The impact of climate change on the growth of European beech at optimal altitudes in the Republic of Srpska

Abstract

Many studies have shown that small climate changes can strongly affect the forest trees growth rate, many times causing changes in species habitats. In general, drought is mentioned as the main problem, so it is necessary to carry out its identification and quantification to investigate its effects on forests in Republic of Srpska. This study aims to analyse the relationship between the growth of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) at optimal altitudes in the Republic of Srpska and its climate characteristics represented by the Forestry Aridity Index (FAI) and Ellenberg's climate quotient (EQ) for 1950-2015 timespan. FAI and EQ were calculated using climate data (temperature and precipitation) extracted from a gridded dataset (E-OBS). Sampling was carried out in two localities near Vlasenica and Mrkonjić Grad at 1050 and 1030 meters above sea level (m a.s.l.), sampling the cores from 15 dominant trees at each locality. Using the Pearson Correlation Analysis, a negative impact on tree rings width (TRW) with rising index values was identified. This is especially pronounced for the index values of the year prior to the ring formation. In general, stronger negative correlations between TRW and EQ are found for the locality near Mrkonjić Grad, while FAI index showed a greater negative impact on TRW for the locality near Vlasenica.

Variations in Proline Content, Polyamine Profiles, and Antioxidant Capacities among Different Provenances of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

“…Although beech presents the most prominent and widely distributed deciduous tree species across Europe, high evolutionary pressure imposed by climate change might detrimentally affect the future distribution range of this species [4,5]. Indeed, the vulnerability of beech forests to limited water availability and their potential migrations have been described in many studies [6][7][8]. For example, recent species distribution models indicated a change in the current beech stand location with the prediction that the European beech will reduce its elevational distribution and exhibit a significant upward shift towards higher, more suitable elevation during the second half of the 21st century in the territory of Serbia, whereas European beech stands below 500 m are threatened and might disappear [9].…”