Tree-Ring Chronologies of Downy Oak (<i>Quercus Pubescens</i>), Pedunculate Oak (<i>Q. Robur</i>) and Sessile Oak (<i>Q. Petraea</i>) in the Bielinek Nature Reserve: Comparison of the Climatic Determinants of Tree-Ring Width

Abstract

for the two indigenous oak species pedunculate and sessile oak, respectively. These chronologies were used for signature years and response function analyses. All three chronologies were highly similar, which points to identical responses to the ambient meteorological conditions. The radial increment of downy oak depends primarily on the amount of precipitation. A high annual sum of precipitation, copious rain in springsummer in particular, results in wide tree rings. Precipitation in form of rain and snow in winter, too, enhance tree growth by raising the groundwater level and improving the water supply in the habitat during the subsequent spring. Droughts in spring and summer, coupled with high air temperature, result in narrow rings. The tree-ring width/climate relationships at the two indigenous oak species are very similar to those of downy oak. Responses are, however, more distinct and with a higher statistical significance.

Exploring Growth Variability and Crown Vitality of Sessile Oak (Quercus Petraea) in the Czech Republic

“…The effect of autumn and winter climatic factors on the formation of carbohydrate storage has been proven repeatedly (Lebourgeois et al, 2004;Cedro, 2007;Doležal et al, 2010;Petráš and Mecko, 2011;Michelot et al, 2012). In the area we studied, we mainly found an effect of the January climate: negative correlations were found for temperatures (mean, maximum, and minimum) and vapor pressure deficit; positive correlations were found for relative moisture and relative saturation of the soil profile in the top 40 cm.…”

“…Some of the characteristics also manifested significant correlations in July, August, and September ( Table 3). The significant positive effect of precipitation in May and June has also been proven by a number of European dendroclimatological and xylogenetic studies dealing with the sessile oak in France (Becker et al, 1994;Lebourgeois et al, 2004;Mérian et al, 2011;Michelot et al, 2012), Romania (Popa et al, 2013), Germany (Friedrichs et al, 2009), Slovakia (Petráš andMecko, 2011), Poland (Cedro, 2007;Bronisz et al, 2012), and Moravia, Czech Republic (Doležal et al, 2010). The negative effect of June (or July) temperatures has also been demonstrated repeatedly (Doležal et al, 2010;Mérian et al, 2011;Petráš and Mecko, 2011;Michelot et al, 2012).…”

“…Furthermore, for six negative pointer years, there was an unusual type of weather in the autumn and/or winter before the growing season in which the ring was formed. Some of the negative pointer years established in this study correspond to years that were established as negative pointer years in other regions and countries: 1964 (Becker et al, 1994) in France, 1970(Doležal et al, 2010 in the Czech Republic, 1972 (Becker et al, 1994) in France, 1983 (Becker et al, 1994;Doležal et al, 2010) in France and the Czech Republic, 1993 (Doležal et al, 2010) in the Czech Republic, and 1996 (Lebourgeois et al, 2004;Cedro, 2007) in France and Poland.…”

An attempt to dendroclimatic reconstruction of winter temperature based on multispecies tree-ring widths and extreme years chronologies (example of Upper Silesia, Southern Poland)

“…Many authors found that the radial growth of pines and oaks, the most important forest tree species, growing outside the mountain areas in Poland, is mainly limited by the pre-growth season temperature (e.g., Wazny and Eckstein 1991;Zielski 1997;Cedro 2004Cedro , 2007SzychowskaKrąpiec 2010;Bronisz et al 2012;Koprowski et al 2012;Muter 2012). For both these taxons cold and frosty winters, low temperatures in early spring and dry summers are disadvantageous (in particular, all of these factors acting together) (Feliksik and Wilczyński 1998;Wilczyński 1999;Cedro 2007;Szychowska-Krąpiec 2010;Bronisz et al 2012). Although the period of cambial activity of pine begins in early May and lasts until the end of September, the annual growth of wood is also affected by climatic conditions in winter preceding the growth season (Ermich 1959).…”

Dendroclimatological Analysis of Wild Pear <i>Pyrus Pyraster</i> (L.) Burgsd. From Biedrusko Military Area (West Poland) — Preliminary Study

“…The growth pattern and growth-climate responses of pear trees in Bielinek are very similar to the chronology for downy oak Quercus pubescens Willd. on the same site: Student's t of 7.9, correlation coefficient of 0.46, and Gl of 74% (Cedro, 2007(Cedro, , 2013. The similarity of complex chronologies for pear trees in Bielinek and Biedrusko is much lower: Student's t of 4.6, correlation coefficient of 0.43, and Gl of 57% (Fig.…”