Precision monitoring of radial growth of trees and micro-climate at a Korean Fir (Abies koreana Wilson) forest at 10 minutes interval in 2016 on Mt. Hallasan National Park, Jeju Island, Korea

Abstract

To understand the dynamics of radial growth of trees and micro-climate at a site of Korean fir (Abies koreana Wilson) forest on high-altitude area of Mt. Hallasan National Park, Jeju Island, Korea, high precision dendrometers were installed on the stems of Korean fir trees, and the sensors for measuring micro-climate of the forest at 10 minutes interval were also installed at the forest. Data from the sensors were sent to nodes, collected to a gateway wireless, and transmitted to a data server using mobile phone communication system. By analyzing the radial growth data for the trees during the growing season in 2016, we can estimate that the radial growth of Korean fir trees initiated in late April to early May and ceased in late August to early September, which indicates that period for the radial growth was about 4 months in 2016. It is interesting to observe that the daily ambient temperature and the daily soil temperature at the depth of 20 cm coincided with the values of about 10°C when the radial growth of the trees initiated in 2016. When the radial growth ceased, the values of the ambient temperature went down below about 15°C and 16°C, respectively. While the ambient temperature and the soil temperature are evaluated to be the good indicators for the initiation and the cessation of radial growth, it becomes clear that radii of tree stems showed diurnal growth patterns affected by diurnal change of ambient temperature. In addition, the wetting and drying of the surface of the tree stems affected by precipitation became the additional factors that affect the expansion and shrinkage of the tree stems at the forest site. While it is interesting to note that the interrelationships among the micro-climatic factors at the forest site were well explained through this study, it should be recognized that the precision monitoring made possible with the application of high resolution sensors in the measurement of the radial increment combined with the observation of 10 minutes interval with aids of information and communication technology in the ecosystem observation.

Physiological and Shoot Growth Responses of Abies holophylla and Abies koreana Seedlings to Open-Field Experimental Warming and Increased Precipitation

“…Previous studies on the growth responses of the genus Abies to variations in temperature and precipitation have reported variable results. These include an increase in RCD for A. holophylla seedlings and the inconsistent response of A. koreana seedlings under warming [29], an increase in radial growth for adult A. koreana under higher daily temperatures and a day-to-day radial increment increase under a greater amount of daily precipitation [75], an increase and decrease in annual ring width for adult A. alba under warming in temperate and drought-prone regions, respectively [76], and an increase and decrease in annual ring width for adult A. koreana under increased precipitation or high fall temperatures and high winter temperatures, respectively [46]. In the present study, the overall growth rates of both species in August were lower than the results found in a previous study performed at the same site [29], which might have been the result of excessive summer temperatures in 2018 [54].…”

Trends in the effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems in the Republic of Korea

“…Hallasan, suggesting that such stress (caused by decreasing precipitation and increasing temperature in winter and spring) would be a major driver of growth decline and death of the species (Seo et al 2019b). Additionally, studying other climate change-related events, such as typhoons, strong winds, and soil erosion, could also be important for understanding the effects of climate change on A. koreana growth (Kim et al 2019b;Seo et al 2019a;Seo et al 2019b).…”

Intra‐annual radial growth of Quercus acutissma and its response to hydrometeorological factors in the Nandadish experimental catchment, eastern China

“…On a seasonal scale, the dominant environmental factors influencing stem girth growth differ across various periods. Studies employing high‐resolution dendrometers at Lushan (Liu et al, 2018) and Qianyanzhou (Meng et al, 2021) in Southeast China, and Jeju in Korea (Kim et al, 2019) demonstrate that trees are primarily temperature‐controlled at the early growing season. However, research in areas such as the karst regions of Xishuangbanna (Hu & Fan, 2016) and Ailaoshan (Fan et al, 2019), which also employ high‐resolution dendrometer measurements, indicates that early growth‐period rainfall and moisture availability significantly impact stem diameter growth.…”

“…However, research in areas such as the karst regions of Xishuangbanna (Hu & Fan, 2016) and Ailaoshan (Fan et al, 2019), which also employ high-resolution dendrometer measurements, indicates that early growth-period rainfall and moisture availability significantly impact stem diameter growth. During the rapid growth phase, the majority of studies in subtropical areas (Kim et al, 2019;Liu et al, 2018;Meng et al, 2021;Zhou et al, 2023) indicate that rainfall and relative humidity promote radial growth, while VPD, solar radiation, and temperature exhibit a significant negative correlation with tree growth, highlighting moisture conditions as the critical factor governing tree growth. However, the study in Dinghushan (Southeast China) utilizing a micro-sampling approach demonstrates that trees grow better in the dry season than in the rainy season, with climate factors having a less significant impact on tree growth, primarily influenced by net photosynthesis.…”