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Individual and time-varying tree-ring growth to climate sensitivity of Pinus tabuliformis Carr. and Sabina przewalskii Kom. in the eastern Qilian Mountains, China

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Abstract

Individual tree-ring width chronologies and mean chronologies from Pinus tabuliformis Carr. (Chinese pine) and Sabina przewalskii Kom. (Qilian juniper) tree cores were collected and analyzed from two sites in the eastern Qilian Mountains of China. The chronologies were used to analyze individual and time-varying tree-ring growth to climate sensitivity with monthly mean air temperature and total precipitation data for the period 1958–2008. Climate–growth relationships were assessed with correlation functions and their stationarity and consistency over time were measured using moving correlation analysis. Individuals’ growth–climate correlations suggested increased percentages of individuals are correlated with certain variables (e.g., current June temperature at the P. tabuliformis site; previous June, December and current May temperature and May precipitation at the S. przewalskii site). These same climatic variables also correspond to the mean chronology correlations. A decreased percentage of individuals correlated with these climatic variables indicates a reduced sensitivity of the mean chronology. Moving correlation analysis indicated a significant change over time in the sensitivity of trees to climatic variability. Our results suggested: (1) that individual tree analysis might be a worthwhile tool to improve the quality and reliability of the climate signal from tree-ring series for dendroclimatology research; and (2) time-dependent fluctuations of climate growth relationships should be taken into account when assessing the quality and reliability of reconstructed climate signals.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41171039, No. 40971119 and No. 41021091), the Chinese 111 Project (Grant No. B06026), and the One Hundred Talents Program of CAS (Grant No. 29O827B11).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (MOE), Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Fen Zhang, Xiaohua Gou & Wenhuo Liu

  2. Departments of Geography and Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA

    D. F. Levia

  3. Taiyaun Normal University Research Center for Scientific Development in Fenhe River Valley, Taiyuan, 030012, China

    Yingjun Li

Authors
  1. Fen Zhang
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  2. Xiaohua Gou
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  3. Wenhuo Liu
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  4. D. F. Levia
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  5. Yingjun Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaohua Gou.

Additional information

Communicated by A. Braeuning.

Special topic: Dendroecology in Asia.

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Zhang, F., Gou, X., Liu, W. et al. Individual and time-varying tree-ring growth to climate sensitivity of Pinus tabuliformis Carr. and Sabina przewalskii Kom. in the eastern Qilian Mountains, China. Trees 27, 359–370 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-012-0772-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-012-0772-x

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