CollectHomepage AdvertisementContact usMessage

Arid Land Geography ›› 2022, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (4): 1010-1021.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2021.482

• Climatology and Hydrology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Characteristics of radial growth at different trunk heights of Picea schrenkiana and its climate response in the mountainous area of the Ili Region

LIU Kexiang1(),ZHANG Tongwen1,ZHANG Ruibo1,YU Shulong1(),HUANG Liping2,JIANG Shengxia1,HU Dongyu2   

  1. 1. Xinjiang Laboratory for Tree Ring Ecology, Key Laboratory of Treering Physical and Chemical Research of China Meteorological Administration, Institute of Desert Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
    2. Institute of Modern Forestry, Xinjiang Academy of Forestry Science, Urumqi 830000, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2021-10-19 Revised:2021-11-10 Online:2022-07-25 Published:2022-08-11
  • Contact: Shulong YU E-mail:liukx@idm.cn;yushl@idm.cn

Abstract:

To analyze the radial growth characteristics at different trunk heights of Picea schrenkiana and the influence of meteorological elements on radial growth at each trunk height and the stability to combat climate change, we collected tree ring samples from different trunk heights (1.3 m, 5 m, 10 m, 15 m, 20 m, and 25 m) of Picea schrenkiana and examined the development of tree ring width chronologies in Ili Region, Xinjiang. Based on the correlation analysis, we conclude that the response relationship of radial growth at different trunk heights and its stability. Then, we computed the relative and absolute contribution rates of meteorological elements. The findings show the following. (1) The radial growth patterns are similar at different trunk heights, and it is jointly influenced by temperature and precipitation. All tree trunk heights had a significantly positive correlation with the September precipitation of the current year and the November temperature of the previous year. Simultaneously, the tree trunk height of 5-25 m had a significantly positive correlation with July precipitation of the current year. (2) Quantification of the meteorological elements’ influence on each tree trunk height through contribution rate shows that temperature is the primary element for tree trunk heights of 1.3 m and 5 m, and precipitation is the primary element for tree trunk heights of 10 m, 15 m, 20 m, and 25 m. (3) Moving average analysis showed a variation between the stable response to climate change at each tree trunk height, predominantly expressing that the correlation with the December temperature of the previous year was attenuated at each tree trunk height. The correlation with the June temperature of the current year was enhanced first and then attenuated. The negative correlation with the September temperature of the previous year was enhanced and that with September precipitation of the current year was also enhanced at tree trunk heights of 1.3 m, 5 m, 10 m, and 15 m. Furthermore, the correlation with January precipitation was attenuated at tree trunk heights of 10 m, 15 m, 20 m, and 25 m. By analyzing the relationship between radial growth and climate factors at different trunk heights, it is helpful to understand the difference between radial growth and climate response of trees at different trunk height, which provide reference for more accurate climate reconstruction.

Key words: Picea schrenkiana, tree-ring, trunk height, radial growth, climate response