Sensitivity of pines in Mexico to temperature varies with age

Abstract

RESUMENMéxico tiene abundancia de especies de Pinus, con P. cooperi como especie dominante de gran importancia ecológica. En este estudio se comparó la sensibilidad climática de dos clases de edad de árboles de P. cooperi que crecen en la Sierra Madre Occidental: jóvenes (< 80 años) y maduros (≥ 80 años). Se desarrolló una curva regional de estandarización del crecimiento del ancho de anillo para las dos clases de edad. El análisis estadístico mostró que el crecimiento anual del ancho de anillo del árbol fue similar entre las dos clases. Sin embargo, se encontró que el efecto de temperaturas elevadas durante el invierno previo son dependientes de la edad; esto es, temperaturas máximas y mínimas tienen efectos opuestos en el crecimiento subsecuente del árbol. Inviernos cálidos tienen efectos negativos en el crecimiento radial, y éstos son más fuertes en árboles jóvenes que en maduros; mientras que las temperaturas mínimas promueven el crecimiento. Sin embargo, no hubo diferencia en crecimiento radial entre las dos clases de edad con base en la precipitación. En escenarios de cambio climático, un incremento de la temperatura podría afectar más a los árboles jóvenes que a los maduros. Estos efectos de temperatura elevada pueden llevar a la reducción del crecimiento y la muerte subsecuente de los árboles. Estos resultados podrían ayudar a los manejadores de bosques a desarrollar criterios relacionados con la gestión forestal para esta especie. ABSTRACTMexico has an abundance of Pinus species with P. cooperi as a dominant tree species of great ecological importance. In this study, we compared the climate sensitivity of P. cooperi trees of two age classes growing in the Sierra Madre Occidental: younger (< 80 years) and older (≥ 80 years) trees. A regional curve standardization (RCS) of growth ring width was developed for these two age classes. Our statistical analysis showed that annual tree growth was similar between the two age classes in absolute values of tree-ring widths. However, we found that the effects of rising temperatures during the previous winter are age-dependent; that is, maximum and minimum temperatures have opposite effects on the subsequent tree growth. Warming winter maximum temperatures have negative effects on radial growth, which are stronger in younger trees, whilst minimum winter temperatures enhance the growth. However, no difference in radial growth was observed between the two age classes based on precipitation. In climate change scenarios, an increase in temperature would affect younger trees of P. cooperi more than older trees. These effects of increased temperature may lead to a decrease in the growth and subsequent death of the trees. These results could help land managers to develop criteria related to forest management regarding P. cooperi.

Age-Effect Radial Growth Responses of Picea schrenkiana to Climate Change in the Eastern Tianshan Mountains, Northwest China

“…in northeast Hamburg of northern Germany, Pinus taiwanensis Hayata. in Taiwan, and Pinus cooperi Blanco in the Sierra Madre Occidental of northern Mexico [57][58][59][60]. As shown by a controlled experiment on cambial cell sensitivity to rising temperature of Cryptomeria japonica (L. f.) D. Don from different ages, the young tree growth trend would more easily be limited by long-term drought [61].…”

Recent Consequences of Climate Change Have Affected Tree Growth in Distinct Nothofagus macrocarpa (DC.) FM Vaz & Rodr Age Classes in Central Chile

“…Recent articles have shown that long-term trends vary with stand age, which also affects the response to climate temperature, precipitation, and CO 2 [8,9]. On the other hand, eco-physiological processes may influence tree growth in relation to tree age, where the hydraulic limitation is one of the main physiological variables that explains why there are differences in the sensitivity of trees to climate at different age classes [10][11][12]. Concerning physiological reactions according to ontogeny, increases in atmospheric CO 2 and air temperature during the 20th century have been related to increments in the iWUE and the intercellular CO 2 concentration, with adult trees showing higher iWUE values than young trees, which broadly indicates the incidence of climatic, environmental, and ontogenetic variability in the tree responses [13].…”

Potential reduction of Hartweg´s Pine (Pinus hartwegii Lindl.) geographic distribution

“…Geographical distribution of species is not random [5], and their dispersal and adaptability depend on the intrinsic limitations of the species. In addition, these which could be accentuated by ecological and physiological aspects specific of these species, such as biological associations, growth rate, or the pollen and seeds dispersion [6,7], which aspects that can be drastically modified by changes in climatic conditions [1,8,9]. Moreover, to the complex interaction of limiting environmental factors as temperature or precipitation [10].…”

“…Accordingly, it has been suggested that if the climatic tolerance of a species is not extensive enough to face new environmental conditions, then those species with strong niche conservatism must migrate or become extinct [10,13]. Climate change could significantly accelerate the migration or potential reduction of forest populations [8,14,15], due to the alteration of regulatory variables such as temperature, precipitation or wind intensity [8,9]. Another important aspect is the genetic variability reduction of some populations, which limits their plasticity to adapt to new conditions [16,17,18] and then limit the survival of these species or their establishment at higher altitudes or northern latitudes [11,14].…”