Growth responses of Pinus sylvestris (L.) to burial by drift sand and its application to the reconstruction of aeolian dune development

Recreationally created footpaths as a means of preserving specific biotopes of bare sand accumulations: Evidence provided by dendrogeomorphic reconstruction

“…Nevertheless, even older trees (although believed to be less sensitive; Šilhán & Stoffel, 2015) can be suitable recorders of sand accumulation processes if they express sensitive enough increment patterns (Speer, 2010). This result is confirmed even by the findings of Šilhán et al (2021) from the studied region, where sensitive individuals of P. sylvestris were able to record stem burial of several centimeters. Moreover, the sampling height should not play any important role because according to Dech and Maun (2006), P. sylvestris has a limited ability to vertically differentiate its increment; thus, it is possible to detect macroscopic growth disturbances at various levels above/below the current sand level.…”

“…Moreover, the sampling height should not play any important role because according to Dech and Maun (2006), P. sylvestris has a limited ability to vertically differentiate its increment; thus, it is possible to detect macroscopic growth disturbances at various levels above/below the current sand level. The findings of Šilhán et al (2021), who did not find any distinct trends in changes in growth disturbance intensity in the vertical direction along the stem, confirm the mentioned assumption. Nevertheless, these conclusions were made at the level of individual trees.…”

“…The reliability of this reconstruction can be assumed to be very high because it was based not only on macroscopic responses but also on anatomical reactions, which are very precise according to Cournoyer and Filion (1994). This value was almost twice as high as the reconstructed mean A R value in the studied region (2.4 cm yr −1 ; Šilhán et al, 2021), but was within a locality with lower anthropogenic activity. The compared site without anthropogenic intervention showed a slightly higher density of forestation, which is a factor significantly reducing the intensity of erosion (Porto et al, 2009).…”

“…Tree rings were counted, and their widths were measured using a dendrochronological TimeTable measurement device and PAST4 software (VIAS, 2005) with 0.01 mm accuracy. Individual tree‐ring series were cross‐dated against reference chronology that was used from the study of Šilhán et al (2021) from P. sylvestris growing in the closer surroundings of the studied locality. Cross‐dating enabled the detection and correction of false/missing rings to all tree rings that were correctly associated with the year of their origin.…”

“…The area was originally covered by Quercus robur L. and Pinus sylvestris L. The primary forests were removed during the 18th century, and the region was subsequently afforested with P. sylvestris monoculture. Recently, aeolian processes have been active only in locally afforested localities where even sheet erosion affects the bare sand surface (Šilhán et al, 2021).…”