Abstract
Plant growth in Mediterranean landscapes is limited by the typical
summer-dry climate. Forests in these areas are only marginally
productive and may be quite susceptible to modern climate change. To
improve our understanding of forest sensitivity to annual and seasonal
climatic variability, we use tree-ring measurements of two Mediterranean
evergreen tree species: Quercus ilex and Arbutus unedo. We sampled 34
stems of these species on three different types of substrates in the
Peyne study area in Southern France. The resulting chronologies were
analysed in combination with 38 years of monthly precipitation and
temperature data to reconstruct the response of stem growth to climatic
variability. Results indicate a strong positive response to May and June
precipitation, as well as a significant positive influence of
early-spring temperatures and a negative growth response to summer heat.
Comparison of the data with more detailed productivity measurements in
two contrasting years confirms these observations and shows a strong
productivity limiting effect of low early-summer precipitation. The
results show that tree-ring data from Q. ilex and A. unedo can provide
valuable information about the response of these tree species to climate
variability, improving our ability to predict the effects of climate
change in Mediterranean ecosystems.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 355-383 |
Journal | Biogeosciences Discussions |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2011 |