Tree ring width variations over western Himalaya in India and its linkage with heat and aridity indices

Tree ring chronologies from different sites of western Himalaya have been carried out in relation to rainfall, temperature, palmer drought severity index, and heat and aridity indices of the region. The first principal component which was developed using the multi-sites chronologies of Himalaya has explained 50% common variance is positively correlated with rainfall, aridity and palmer drought severity index and negatively with temperature and heat index during spring season (February–May). The existence of strong correlation indicates that heat and aridity indices over the region might be one of the important climatic parameters which play the significant role in tree growth process. Particularly, heat index’s influence over the region indicated larger impact on annual ring width patterns than temperature.     

Tree-ring variation in teak (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tectona grandis</Emphasis> L.) from Allapalli,Maharashtra in relation to moisture and Palmer Drought Severity Index,India

We developed a ring-width chronology of teak (Tectona grandis L.) from a moisture stressed area in Maharashtra, India. Bootstrapped correlation analysis indicated that moisture index (MI) and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) showed better performance rather than same year rainfall over the region. Tree-ring variations were most correlated positively with PDSI during different seasons compared with MI. Significant strong positive correlation with MI, and negative association with temperature and potential evapotranspiration (PET) were found during previous and current year post-monsoon (ON). This study shows that the moisture availability during the post-monsoon of the previous year has a significant role in the development of annual growth rings. The reconstructed previous year post-monsoon (−ON) moisture index for the period 1866–1996 indicates 3.5 and 29.3 years periodicities.     

祁连山中东部青海云杉径向生长对气候变暖的响应差异

气候变暖对森林生态系统产生了深刻影响,而树木生长对气候变化做出了不同的响应。本研究利用采自祁连山中、东部不同海拔梯度的青海云杉（Picea crassifolia）树轮样本,分别建立了中部和东部6个树轮宽度年表,分析了树木径向生长与各气候要素的关系以及随时间变化的稳定性。结果表明：祁连山中部青海云杉对降水和scPDSI较东部更为敏感。中部树轮宽度年表与当年5—7月的scPDSI极显著正相关（P<0.001）,东部树轮宽度年表与前一年9月和当年5月scPDSI显著正相关,表明中部LCH区域青海云杉径向生长主要受当年5—7月土壤水分条件的限制;东部XYH区域则受前一年9月和当年5月的土壤水分的限制。20世纪80年代中东部温度显著升高（P<0.001）,中东部树木生长受高温引起的干旱胁迫增强;20世纪90年代以后,由于中部降水增加而东部降水变化不明显,中部树木生长干旱压力得到缓解,东部森林受干旱的限制作用增强。此外,中东部青海云杉与温度、降水和scPDSI的相关关系逐渐趋向一致,未来气候的持续变暖或许将减小中东部树轮-气候关系的差异。     

贺兰山油松生长的气候响应机制初步探讨

应用VaganovShashkin模型对贺兰山油松的生长变化作了拟合,发现4～8月的降水量大小决定了该年树木生长的宽度变化,另外,除5月外的1～8月份温度和树木生长的负相关是因为较高的温度不利于土壤中水分的保持,间接地导致树木生长的减慢。VS模型在贺兰山地区取得了良好的拟合效果,更为符合树木生长的生理学意义。通过拟合序列和3个采样点树轮宽度序列的对比发现,拟合序列代表着一个较大范围树轮宽窄的变化。坡向对树木生长的影响较大,甚至超过了海拔高度和距离的影响,故建议树木年轮气候学采样应沿着同一坡向采样。     

Weakening climatic signal since mid-20th century in European larch tree-ring chronologies at different altitudes from the Adamello-Presanella Massif (Italian Alps)

Tree rings from temperature-limited environments are highly sensitive climate proxies, widely used to reconstruct past climate parameters for periods prior to the availability of instrumental data and to analyse the effect of recent global warming on tree growth. An analysis of the climatic signal in five high-elevation tree-ring width chronologies of European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) from the tops of five different glacial valleys in the Italian Central Alps revealed that they contain a strong summer-temperature signal and that tree-ring growth is especially influenced by June temperatures. However, a moving correlation function analysis revealed a recent loss of the June temperature signal in the tree-ring chronologies. This signal reduction primarily involves the two lowest-altitude chronologies. It is probable that the observed increasing importance of late-summer temperature for tree-ring growth over the past 50 yr is an effect of the lengthening growing season and of the variations in the climate/tree-ring relationship over time. All the chronologies considered, especially those at the highest altitudes, show an increasing negative influence of June precipitation on tree-ring growth. The climatic signal recorded in tree-ring chronologies from the Italian Central Alps varies over time and is also differentially influenced by climatic parameters according to site elevation.     

