Expansion of Treeline in North China and Its Relationship with Altitude Sensitivity Gradient of Larix gmelinii

Abstract

As the climate has warmed, alpine treelines have moved to higher altitudes and the responses of tree growth to different climate factors have changed. We collected dendrochronologies of Larix gmelinii at different elevations on the Dabai Mountain, the highest peak in northeastern China’s Greater Khingan range, to measure the sensitivity and stability of radial growth over time. We found that the treeline has moved upslope since 1970. From the mid-1980s, radial growth increased in the treeline ecotone but decreased in the subtimberline forest, an example of “growth divergence” under warming conditions: increases in the previous October’s maximum temperatures promoted growth at higher altitudes but inhibited it at lower altitudes. The treeline ecotone appears to be more sensitive to climate change, with the effects on tree growth of different climate indicators varying by altitude in linear or U-shaped relationships. As warming continues, the management of boreal forests needs to consider the changing potential for tree growth and carbon sequestration capacity in relation to changing site conditions.