Zhang Wentao;Jiang Yuan;Wang Mingchang;Zhang Lingnan;Dong Manyu

 

[Zhang, Wentao; Jiang, Yuan] Beijing Normal Univ, State Key Lab Earth Surface Proc & Resource Ecol, Beijing 100875, Peoples R China.

[Zhang, Wentao; Jiang, Yuan; Wang, Mingchang; Zhang, Lingnan; Dong, Manyu] Beijing Normal Univ, Coll Resources Sci & Technol, Beijing 100875, Peoples R China.

 

ABSTRACT: Dendroecological techniques were used to examine the relationships between topographic aspects, climate factors and radial growth of Picea meyeri and Larix principis-rupprechtii in Luyashan Mountains, North-Central China. Four sites were selected at timberline and totally 67 trees and 134 cores were collected. Pearson correlation and regression surface analysis were conducted to reveal the growth-climate relationships. The results indicated that the two species both showed significant negative correlations with temperature during preceding November on the two topographic aspects. On both slope aspects, growth of P. meyeri exhibited significant negative correlations with precipitation in current June, whereas growth of L. principis-rupprechtii showed significant negative correlations with precipitation in preceding September. On north-facing slope, tree growth was limited by low temperature in early growing season, which not shown on south-facing slope. If climate warming continues, L. principis-rupprechtii may be more favored and a reverse between relationships with temperature and precipitation maybe occur in growth of trees. Treeline position on the north-facing slope may possess a greater potential for elevation shifting than the south-facing slope. Our results supply useful information for discussing the potential effect of future climate on the forest growth in North-Central China.

Published in FORESTS. 2015,6(1):116-132, DOI: 10.3390/f6010116