Regional tree growth and inferred summer climate in the Winnipeg River basin, Canada, since AD 1783

A network of 54 ring-width chronologies is used to estimate changes in summer climate within the Winnipeg River basin, Canada, since AD 1783. The basin drains parts of northwestern Ontario, northern Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and is a key area for hydroelectric power production. Most chronologies were developed from Pinus resinosa and P. strobus, with a limited number of Thuja occidentalis, Picea glauca and Pinus banksiana. The dominant pattern of regional tree growth can be recovered using only the nine longest chronologies, and is not affected by the method used to remove variability related to age or stand dynamics from individual trees. Tree growth is significantly, but weakly, correlated with both temperature (negatively) and precipitation (positively) during summer. Simulated ring-width chronologies produced by a process model of tree-ring growth exhibit similar relationships with summer climate. High and low growth across the region is associated with cool/wet and warm/dry summers, respectively; this relationship is supported by comparisons with archival records from early 19th century fur-trading posts. The tree-ring record indicates that summer droughts were more persistent in the 19th and late 18th century, but there is no evidence that drought was more extreme prior to the onset of direct monitoring.     

阿尼玛卿山不同海拔祁连圆柏树轮宽度年表特征对比分析

利用阿尼玛卿山地同一坡面的不同海拔高度获取的4组树木年轮样本,建立了不同海拔梯度的树轮宽度指数年表.各年表中较高的信噪比SNR和样本总体解释量EPS表明,各采样点树木中含有较多的共同环境信息,从低海拔向高海拔的递减反映了高海拔小生境差异对树木生长影响较大;平均敏感度和标准差随海拔升高呈先递减后递增的趋势.气候因子对整个坡面的树木生长起着主导影响,其中气温的作用更大一些.可靠年表的平均序列长度随海拔升高变短,表明树木生长是沿着山坡逐渐向上迁移的.不同海拔树轮宽度可靠年表间高频变化一致,10 a滑动的高生长和低生长的不一致则反映了低频变化的差异.相关分析表明,生长在森林上限的树木对环境因子的响应滞后于森林下限,生长在最大降水高度附近的树木对环境因子响应的敏感性最低.     

树轮记录的阿尼玛卿山区过去 830年夏半年最高温变化*

利用采自黄河源区阿尼玛卿山的祁连圆柏(Juniperus prezewalskii)样芯,采用国际规范的树轮学研究方法对所有树轮样芯进行了精确定年。针对各样芯不同的生长趋势分别采用负指数函数、线性函数和样条函数拟合与树龄有关的树木生长趋势。对个别在样芯中存在缺失段或缺失年轮过多难以准确判定缺失位置的样芯,采用"搭桥"的方法建立完整序列,最后用ARSTAN软件计算合成树轮宽度年表,最长序列为1532a,在满足复本要求的基础上建立了长度为830a的树轮宽度年表,并对年表的基本统计特征进行了分析。初步的分析结果表明该年表的年轮指数与研究区夏季温度成显著负相关,并在此基础上重建了研究区过去830年来夏半年(4~9月)平均最高温的变化。重建序列包含有大量的高频变化信息,又有十分显著的低频变化趋势。研究区在重建时段内经历了3个较为显著的降温期,其中1820s~1900s的降温趋势不同于该时期全球平均温度的升高趋势。另外,分析表明在重建时段内升温期较短,但是升温幅度大于降温幅度,迅速升温可能导致研究区严重干旱事件的发生。     

祁连山中部祁连圆柏林线树木生长与积雪响应关系研究

对青海省东北部祁连县周边的冰沟、青羊沟和扎麻什林线地区的祁连圆柏进行了树芯采集, 建立了祁连山中部3个样点林线处祁连圆柏的树轮宽度年表. 相关分析显示, 树轮宽度与前一年积雪深度和当年3-6月积雪面积呈显著负相关. 同时, 建立了树轮宽度与前一年9月份积雪深度的转换函数方程, 解释方差为35.9%, 树轮-雪深重建数据能较好的反映积雪深度变化. 重建序列显示, 自1740年以来, 研究区共有3个积雪深度高值时段, 分别为1740-1780年、1825-1880年和1910-1980年. 并且, 在长时间尺度上, 积雪深度变化与祁连山地区以及中国西部其他地区的冰川进退有较好的对应关系. 另外, 积雪深度在年际变化和长期变化上都与温度变化表现为负相关.     

