Influence of annual weather on growth of pedunculate oak in southern Sweden

Abstract

-• A network of oak (Quercus robur L.) chronologies containing 49 sites and 635 single trees was analysed to identify weather variables affecting annual tree-ring increment dynamics in southern Sweden during 1860-2000.• We analysed (1) the growth response of oak to non-extreme weather, and (2) the temporal and spatial patterns of regional growth anomalies (pointer years) and associated climatic extremes resolved on a monthly scale.• Growth was controlled by precipitation in the current (June-July) and the previous growing season (August) in 48% and 22% of all sites, respectively. Temperature during July of the current year and August of the previous year was negatively correlated with growth in 29% and 43% of the sites, respectively. Growth was positively correlated with temperature in October of the previous season in 72% of the sites. The most extensive growth anomaly occurred in 1965 and was probably caused by intrusion of cold Arctic air masses into the region at the end of March that year.• During climatically non-extreme years, oak growth is driven mostly by the dynamics of summer precipitation. Many of the negative growth anomalies, however, were associated with temperature extremes. Southern Swedish oak pointer years tend not to coincide with the pan-European oak pointer years.climatic variability / dendroecology / extreme events / hardwood / Scandinavia Résumé -Influence de la variabilité interannuelle de climat sur la croissance du chêne pédonculé dans le Sud de la Suède.• Une série de chronologies de chênes (Quercus robur L.) comprenant 49 stations et 635 arbres individuels a été analysée pour identifier les variables climatiques affectant la dynamique de croissance annuelle des cernes dans le Sud de la Suède, pendant la période 1860-2000.• Nous avons analysé (1) la réponse de croissance des chênes aux évènements météorologiques non extrêmes et (2) les patrons temporels et spatiaux des anomalies régionales de croissance (années indices) et les extrêmes climatiques associés au pas de temps mensuel.• La croissance était contrôlée par les précipitations de la saison de végétation (juin-juillet) et les précipitations de la saison de végétation précédente (août), respectivement dans 48 % et 22 % de toutes les stations. Les températures du mois de juillet de la saison de végétation et du mois d'août de l'année précédente étaient corrélées négativement avec la croissance, respectivement dans 29 % et 43 % des stations. La croissance était corrélée positivement avec la température du mois d'octobre de l'année précédente dans 72 % des stations. L'anomalie de croissance la plus considérable est arrivée en 1965 et a été causée probablement par l'intrusion de masses d'air froid arctique dans la région, à la fin du mois de mars.• Pendant les années climatiquement non-extrêmes, la croissance du chêne est principalement commandée par la dynamique des précipitations estivales. Cependant, beaucoup d'anomalies négatives de croissance ont été associées avec des extrêmes de température. Les années indices du Sud ...

Consistent limitation of growth by high temperature and low precipitation from range core to southern edge of European beech indicates widespread vulnerability to changing climate

“…3) indicates that F. sylvatica populations in this region may be particularly sensitive to future increases in summer drought stress. This was predicted by Broadmeadow et al (2005), and similar results have been reported in Quercus robur L., where growing season drought is a significant climate stress across the species geographical distribution and is not restricted to marginal populations (Drobyshev et al 2008;Rozas 2005). …”

Impact of climate change on tree-ring growth of Scots pine, common beech and pedunculate oak in northeastern Germany

“…As for beech, tree-ring growth seems to be mainly driven by early summer weather conditions, as indicated by the large number of predictor variables for such months. This is in accordance with a bundle of European studies that identified soil water availability in early summer as the main growth limiting factor for oak (Kelly et al 2002, Drobyshev et al 2008, Friedrichs et al 2009a, Scharnweber et al 2011). Due to climate change, drought periods are expected to be more frequent in the future (Lindner et al 1997, Grigoryan et al 2010, probably inducing growth reductions of oak in northeastern Germany.…”

“…The quality of the resulting models is also supported by the fact that most of the retained predictor variables have an ecophysiological meaning. The dominance of variables representing data of June and July of the growing year illustrates the importance of early summer weather conditions, the period of maximum ring growth, for radial increments of all three tree species (Lebourgeois et al 2005, Drobyshev et al 2008, Friedrichs et al 2009a). In addition, the frequent occurrence of previous years' parameters illustrates the importance of preceding weather conditions such as severe drought periods for tree growth (Scharnweber et al 2011).…”

Climate change and oak growth decline: Dendroecology and stand productivity of a Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) old stored coppice in Central Italy

“…Lebourgeois et al, 2004). Water requirements during the summer are typical of deciduous oaks even in environments that are considerably wetter than those we studied (Čufar et al, 2008;Drobyshev et al, 2008;Friedrichs et al, 2009;Helama et al, 2009;Lebourgeois, 2006;Tardif et al, 2006). Stem age and logging history affect decadal tree productivity response to climate (e.g.…”