Silva Šēnhofa, Mārtiņš Zeps, Roberts Matisons, Jānis Smilga, Dagnija Lazdiņa, Āris Jansons. (2015). Effect of climatic factors on tree-ring width of Populus hybrids in Latvia. Silva Fennica vol. 50 no. 1 article id 1442. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1442

Keywords: dendroclimatology; hybrid aspen; hybrid poplar; fast-growing hybrids; weather conditions

Highlights: Hybrid poplar and hybrid aspen were sensitive to temperature in summer and dormant periods, but none of the tested factors were strictly limiting; Hybrid poplar was sensitive to a higher number of climatic factors than hybrid aspen; Temperature showed a negative correlation with tree-ring width.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Fast-growing hybrids of Populus L. have an increasing importance as a source of renewable energy and as industrial wood. Nevertheless, the long-term sensitivity of Populus hybrids to weather conditions and hence to possible climatic hazards in Northern Europe have been insufficiently studied, likely due to the limited age of the trees (short rotation). In this study, the climatic sensitivity of ca. 65-year-old hybrid poplars (Populus balsamifera L. × P. laurifolia Ledeb.), growing at two sites in the western part of Latvia, and ca. 55-year-old hybrid aspens (Populus tremuloides Michx. × P. tremula L.), growing in the eastern part of Latvia, have been studied using classical dendrochronological techniques. The high-frequency variation of tree-ring width (TRW) of hybrid poplar from both sites was similar, but it differed from hybrid aspen due to the diverse parental species and geographic location of the stands. Nevertheless, some common tendencies in TRW were observed for both hybrids. Climatic factors influencing TRW were generally similar for both hybrids, but their composition differed. The strength of climate-TRW relationships was similar, but the hybrid poplar was affected by a higher number of climatic factors. Hybrid poplar was sensitive to factors related to water deficit in late summer in the previous and current years. Hybrid aspen was sensitive to conditions in the year of formation of tree-ring. Both hybrids also displayed a reaction to temperature during the dormant period. The observed climate-growth relationships suggest that increasing temperatures might burden the radial growth of the studied hybrids of Populus.

Šēnhofa, LSFRI “Silava”, Rigas str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: silva.senhofa@gmail.com
Zeps, LSFRI “Silava”, Rigas str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: martins.zeps@silava.lv
Matisons, LSFRI “Silava”, Rigas str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: robism@inbox.lv
Smilga, LSFRI “Silava”, Rigas str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: janis.smilga@silava.lv
Lazdiņa, LSFRI “Silava”, Rigas str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: dagnija.lazdina@silava.lv
Jansons, LSFRI “Silava”, Rigas str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: aris.jansons@silava.lv

Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.

If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.

Contents alert

Your selected articles

Follow @SilvaFennica