Radial growth of Tamarix ramosissima responds to changes in the water regime in an extremely arid region of northwestern China

The response of radial growth of tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima) growing on the shore of West-Juyan Lake, on the Heihe River in northwestern China, to changes in the lake’s water regime was studied using tree-ring chronologies, principal components (PC) analysis, and classical correlation analysis. The first PC accounted for 53.3% of the total variance and reflected a common growth response at different sites. Correlation analysis indicated that fluctuations in the lake’s water level during the growing season (May–August) was primarily responsible for variations in the radial growth of tamarisk and explained more of the variance at low-lying sites than at higher sites. The second PC accounted for 30.7% of the total variance and revealed distinct differences in growth response between low-lying sites and those on higher ground. Total annual precipitation played an important role in radial growth of tamarisk at the higher sites. The spatial pattern in the tree-ring chronologies for different sites was performed in the temporal pattern of the tree-ring chronology at the same site. Other factors such as microtopography, soil salinity, sand activity, and browsing by herbivores also affected the radial growth of tamarisk. The diversity in responses to the maximum water table depth for tamarisk in the study area appears to have been caused by local variations in precipitation, which can compensate to some degree for the inability of a plant’s roots to reach the water table.     

Exploring the potential of tree-ring chronologies from the Trafoi Valley (Central Italian Alps) to reconstruct glacier mass balance

Two tree-ring chronologies of stone pine ( Pinus cembra L.) and two of Norway spruce ( Picea abies Karst.) were constructed on the basis of data from three high-altitude sites in the Trafoi Valley (Central Alps, Italy) to test tree species sensitivity to climate at different sites and to explore the potential of the two species for reconstructing the mass balance of two glaciers in the same region (the Careser and Hintereis glaciers). Influence of climate on tree-ring growth and on glacier mass variations was tested by means of Pearson's correlation and response functions. At highest altitude sites, both species appeared to be sensitive to July temperatures, while stone pine also showed higher sensitivity than Norway spruce to previous winter precipitation. Comparing the dendrochronological and glaciological series, stone pine showed higher negative correlations with glacier mass balance series than Norway spruce. These different relationships reflect different species responses to climate, and stone pine is potentially useful in reconstructing past glacier mass balance in the Central Alps. Extreme climatic events induce different and even contrasting responses of tree-ring growth and glacier mass variations and may therefore bias tree-ring-based glacier mass balance reconstructions.     

天山北坡精河1615—2007年径流量变化的树轮记录

中国天山北坡西部精河流域山区的树木年轮记录了气候与水文变化过程,利用树轮宽度重建流域径流量长期变化历史对艾比湖湿地自然保护区生态保护和流域水资源利用具有重要意义.建立了精河流域山区2个采样点的天山云杉树轮宽度年表,分析其对流域气象和水文要素的响应特征,建立了树轮宽度标准年表与精河水文站上年9月到当年8月径流量的线性转换方程(R2=37.5%, P<0.001),重建了公元1615—2007年的径流量变化历史.丰枯年份和持续丰枯期分析表明:精河出山口径流量重建序列包含7个丰水年和11个枯水年,且发生了13次持续丰水期和10次持续枯水期.多窗谱分析发现径流量序列在99%的置信水平上存在56.8 年、6.9 年、3.8 年、3.4 年、2.0~2.1 年周期,其中6.9 年对应厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(ENSO)事件的周期,同时还发现了重建序列与南方涛动指数的显著负相关(r =-0.329,n=56),表明研究区径流量受大尺度海气耦合模式的影响.精河径流量序列与天山北坡玛纳斯河和乌鲁木齐河的丰枯阶段以及天山山区、伊犁地区降水变化的干湿阶段较好的对应,表明天山北坡水文和气候变化的大尺度环流背景和驱动因子一致.     

