Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Topography and age mediate the growth responses of Smith fir to climate warming in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Biometeorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Tibetan Plateau holds some of the world’s highest undisturbed natural treelines and timberlines. Such extreme environments constitute potentially valuable monitoring sites of the effects of climate warming on high-elevation forests. Here, we analyze a network of 21 Smith fir forests situated in the Sygera Mountains, southeastern Tibetan Plateau, using tree-ring width (TRW) and basal area increment (BAI) chronologies. Sampled sites encompassed a wide elevation gradient, from 3600 to 4400 m, including some treeline sites and diverse aspects and tree ages. In comparison with TRW series, BAI series better capture the long-term warming signal. Previous November and current April and summer temperatures are the dominant climatic factors controlling Smith fir radial growth. The mean inter-series correlations of TRW increased upwards, but the forest limit presented the highest potential to reconstruct past temperature variability. Moreover, the growth responses of young trees were less stable than those of trees older than 100 years. Climate warming is accelerating radial growth of Smith fir forest subjected to mesic conditions. Collectively, these findings confirm that the effects of site elevation and tree age should be considered when quantifying climate-growth relationships. The type of tree-ring data (BAI vs. TRW) is also relevant since BAI indices seem to be a better climatic proxy of low-frequency temperature signals than TRW indices. Therefore, site (e.g., elevation) and tree (e.g., age) features should be considered to properly evaluate the effects of climate warming on growth of high-elevation forests.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albright WL, Peterson DL (2013) Tree growth and climate in the Pacific northwest, North America: a broad-scale analysis of changing growth environments. J Biogeogr 40:2119–2133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Babst F, Bouriaud O, Alexander R, Trouet V, Frank D (2014) Toward consistent measurements of carbon accumulation: A multi-site assessment of biomass and basal area increment across Europe. Dendrochronologia 32:153–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barry RG (2008) Mountain weather and climate. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Biondi F, Qeadan F (2008) A theory-driven approach to tree-ring standardization: defining the biological trend from expected basal area increment. Tree-Ring Res 64:81–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bond BJ (2000) Age-related changes in photosynthesis of woody plants. Trends Plant Sci 5:349–353

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bräuning A (1999) Dendroclimatological potential of drought-sensitive tree stands in southern Tibet for the reconstruction of monsoonal activity. IAWA J 20:325–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bunn AG, Waggoner LA, Graumlich LJ (2005) Topographic mediation of growth in high elevation foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana Grev. et Balf.) forests in the Sierra Nevada, USA. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 14:103–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camarero JJ, Gazol A, Galván JD, Sangüesa-Barreda G, Gutiérrez E (2015) Disparate effects of global-change drivers on mountain conifer forests: warming-induced growth enhancement in young trees vs. CO2 fertilization in old trees from wet sites. Glob Chang Biol 21:738–749

  • Carrer M, Urbinati C (2004) Age-dependent tree-ring growth responses to climate in Larix decidua and Pinus cembra. Ecology 85:730–740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen F, Yuan Y, Wen W, Yu S, Fan Z, Zhang R, Zhang T, Shang H (2012) Tree-ring-based reconstruction of precipitation in the Changling Mountains, China, since A.D.1691. Int J Biometeorol 56:765–774

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook ER (1985) A time-series analysis approach to tree ring standardization. University of Arizona, Tucson, Dissertation

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook ER, Kairiukstis LA (1990) Methods of dendrochronology: applications in the environmental sciences. Kluwer, Dordrecht

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Čufar K, De Luis M, Eckstein D, Kajfež-Bogataj L (2008) Reconstructing dry and wet summers in SE Slovenia from oak tree-ring series. Int J Biometeorol 52:607–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dang H, Zhang Y, Zhang K, Jiang M, Zhang Q (2013) Climate-growth relationships of subalpine fir (Abies fargesii) across the altitudinal range in the Shennongjia Mountains, central China. Clim Chang 117:903–917

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Luis M, Novak K, Čufar K, Raventós J (2009) Size mediated climate-growth relationships in Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinea. Trees-Struct Funct 23:1065–1073

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deslauriers A, Morin H, Begin Y (2003) Cellular phenology of annual ring formation of Abies balsamea in the Quebec boreal forest (Canada). Can J for Res 33:190–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan R (1989) An evaluation of errors in tree age estimates based on increment cores in kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides). New Zeal Natural Sci 16:1–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Esper J, Cook ER, Krusic PJ, Peters K, Schweingruber FH (2003) Tests of the RCS method for preserving low-frequency variability in long tree-ring chronologies. Tree-Ring Res 59:81–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Fan Z, Bräuning A, Cao K, Zhu S (2009) Growth-climate responses of high-elevation conifers in the central Hengduan Mountains, southwestern China. Forest Ecol Manag 258:306–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fritts HC (2001) Tree rings and climate. Blackburn Press, Caldwell

