The Response of Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Populations to Climate in the Easternmost Sites of Its European Distribution

Abstract

In the context of forecasted climate change scenarios, the growth of forest tree species at their distribution margin is crucial to adapt current forest management strategies. Analyses of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) growth have shown high plasticity, but easternmost beech populations have been rarely studied. To describe the response of the marginal beech population to the climate in the far east sites of its distribution, we first compiled new tree ring width chronologies. Then we analyzed climate–growth relationships for three marginal beech populations in the Republic of Moldova. We observed a relatively high growth rate in the marginal populations compared to core distribution sites. Our analyses further revealed a distinct and significant response of beech growth to all climatic variables, assessing for the first time the relationship between growth and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) which described how plant growth responds to drought. These results highlight that accumulated water deficit is an essential limiting factor of beech growth in this region. In conclusion, beech growth in the easternmost marginal population is drought-limited, and the sensitivity to VPD will need to be considered in future studies to update the forest management of other economic and ecologically important species.

First genome-wide data from Italian European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.): Strong and ancient differentiation between Alps and Apennines

“…Although being a widely distributed deciduous broadleaf temperate tree, Fagus sylvatica is currently experiencing drought-induced growth decline and increasing mortality due to climate change, particularly at its southern edge, with predicted serious ecological and economic consequences [ 5 , 6 , 103 ]. On the other hand, recent studies are also showing that marginal populations of the species may exhibit different responses to drought and other climatic stress [ 22 , 104 , 105 ]. Therefore, deciphering the response of marginal beech populations to climate change is essential for adapting the current forest management strategies, and a proper and deep knowledge of gene pools in these areas may foster more rigorous and well-grounded adaptation studies.…”

Using Adapted and Productive European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Provenances as Future Solutions for Sustainable Forest Management in Romania

“…Also, in the eastern part of Romania, beech stands were affected by the dry weather conditions, and the main limiting factor in this area seems to be the summer drought [34][35][36]. A recent study carried out in the Republic of Moldova shows that European beech stands from the eastern limit of the natural distribution range are very sensitive to water availability and extended drought events [37].…”

Developing a Model for Curve-Fitting a Tree Stem’s Cross-Sectional Shape and Sapwood–Heartwood Transition in a Polar Diagram System Using Nonlinear Regression

“…Dendrochronology reads annual tree-ring variations to analyze a tree's archaeological and historical structures for reconstructing past climates and significantly contributes to environmental science development [22]. Tree-ring chronologies, which may contain dimensional variations and circular shape deviations, provide high-frequency signals [23] that record a tree's responses to the silvicultural system [24,25] and its habitat's environmental condition history (i.e., climate [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34], pollutants [35,36], and water-heat stress [37]) during its growing periods yielding the xylem.…”