大兴安岭北部多年冻土区落叶松和樟子松生长的气候响应差异研究

以大兴安岭北部根河、呼中和汗马冻土区落叶松和樟子松为样本,建立了五个树轮宽度年表,并计算获取了五个样点的树轮截面积指数（BAI）序列。树轮BAI-气候响应关系分析表明,气温为这一地区落叶松和樟子松生长的主要限制因子;但落叶松和樟子松对气候变化的响应存在差异。落叶松BAI与3月平均气温,樟子松BAI与前一年12月至当年4月平均气温均呈显著负相关。考虑到水热综合影响,落叶松BAI控制因子由1957-1990年与其呈显著正相关的1月份SPEI转变为1991-2013年与其呈显著正相关的1-4月SPEI和与其呈显著负相关的3月份平均气温;樟子松BAI控制因子则由1957-1990年与其呈显著负相关的2月和8月份平均气温转变为1991-2013年与其呈显著正相关的7月份降水量和6-7月SPEI。结果表明,在全球变暖背景下,水热环境改变使得冻土区树木生长限制因子发生变化。     

亚洲树轮稳定氧同位素研究进展

树轮稳定氧同位素作为一种高精度的古气候代用指标,在亚洲地区的发展起步晚进步快。树轮稳定氧同位素比率（δ¹⁸O）对区域气候信息有较强的记录能力,且与水汽循环关系密切,对于理解复杂的亚洲气候起着重要作用。亚洲地区树轮δ¹⁸O对温度的响应主要出现在高纬度地区,中低纬度树轮δ¹⁸O主要记录与水分（降水、相对湿度、PDSI等）有关的信号。对亚洲地区已发表的树轮δ¹⁸O与气候要素（温度、降水、相对湿度）的相关分析显著性统计显示,生长季气候对树轮δ¹⁸O至关重要,树轮δ¹⁸O 与温度的显著相关关系呈正相关,与降水和相对湿度的呈负相关,温度和降水通过降水δ¹⁸O影响树轮δ¹⁸O,但各自的信号强度存在区域差异,而相对湿度信号则广泛记录在不同区域不同树种之中。亚洲树轮稳定氧同位素研究集中于中低纬度地区,因而对大气水文循环的响应主要侧重于对亚洲夏季风和ENSO的研究,对季风降水的记录反映了季风活动的变化特征以及与之有关的环流信息;季节分辨率的树轮稳定氧同位素研究限于低纬热带亚热带区域,但对于理解区域气候和季风活动的年内变化、挖掘年轮不清晰树种的树轮学研究潜力具有重要的意义。     

Tree-ring dates on two pre-Little Ice Age advances in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA

Two interstadial tree ring-width chronologies from Geikie Inlet, Glacier Bay Southeast, Alaska were built from 40 logs. One of these chronologies has been calendar dated to AD 224–999 (775 yr) crossdating with a living ring-width chronology from Prince William Sound, Alaska. Trees in this chronology were likely killed through inundation by sediments and meltwater from the advancing Geikie Glacier and its tributaries ca. AD 850. The earlier tree-ring chronology spans 545 yr and is a floating ring-width series tied to radiocarbon ages of about 3000 cal yr BP. This tree-ring work indicates two intervals of glacial expansion by the Geikie Glacier system toward the main trunk glacier in Glacier Bay between 3400 and 3000 cal yr BP and again about AD 850. The timing of both expansions is consistent with patterns of ice advance at tidewater glaciers in other parts of Alaska and British Columbia about the same time, and with a relative sea-level history from just outside Glacier Bay in Icy Strait. This emerging tree-ring dated history builds on previous radiocarbon-based glacial histories and is the first study to use tree-ring dating to assign calendar dates to glacial activity for Glacier Bay.     

