Roberts Matisons, Jānis Jansons, Juris Katrevičs, Āris Jansons. (2015). Relation of tree-ring width and earlywood vessel size of alien Quercus rubra L. with climatic factors in Latvia. Silva Fennica vol. 49 no. 4 article id 1391. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1391

Keywords: dendroclimatology; climate-growth relationships; introduced species; earlywood vessel lumen area; wood anatomy; shifting sensitivity

Highlights: Climate-growth relationships of red oak from three sites in Latvia were studied; Tree-ring width was mainly affected by temperature and precipitation in late summer; Vessel size was correlated with temperature parameters in autumn–spring; Sets of climatic factors significant for growth of red oak differed between sites; Changes in climate-growth relationships occurred during 20th century.

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The effect of climatic factors on wood anatomy of the alien red oak (Quercus rubra L.) growing in three experimental plantations in Latvia was assessed by classical dendrochronological techniques. Two tree-ring proxies – tree-ring width (TRW) and mean area of earlywood vessel lumen (VLA) – were studied on 33 trees. Annual variation of TRW amongst trees was similar (mean r = 0.46), but there was more individuality in VLA (mean r = 0.26); nevertheless, chronologies of both proxies had rather synchronous variation amongst the sites. Annual variation of TRW was affected by factors related to water deficit in late summer, as suggested by the negative effect of temperature and positive effect of precipitation that have intensified during the 20th century, likely due to warming. Although weather conditions during the dormant period did not directly affect TRW, temperature during the autumn-spring period has been the main climatic determinant of VLA likely via influence on overwintering and hence vigour of tree. This suggests that conductive properties of wood and hence the susceptibility to water deficit have been affected by weather conditions before the formation of tree rings. During the 20th century, sensitivity of VLA has shifted from temperature in winter to temperature in autumn likely due to climate change. Still, the positive effect of these factors suggests that warming of climate would increase VLA and hence the risk of embolism and xylem disfunction. Therefore, the importance of availability of water for growth of red oak in Latvia is increasing.

Matisons, LSFRI “Silava”, Rigas str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: robism@inbox.lv
Jansons, Latvian Forest Competence Centre, Dzērbenes str. 27, Riga, Latvia, LV 1006 E-mail: janis.jansons@silava.lv
Katrevičs, LSFRI “Silava”, Rigas str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: juris.katrevics@silava.lv
Jansons, LSFRI “Silava”, Rigas str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: aris.jansons@silava.lv

Category : Research note

article id 1321, category Research note

Sofia Bäcklund, Mari T. Jönsson, Joachim Strengbom, Göran Thor. (2015). Composition of functional groups of ground vegetation differ between planted stands of non-native Pinus contorta and native Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies in northern Sweden. Silva Fennica vol. 49 no. 2 article id 1321. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1321

Keywords: boreal forests; bryophytes; managed forests; introduced species; exotics; lichens; vascular plants

Highlights: Differences in ground vegetation patterns can be linked to tree species, forest stand age and differences in canopy cover; Vascular plant cover was higher in stands of P. contorta than in stands of both native tree species; The overall differences and similarities between P. contorta and the two native conifers were not consistent over the different age classes.

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Intensified forestry increases the interest in replacing native tree species with fast growing non-native species. However, consequences for native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are poorly understood. We compared cover and composition of major functional groups of ground vegetation between planted stands of non-native Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm. and native conifers Pinus sylvestris L. and Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. in northern boreal Sweden. We quantified the ground cover of lichens, bryophytes, vascular plants and ground without vegetation (bare ground) in 96 stands covering three different age classes (15, 30 and 85 years old). Our study revealed differences in ground vegetation patterns between non-native and native managed forests, and that these differences are linked to stand age and differences in canopy cover. Total vascular plant cover increased with increasing stand age for all tree species, with P. contorta stands having higher cover than both native conifers. The ground cover of lichens was, although generally low, highest in stands of Pinus sylvestris. P. abies stands had a lower cover of vascular plants, but bare ground was more common compared with P. contorta. Our results suggest that the use of P. contorta as an alternative tree species in Fennoscandian forestry will influence native ground vegetation patterns. This influence is likely to change with time and future research should consider both temporal and landscape-scale effects from shifting tree-species dominance to Pinus contorta and other non-native tree species.

Bäcklund, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7044, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: sofia.backlund@slu.se
Jönsson, The Swedish Species Information Centre, P.O. Box 7007, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: mari.jonsson@slu.se
Strengbom, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7044, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: joachim.strengbom@slu.se
Thor, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7044, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: goran.thor@slu.se

article id 1255, category Research note

Āris Jansons, Roberts Matisons, Līga Puriņa, Una Neimane, Jānis Jansons. (2015). Relationships between climatic variables and tree-ring width of European beech and European larch growing outside of their natural distribution area. Silva Fennica vol. 49 no. 1 article id 1255. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1255

Keywords: Fagus sylvatica; introduced species; wood increment; climatic limitation; Latvia; Larix decidua

Highlights: In western Latvia, variation of tree-ring width of European beech and European larch within stands was similar; Dry summers and cold winters caused common event years in tree-rings; Moisture availability at the end of summer was apparently the main limiting factor for tree-ring width; Winter and spring temperature did not have significant and lasting effect on variation of tree-ring width.

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

Relationships between climatic variables and tree-ring width (TRW) of dominant European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees growing outside of their natural distribution area in western Latvia were studied. Chronologies of TRW, which covered the periods 1949–2012 and 1911–2012, were produced for beech and larch, respectively. Common signatures in TRW between both species were observed, but their amplitude differed. Correlation analysis showed that variation of TRW of both species was affected by drought related climatic variables. Tree-ring width of beech was affected by temperature in the previous July and August and the effect of spring and autumn temperature was observed. Since the 1980s, the effect of July precipitation has become significant. Summer precipitation was significant for larch in the mid-part of the previous century; however, temperature in the previous September has become a limiting factor since 1970s. The limiting effect of winter and spring temperature apparently lost its significance around the 1950s.

Jansons, LSFRI „SILAVA”, Rigas Str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: aris.jansons@silava.lv
Matisons, LSFRI „SILAVA”, Rigas Str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: robism@inbox.lv
Puriņa, LSFRI „SILAVA”, Rigas Str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: liga.purina@silava.lv
Neimane, LSFRI „SILAVA”, Rigas Str. 111, Salaspils, Latvia, LV2169 E-mail: una.neimane@silava.lv
Jansons, Forest Competence Centre, Dzerbenes str. 27, Riga, Latvia, LV1006 E-mail: janis.jansons@mnkc.lv

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