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Radial growth responses to drought of Pinus sylvestris and Quercus pubescens in an inner-Alpine dry valley

2007; Wiley; Volume: 18; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1658/1100-9233(2007)18[777

1654-1103

Pascale Weber, Harald Bugmann, Andreas Rigling,

Forest ecology and management

Journal of Vegetation ScienceVolume 18, Issue 6 p. 777-792 Radial growth responses to drought of Pinus sylvestris and Quercus pubescens in an inner-Alpine dry valley Pascale Weber, Corresponding Author Pascale Weber Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; E-mail andreas.rigling@wsl.ch Corresponding author; Fax +41 447392215; E-mail pascale.weber@alumni.ethz.chSearch for more papers by this authorHarald Bugmann, Harald Bugmann Forest Ecology, Department of Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), ETH Zentrum, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland; E-mail harald.bugmann@ethz.chSearch for more papers by this authorAndreas Rigling, Andreas Rigling Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; E-mail andreas.rigling@wsl.chSearch for more papers by this author Pascale Weber, Corresponding Author Pascale Weber Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; E-mail andreas.rigling@wsl.ch Corresponding author; Fax +41 447392215; E-mail pascale.weber@alumni.ethz.chSearch for more papers by this authorHarald Bugmann, Harald Bugmann Forest Ecology, Department of Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), ETH Zentrum, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland; E-mail harald.bugmann@ethz.chSearch for more papers by this authorAndreas Rigling, Andreas Rigling Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; E-mail andreas.rigling@wsl.chSearch for more papers by this author First published: 24 February 2007 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2007.tb02594.xCitations: 97AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Question: Lower montane treeline ecotones such as the inner Alpine dry valleys are regarded as sensitive to climate change. In the dry Valais valley (Switzerland) the composition of the widespread, low altitude Pinus forests is shifting towards a mixed deciduous state. The sub-boreal P. sylvestris shows high mortality rates, whereas the deciduous sub-mediterranean Quercus pubescens is spreading. These species may act as early indicators of climate change. We evaluate this hypothesis by focusing on their differences in drought tolerance, which are hardly known, but are likely to be crucial in the current forest shift and also for future forest development. Methods: We used dendroecological methods to detect species-specific patterns in the growth response to drought. The relationship between radial growth of 401 trees from 15 mixed stands and drought was analysed by calculating response functions using yearly tree-ring indices and monthly drought indices. PCA was applied to the response ratios to discover spatial patterns of drought response. Results: A species-specific response to moisture as well as a sub-regional differentiation of the response patterns were found. While Quercus showed a response mainly to the conditions of the previous autumn and those of current spring, Pinus did not start responding before May, but showed responses throughout the whole summer. Quercus may restrict physiological activity to moist periods; growth of Pinus was much more dependent on prior growth. Conclusions: Given that the climate is changing towards (1) longer summer drought periods, (2) higher mean temperatures and (3) shifted seasonally of moisture availability, Quercus may benefit from adapting better to drier conditions. Pinus may increasingly face problems related to drought stress as it depends on summer moisture and has a smaller adaptive capacity due to its long-lived photosynthetic tissue. Citing Literature Volume18, Issue6December 2007Pages 777-792 RelatedInformation