祁连山地区1310年以来湿润指数及其年际变幅的变化与突变分析

本文通过用树木年轮资料重建的祁连山地区5～7月份1310年以来的湿润指数序列，建立了一个反映该地区湿润指数年际变幅序列，对这两个序列分别进行了等级分类和干湿、强弱的时段分析，并用最大熵谱分析法对这两个序列的不同时段分别进行了周期分析。采用HK突变检验方法对这两个序列分别进行了突变分析，发现祁连山地区的湿润指数及其年际变幅存在明显的突变年份。     

Lichenometric dating using Rhizocarpon subgenus Rhizocarpon in the Patagonian Andes, Argentina

This study represents the first attempt to develop and apply lichenometric dating curves of Rhizocarpon subgenus Rhizocarpon for dating glacier fluctuations in the Patagonian Andes. Six glaciers were studied along the Patagonian Andes. Surfaces of known ages (historical evidences and tree-ring analyses) were used as control sites to develop indirect lichenometric dating curves. Dating curves developed for the studied glaciers show the same general logarithmic form, indicating that growth rate of subgenus Rhizocarpon decreases over time. The strong west–east precipitation gradient across the Andean Cordillera introduces statistically significant differences in the growth curves, with faster growth rates in the moist west sites than the drier eastern sites. Latitudinal difference among the studied glaciers does not appear to be a major factor regulating lichen growth rates. Therefore, we developed two lichenometric curves for dating glacier fluctuations in wetter and drier sites in the Patagonian Andes during the past 450 yrs. Application of the developed curves to moraine dating allowed us to complement glacial chronologies previously obtained by tree-ring analyses. A first chronosequence for moraine formation in the Torrecillas Glacier (42°S) is presented. Our findings confirm the utility of lichenometry to date deglaciated surfaces in the Patagonian Andes.     

Tree-ring growth variability in the Austrian Alps: the influence of site, altitude, tree species and climate

We present an extensive new network of ring-width chronologies, comprising data from 100 sites within the Austrian Eastern Alps, made up of multiple tree species. Principal components analysis and cluster analysis were used to identify five separate high-frequency tree-growth signals from these data. Tree-growth variability at these sites is explained by site altitude and species differences that moderate the effects of the annually varying climatic forcing on tree growth. Recently developed, two-century long gridded climate data sets for the Greater Alpine Region were used to assess the relationship between climate and tree growth. Tree growth at low altitudes is controlled mainly by spring-summer moisture availability. At high altitudes precipitation is no longer a limiting factor and growth is mostly determined by summer temperature. In the intermediate altitudinal range, we did not find any direct relationships with specific climatic variables. High-altitude chronologies suitable for reconstructing past temperatures and low-altitude chronologies suitable for reconstructing past precipitation were identified.     

树轮宽度记录的天山东段近200a干湿变化

利用采自天山东部两处不同地点上下限的西伯利亚落叶松(Larix sibirica Ledb.)树轮样芯,分别建立了树轮宽度年表.经相关普查和响应函数的计算表明,天山东段森林下限的树轮年表与该地区3~6月的降水和气温相关显著,通过定义湿润指数,以树轮宽度为指标,重建了天山东段巴里坤地区近200 a来春季至初夏湿润指数的演变历史,解释方差为42%.统计分析表明,重建的湿润指数序列与邻近气象站的器测资料计算得到的湿润指数序列呈显著的正相关关系.重建序列能较好地反映天山东段近200 a来春季至初夏的干湿变化,在200 a中有6个显著的湿润时段和7个显著的干旱时段.天山东段近200 a来3~6月湿润指数序列的显著周期是11 a,然后依次存在16 a、5 a、8 a、3 a和32 a的稳定周期.     

Spatial monsoon variability with respect to NAO and SO

In this paper, the simultaneous effect of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Southern Oscillation (SO) on monsoon rainfall over different homogeneous regions/subdivisions of India is studied. The simultaneous effect of both NAO and SO on Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) is more important than their individual impact because both the oscillations exist simultaneously throughout the year. To represent the simultaneous impact of NAO and SO, an index called effective strength index (ESI) has been defined on the basis of monthly NAO and SO indices. The variation in the tendency of ESI from January through April has been analyzed and reveals that when this tendency is decreasing, then the ESI value throughout the monsoon season (June–September) of the year remains negative andvice versa. This study further suggests that during the negative phase of ESI tendency, almost all subdivisions of India show above-normal rainfall andvice versa. The correlation analysis indicates that the ESI-tendency is showing an inverse and statistically significant relationship with rainfall over 14 subdivisions of India. Area wise, about 50% of the total area of India shows statistically significant association. Moreover, the ESI-tendency shows a significant relationship with rainfall over north west India, west central India, central north east India, peninsular India and India as a whole. Thus, ESI-tendency can be used as a precursor for the prediction of Indian summer monsoon rainfall on a smaller spatial scale.