree ring pattern along the altitudinal and geographical scale may be used as one of the additional indicators of dendrochronological dating and provenance identification of spruce sample among altitudinal zones in the Šumava Mountains.

Age, competition, disturbance and elevation effects on tree and stand growth response of primary Picea abies forest to climate

“…The finding that Norway spruce growth in the study area was mainly temperature-driven has been observed in other studies (Č ejková and Kolář, 2009;Treml et al, 2012;Wilson and Hopfmueller, 2001), although we found that growth was also influenced by spring precipitation. Even though we found similar patterns of the climate-growth relationships at the plot and tree scales, the individualistic approach highlighted that while most trees positively responded to spring precipitation, some of them also reacted to precipitation in previous and current summers.…”

“…Norway spruce growth generally increases with summer temperature towards higher elevation and it is mainly constrained by low water availability at lower elevations (e.g. Büntgen et al, 2007;Č ejková and Kolář, 2009;Mäkinen et al, 2002;Treml et al, 2012;Wilson and Hopfmueller, 2001). Nevertheless, the sensitivity of Norway spruce RWIs to climate at different elevations was frequently modulated by other stand and tree features, such as stand crowding, tree-to-tree competition, or tree age.…”

“…The study forests are considered temperaturesensitive because they represent the upper part of the spruce distribution in the Carpathians but do not reach the alpine tree line (Č ejková and Kolář, 2009;Treml et al, 2012;Wilson and Hopfmueller, 2001). Our main objectives were to determine the main climatic variables influencing Norway spruce growth and to elucidate how stand and individual tree conditions influence the trees' growth responses to climate.…”

Effect of climate on extreme radial growth of Scots pine growing on bogs in Latvia

“…climate), and it depends on tree species, bioclimatic regions, and site characteristics (Oberhuber et al, 1998;Desplanque et al, 1999;Rolland et al, 2000;Elferts, 2007). Pointer years are particularly useful for dendrochonological dating and they can be a powerful tool for dating the reaction of trees to climatic influences, particularly regarding extreme events (Desplanque et al, 1999;Vitas & Erlickytė, 2007) and at sites located at the ecological limits of the tree species (Rolland et al, 2000;Čejková & Kolář, 2009).…”

Evaluating similarity of radial increments around tree stem circumference of European beech and Norway spruce from Central Europe

“…Bigler et al, 2004;Gray et al, 2004;Muzika et al, 2004;Büntgen et al, 2006;Carrer and Urbinati, 2006;Koprowski and Zielski, 2006;Esper et al, 2007;Büntgen et al, 2007;Čejková and Kolář, 2009;Feliksik and Wilczyński, 2009;Bijak, 2010;Fang et al, 2010;Bošeľa et al, 2011;Bošeľa et al, 2014;Dittmar et al, 2012;Hökkä et al, 2012), and studies using more than two cores or discs are less frequent (e.g. Brienen and Zuidema, 2005;Ďurský et al, 2006;Van Der MaatenTheunissen et al, 2013) because they are costly and destructive.…”