Johannes Edvardsson
Researcher
Exploring the impact of regional climate and local hydrology on Pinus sylvestris L. growth variability – A comparison between pine populations growing on peat soils and mineral soils in Lithuania
Author
Summary, in English
Aims
To compare growth variability of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) on different soil types, and to assess the potential of peat-soil pines for climatological and hydrological studies.
Methods
We used extensive dendrochronological analyses to investigate temporal and spatial responses of pines growing on peat soils and mineral soils in three regions of Lithuania.
Results
Significant correlations were observed between tree populations growing on similar soil types in different geographical regions, whereas synchronicity was absent between neighbouring stands growing on different soil types. At mineral soils, tree growth was significantly correlated with winter and early summer temperatures, whereas a more complex response was detected in peat-soil trees, presumably reflecting a multi-annual synthesis of moisture variability and changing hydrology. Synchronous long-term peat soil tree-growth variations observed over large parts of the Baltics point to a possible regional hydrological forcing. Our results may therefore improve hydrological reconstructions using living and subfossil peat-soil trees, and could be of prime importance given the major influence peatland water-table fluctuations have on a range of environmental processes.
Conclusion
Results reveal that peat-soil pines are unsuitable for high-frequency climate reconstruction, but demonstrate their potential for the reconstruction of multi-annual to decadal hydrological fluctuations. Mineral-soil pines, by contrast, should be used for temperature reconstructions.
To compare growth variability of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) on different soil types, and to assess the potential of peat-soil pines for climatological and hydrological studies.
Methods
We used extensive dendrochronological analyses to investigate temporal and spatial responses of pines growing on peat soils and mineral soils in three regions of Lithuania.
Results
Significant correlations were observed between tree populations growing on similar soil types in different geographical regions, whereas synchronicity was absent between neighbouring stands growing on different soil types. At mineral soils, tree growth was significantly correlated with winter and early summer temperatures, whereas a more complex response was detected in peat-soil trees, presumably reflecting a multi-annual synthesis of moisture variability and changing hydrology. Synchronous long-term peat soil tree-growth variations observed over large parts of the Baltics point to a possible regional hydrological forcing. Our results may therefore improve hydrological reconstructions using living and subfossil peat-soil trees, and could be of prime importance given the major influence peatland water-table fluctuations have on a range of environmental processes.
Conclusion
Results reveal that peat-soil pines are unsuitable for high-frequency climate reconstruction, but demonstrate their potential for the reconstruction of multi-annual to decadal hydrological fluctuations. Mineral-soil pines, by contrast, should be used for temperature reconstructions.
Publishing year
2015-04-15
Language
English
Pages
345-356
Publication/Series
Plant and Soil
Volume
392
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Springer
Topic
- Climate Research
- Environmental Sciences
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0032-079X