Quantifying the effects of drought on abrupt growth decreases of major tree species in Switzerland

Abstract

Drought entails important effects on tree physiology, which may result in short‐ to long‐term radial growth decreases. While the majority of studies have focused on annual drought‐related variability of growth, relatively little is known about sustained growth decreases following drought years. We apply a statistical framework to identify climatic factors that induce abrupt growth decreases and may eventually result in tree mortality. We used tree‐ring data from almost 500 standing dead trees and 200 living trees in eight sites of the Swiss network of strict forest reserves, including four of the most important Central European tree species (Abies alba, Picea abies, Fagus sylvatica and Quercus spp.). First, to assess short‐term growth responses to drought under various climate and site conditions, we calculated correlations and linear mixed‐effects models between ring‐width indices (RWIs) and drought based on the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). Second, to quantify drought effects on abrupt growth decreases, we applied distributed lag nonlinear models (DLNMs), which account for both delayed effects and the nonlinear relationship between the SPEI and the occurrence of abrupt growth decreases. Positive correlations between RWIs and the SPEI indicated short‐term growth responses of all species, particularly at arid sites. Results of the DLNMs revealed species‐specific growth responses to drought. For Quercus spp., abrupt growth decreases were more likely to occur several years following severe drought, whereas for P. abies, A. alba, and F. sylvatica abrupt growth decreases started frequently immediately in the drought year. We conclude that the statistical framework allows for quantifying the effects of drought intensity on the probability of abrupt growth decreases, which ultimately contributes to an improved understanding of climate impacts on forest community dynamics.

Using Multitemporal Sentinel-1 C-band Backscatter to Monitor Phenology and Classify Deciduous and Coniferous Forests in Northern Switzerland

“…Natural breakpoints in the time series were calculated using the algorithm described in [62]. The breakpoints algorithm allows detection of structural changes in time series [63] and has successfully been used in previous ecological studies (e.g., [64,65]). The time series were split into annual sets to facilitate detection of the break dates.…”

Competition amplifies drought stress in forests across broad climatic and compositional gradients

“…Across many species, trees with slower growth and that respond more negatively to drought have a higher probability of mortality than faster‐growing trees, at both short‐term (Wyckoff and Clark , Hanna and Kulakowski ) and long‐term temporal scales (Kane and Kolb , Vanoni et al. ). However, there are exceptions in some species (Cailleret et al.…”

Variation in the Climate Sensitivity Dependent on Neighbourhood Composition in a Secondary Mixed Forest

“…related to a plant shade tolerance can explain different climatic influences on radial growth across species [31]. Although, research on this topic yields heterogeneous results; in some studies, drought responses are lower for pioneer species [32], while in others, it is lower for shade tolerant species [33], and finally, in other cases, no relationship is found [34,35]. In addition, neighbourhood species composition with different traits, could result in positive (facilitation) or negative (competition) tree-to-tree interactions [25,36].…”