    Google Scholar 

  • González-de Andrés E, Camarero JJ, Büntgen U (2015) Complex climate constraints of upper treeline formation in the Pyrenees. Trees-Struct Funct 29:941–952

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gou X, Chen F, Yang M, Li J, Peng J, Jin L (2005) Climatic response of thick leaf spruce (Picea crassifolia) tree-ring width at different elevations over Qilian Mountains, northwestern China. J Arid Environ 61:513–524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gurskaya M, Shiyatov S (2006) Distribution of frost injuries in the wood of conifers. Russ J Ecol 37:7–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmes RL (1983) Computer-assisted quality control in tree-ring dating and measurement. Tree-Ring Bull 43:69–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Holst T, Rost J, Mayer H (2005) Net radiation balance for two forested slopes on opposite slides of a valley. Int J Biometeorol 49:275–284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jolliffe IT (2002) Principal component analysis. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Körner C (2012) Alpine treelines. functional ecology of the global high elevation tree limits. Springer, Basel

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski TT, Pallardy SG (1997) Growth control in Woody Plants. Academic, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Leal S, Melvin TM, Grabner M, Wimmer R, Briffa KR (2007) Tree-ring growth variability in the Austrian Alps: the influence of site, altitude, tree species and climate. Boreas 36:426–440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Z, Liu G, Fu B, Hu C, Luo S, Liu X, He F (2012) Anomalous temperature-growth response of Abies faxoniana to sustained freezing stress along elevational gradients in China’s Western Sichuan Province. Trees-Struct Funct 26:1373–1388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Liang E, Gričar J, Prislan P, Rossi S, Čufar K (2013) Age dependence of xylogenesis and its climatic sensitivity in Smith fir on the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau. Tree Physiol 33:48–56

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liang E, Shao X, Eckstein D, Huang L, Liu X (2006) Topography-and species-dependent growth responses of Sabina przewalskii and Picea crassifolia to climate on the northeast Tibetan Plateau. Forest Ecol Manag 236:268–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang E, Shao X, Xu Y (2009) Tree-ring evidence of recent abnormal warming on the southeast Tibetan Plateau. Theor Appl Climatol 98:9–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang E, Wang Y, Xu Y, Liu B, Shao X (2010) Growth variation in Abies georgei var. smithii along altitudinal gradients in the Sygera Mountains, southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Trees-Struct Funct 24:363–373

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang E, Wang Y, Eckstein D, Luo T (2011) Little change in the fir tree-line position on the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau after 200 years of warming. New Phytol 190:760–769

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang E, Dawadi B, Pederson N, Eckstein D (2014) Is the growth of birch at the upper timberline in the Himalayas limited by moisture or by temperature? Ecology 95:2453–2465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linares JC, Taïqui L, Sangüesa-Barreda G, Seco JI, Camarero JJ (2013) Age-related drought sensitivity of Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) in the Moroccan Middle Atlas forests. Dendrochronologia 31:88–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu L, Shao X, Liang E (2006) Climate signals from tree ring chronologies of the upper and lower treelines in the Dulan region of the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. J Integr Plant Biol 48:278–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Shao X, Zhao L, Qin D, Chen T, Ren J (2007) Dendroclimatic temperature record derived from tree-ring width and stable carbon isotope chronologies in the Middle Qilian Mountains, China. Arct Antarct Alp Res 39:651–657

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, An Z, Linderholm HW, Chen D, Song H, Cai Q, Sun J, Tian H (2009) Annual temperatures during the last 2485 years in the mid-eastern Tibetan Plateau inferred from tree rings. Sci China Ser D 52:348–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu B, Liang E, Zhu L (2011) Microclimatic conditions for Juniperus saltuaria treeline in the Sygera Mountains, Southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Mt Res Dev 31:45–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Williams AP, Allen CD, Guo D, Wu X, Anenkhonov OA, Liang E, Sandanov DV, Yin Y, Qi Z, Badmaeva NK (2013) Rapid warming accelerates tree growth decline in semi-arid forests of Inner Asia. Glob Chang Biol 19:2500–2510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mencuccini M, Martínez-Vilalta J, Vanderklein D, Hamid HA, Korakaki E, Lee S, Michiels B (2005) Size-mediated ageing reduces vigour in trees. Ecol Lett 8:1183–1190

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miehe G, Miehe S, Vogel J, Co S, La D (2007) Highest treeline in the northern hemisphere found in southern Tibet. Mt Res Dev 27:169–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oberhuber W (2004) Influence of climate on radial growth of Pinus cembra within the alpine forest limit ecotone. Tree Physiol 24:291–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Owens JN, Singh H (1982) Vegetative bud development and the time and method of cone initiation in subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa). Can J Bot 60:2249–2262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Primicia I, Camarero JJ, Janda P, Čada V, Morrissey RC, Trotsiuk V, Bače R, Teodosiu M, Svoboda M (2015) Age, competition, disturbance and elevation effects on tree and stand growth response of primary Picea abies forest to climate. For Ecol Manag 354:77–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi S, Deslauriers A, Anfodillo T, Carrer M (2008) Age-dependent xylogenesis in timberline conifers. New Phytol 177:199–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Rozas V, DeSoto L, Olano JM (2009) Sex-specific, age-dependent sensitivity of tree-ring growth to climate in the dioecious tree Juniperus thurifera. New Phytol 182:687–697

