The dendroclimatic signal in Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine tree-ring chronologies from the southern Canadian Cordillera

Watson, Emma; Luckman, Brian H.

doi:10.1139/x02-096

Cited by 79 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…We limited our analyses to seasonal and annual variables, as preliminary data analyses and other studies (e.g., Watson and Luckman 2002) have shown that integrations of climate over multiple months (i.e., seasons) are more important growth influences than variation at a monthly scale. Seasonal and annual climate variables were derived by averaging monthly values based on a priori knowledge of appropriate climate variables suitable for use in describing Douglas-fir climate-growth relationships (Watson and Luckman 2002;Littell et al 2008;Griesbauer and Green 2010) and preliminary data analyses. Growth was compared to climate variables from July prior to the growing season through October following the growing season, as climate in the preceding year can affect the current year's growth (Fritts 1976).…”

Section: Climate Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing the climatic sensitivity of Douglas-fir at its northern range margins in British Columbia, Canada

Griesbauer

Green

2010

Trees

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Northern hemisphere tree species growing at their northern range margins may be particularly responsive to climate change and could provide important information regarding future broad-scale responses. We analyzed and compared tree-ring data between five Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Mirb.) Franco] populations growing at the species' northernmost distribution in British Columbia, Canada, and five populations located 150 km to the southeast. We quantified climate-growth relationships using uni-and multivariate techniques at different temporal scales. Our data suggest that (1) even at its northernmost distributions, precipitation limits longterm mature Douglas-fir radial growth more than temperatures, (2) northernmost Douglas-fir populations are distinct from populations located further within the species' range in terms of certain key short-term growth responses, and (3) northernmost Douglas-fir growth sensitivities to climate may be increasing over time. In the future, mature Douglas-fir productivity in the northern portion of its range may be primarily limited by precipitation, and responses may be strongest at the species' range margins.

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Section: Climate Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies have established a strong link between Douglas-fir radial growth and precipitation in BC (e.g., Watson and Luckman 2002;Griesbauer and Green 2010) and other regions (e.g., Littell et al 2008). What remains unclear is the nature of climate-growth relationships at the species' NRM (Griesbauer and Green 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Assessing the climatic sensitivity of Douglas-fir at its northern range margins in British Columbia, Canada

Griesbauer

Green

2010

Trees

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“…Dendrochronological studies at broad spatial and temporal scales could provide useful information on the spatiotemporal variation of tree growth (Villalba and Veblen 1997;Watson and Luckman 2002;Tardif et al 2003). These studies are also essential to validate climate model simulations in climatesensitive regions such as the high-elevation Tibetan Plateau where existing instrumental climatic data have a low resolution over space and time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variability of tree growth along a latitudinal transect in the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

et al. 2010

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Abstract:Little is known about the spatial variability in tree growth and its responses to climate on the Tibetan Plateau; however, such information is essential for improving predictions of forest ecosystem response to climatic change. A network of 16 ring width chronologies was developed along a latitudinal transect in the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. A principal components analysis revealed that the residual chronologies had a positive loading on the first unrotated principal component (PC1). After rotation, PC1 yielded the highest loadings on the driest sites in the northwest and decreased to the south and to the east. PC2 was negatively correlated with altitude. Moisture availability was a dominant limiting factor for tree growth, and this dominance increased northwards and westwards along the precipitation gradient. Loadings of the first two rotated principal components separated the 16 forest sites into three major groups corresponding to the three regions affected by the East Asian Monsoon, Westerlies, and their interaction. Thus, spatial variability in tree growth is an excellent bioindicator of regional climate.Résumé : On connaît peu de choses sur la variation spatiale de la croissance des arbres et de sa réaction au climat sur le plateau tibétain. Toutefois, cette information est nécessaire pour améliorer les prédictions de la réaction des écosystèmes forestiers aux changements climatiques. Un réseau de 16 séries dendrochronologiques a été mis en place le long d'un transect latitudinal dans les monts Qilian, au nord-est du plateau tibétain. Une analyse en composantes principales a révélé que les chronologies résiduelles avaient des valeurs positives le long de la première composante principale sans rotation (CP1). Après rotation, les plus grandes valeurs de la CP1 étaient associées aux stations les plus sèches dans le nord-ouest et les valeurs diminuaient vers le sud et vers l'est. La CP2 était négativement corrélée à l'altitude. La disponibilité en eau était un facteur limitatif dominant pour la croissance des arbres et cette dominance augmentait vers le nord et vers l'ouest le long d'un gradient de précipitations. Après rotation, les deux premières composantes principales ont divisé les 16 stations forestières en trois groupes principaux qui correspondaient aux trois régions influencées par la mousson est-asiatique, les vents d'ouest et leur interaction. Par conséquent, la variation spatiale de la croissance des arbres est un excellent bioindicateur du climat régional.[Traduit par la Rédaction]

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“…Another important aspect of developing a long proxy record from tree rings is maintaining climatic signal at a regional scale . It seems that assessment of the regional climatic signal in mountain areas demands a wider network of treering chronologies because of a higher variety of growth conditions caused by topography (Watson and Luckman 2002). Furthermore, growth conditions in highlands might be amplified by the impact on tree-ring growth of glacier behavior, ice fields, avalanches, debris flows, landslides, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mixed Response of Decadal Variability in Larch Tree-Ring Chronologies from Upper Tree-Lines of the Russian Altai

Panushkina

Ovtchinnikov

Adamenko³

2005

Tree-Ring Research

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We developed a network of tree-ring width chronologies of larch (Larix sibirica Led.) from upper tree-lines of the southeast Altai Mountains, South Siberia. Annual tree-ring variability of chronologies since A.D. 1710 was compared using factor analysis. The factor analysis clustered eight tree-ring chronologies into two groups that were used for compositing chronologies. One resulting composite chronology (A.D. 1582-1994) averaged sites from upper tree-lines in glacier-free areas and another chronology (A.D. 1090-1999) captured the sites at upper tree-lines in valleys of the Korumdu, Aktru, Yan-Karasu and Kizil-Tash Glaciers (North-Chuya Range). There is no significant difference in the estimated strength of temperature signals (June and July) of the composite chronologies. However, we observed a remarkable contrast in the decadal variability of larch growth between upper tree-lines of glacier-free areas and glacier valleys. The tree-ring growth of larch was coherent among the chronologies for the period A.D. 1582-1725. Suddenly, low-frequency similarity declined around A.D. 1730. The magnitude of differences became more pronounced after A.D. 1775 indicating three periods with opposite growth tendency (1775-1850, 1900-1915 and 1960-1994) that alternated with short periods of coherent growth. We assume that the low-frequency signal in the glacier valley larch chronology accommodates oscillations of both summer temperature and glacier dynamics. The periods of low-frequency departures are consistent with the 19th Century advance and tremendous 20th Century retreat of the glaciers. We argue that expanded glaciers enhance harmful impacts of katabatic wind on larch growth. It appears that employing tree rings from upper tree-lines of glaciated areas for estimation of decadal and centennial variability climatic proxies should be selected with great caution.

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The dendroclimatic signal in Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine tree-ring chronologies from the southern Canadian Cordillera

Cited by 79 publications

References 26 publications

Assessing the climatic sensitivity of Douglas-fir at its northern range margins in British Columbia, Canada

Assessing the climatic sensitivity of Douglas-fir at its northern range margins in British Columbia, Canada

Spatial variability of tree growth along a latitudinal transect in the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Mixed Response of Decadal Variability in Larch Tree-Ring Chronologies from Upper Tree-Lines of the Russian Altai

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