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan MG, Phillips N, Bond BJ (2006) The hydraulic limitation hypothesis revisited. Plant Cell Environ 29:367–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt U, Jalkanen R, Eckstein D (2004) Cambium dynamics of Pinus sylvestris and Betula spp. in the northern boreal forest in Finland. Silva Fenn 38:167–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Splechtna BE, Dobrys J, Klinka K (2000) Tree-ring characteristics of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) in relation to elevation and climatic fluctuations. Ann for Sci 57:89–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szeicz JM, MacDonald GM (1994) Age dependent tree ring growth responses of subarctic white spruce to climate. Can J For Res 24:120–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tardif J, Camarero JJ, Ribas M, Gutiérrez E (2003) Spatiotemporal variability in tree ring growth in the Central Pyrenees: climatic and site influences. Ecol Monogr 73:241–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaganov EA, Hughes MK, Kirdyanov AV, Schweingruber FH, Silkin PP (1999) Influence of snowfall and melt timing on tree growth in subarctic Eurasia. Nature 400:149–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang T, Ren H, Ma K (2005) Climatic signals in tree ring of Picea schrenkiana along an altitudinal gradient in the central Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China. Trees-Struct Funct 19:736–742

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Čufar K, Eckstein D, Liang E (2012) Variation of maximum tree height and annual shoot growth of Smith fir at various elevations in the Sygera Mountains, southeastern Tibetan Plateau. PLoS one 7:e31725. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031725

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Ge Q, Dai J, Tao Z (2015) Geographical pattern in first bloom variablity and its relation to temperature sensitivity in the USA and China. Int J Biometeorol 59:961–969

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weih M, Karlsson PS (2002) Low winter soil temperature affects summertime nutrient uptake capacity and growth rate of mountain birch seedlings in the subarctic, Swedish lapland. Arct Antarct Alp Res 34:434–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wieser G, Tausz M (2007) Trees at their upper limit: tree life limitation at the Alpine Forest limit. Springer, Dordrecht

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wigley T, Briffa KR, Jones PD (1984) On the average value of correlated time series, with applications in dendroclimatology and hydrometeorolog. J Clim Appl Meteorol 23:201–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson R, D’Arrigo R, Buckley B, Büntgen U, Esper J, Frank D, Luckman B, Payette S, Vose R, Youngblut D (2007) A matter of divergence: tracking recent warming at hemispheric scales using tree ring data. J Geophys Res 112:D17103. doi:10.1029/2006JD008318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang B, He M, Melvin TM, Zhao Y, Briffa KR (2013) Climate control on tree growth at the upper and lower treelines: a case study in the Qilian Mountains, Tibetan Plateau. PLoS one 8:e69065

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoder B, Ryan M, Waring R, Schoettle A, Kaufmann M (1994) Evidence of reduced photosynthetic rates in old trees. For Sci 40:513–527

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu G, Liu Y, Wang X, Ma K (2008) Age-dependent tree-ring growth responses to climate in Qilian juniper (Sabina przewalskii Kom.). Trees-Struct Funct 22:197–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang W, Jiang Y, Dong M, Kang M, Yang H (2012) Relationship between the radial growth of Picea meyeri and climate along elevations of the Luyashan Mountain in North-Central China. Forest Ecol Manag 265:142–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Q, Evans MN, Lyu L (2015) Moisture dipole over the Tibetan Plateau during the past five and a half centuries. Nat Commun 6:8062

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu H, Shao X, Yin Z, Xu P, Xu Y, Tian H (2011) August temperature variability in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau since AD 1385 inferred from tree rings. Palaeogeogr Palaeocl 305:84–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41130529, 41525001), the National Basic Research Program of China (2012FY111400), and Action Plan for West Development of the Chinese Academy of Science (KZCX2-XB3-08-02). We appreciate the great support for our fieldwork by the Southeast Tibet Station for Alpine Environment, Observation and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    B. Liu, Y. Wang, H. Zhu & E. Liang

  2. College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710127, China

    B. Liu

  3. CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    H. Zhu & E. Liang

  4. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana, 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain

    J. J. Camarero

Authors
  1. B. Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Y. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. E. Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J. J. Camarero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Liang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, B., Wang, Y., Zhu, H. et al. Topography and age mediate the growth responses of Smith fir to climate warming in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Int J Biometeorol 60, 1577–1587 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-016-1148-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-016-1148-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation