Moisture, Not Temperature, in the Pre-Monsoon Influences <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> Growth along the Altitudinal and Aspect Gradients in the Lower Himalayas of Central Nepal
Changing climate can strongly affect tree growth and forest productivity. The dendrochronological approach to assessing the impact of climate change on tree growth is possible through climate–growth correlation analysis. This study uses an individual tree-based approach to model <i>Pinus walli...
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/11/1771 |
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| author | Deepak Gautam Narayan Prasad Gaire Mukti Subedi Ram P. Sharma Shankar Tripathi Rajesh Sigdel Saroj Basnet Mahamad Sayab Miya Parveen K. Chhetri Xiaojuan Tong |
| author_facet | Deepak Gautam Narayan Prasad Gaire Mukti Subedi Ram P. Sharma Shankar Tripathi Rajesh Sigdel Saroj Basnet Mahamad Sayab Miya Parveen K. Chhetri Xiaojuan Tong |
| author_sort | Deepak Gautam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Changing climate can strongly affect tree growth and forest productivity. The dendrochronological approach to assessing the impact of climate change on tree growth is possible through climate–growth correlation analysis. This study uses an individual tree-based approach to model <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> (<i>P. wallichiana</i>) radial growth response to climate across the physiographic gradients in the lower distributional range of Nepal. This study sampled six sites across the Makwanpur district of central Nepal that varied in elevation and aspect, obtaining 180 tree-ring series. Climate data series were obtained from Climate Research Unit (CRU 4.0). The pair correlation approach was used to assess <i>P. wallichiana</i> growth response to climate and site-level physiographic variables such as site-level environmental stress. The study also determined long-term growth trends across the elevation and aspect gradients. Trees at sites with higher elevation and northeast aspect (NEA) were more responsive to winter and spring precipitation, whereas trees with lower elevation and northwest aspect (NWA) were more responsive to winter and spring precipitation. Basal area increment (BAI) analysis showed the variation of growth at site-level environmental stress, suggesting that the sensitivity of forest ecosystems to changing climate will vary across the lower growth limit of <i>P. wallichiana</i> due to differences in local physiographic conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:04:49Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:04:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-c946cb7bd1f84204bc05483d803db8fa2023-11-24T04:42:55ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072022-10-011311177110.3390/f13111771Moisture, Not Temperature, in the Pre-Monsoon Influences <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> Growth along the Altitudinal and Aspect Gradients in the Lower Himalayas of Central NepalDeepak Gautam0Narayan Prasad Gaire1Mukti Subedi2Ram P. Sharma3Shankar Tripathi4Rajesh Sigdel5Saroj Basnet6Mahamad Sayab Miya7Parveen K. Chhetri8Xiaojuan Tong9School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaPatan Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur 44700, NepalWarnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USAInstitute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, NepalInstitute of Forestry, Hetauda Campus, Tribhuvan University, Hetauda 44107, NepalInstitute of Forestry, Hetauda Campus, Tribhuvan University, Hetauda 44107, NepalInstitute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstrasse-15, 17489 Greifswald, GermanyInstitute of Forestry, Pokhara Campus, Tribhuvan University, Pokhara 33700, NepalDepartment of Earth Science and Geography, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 90747, USASchool of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaChanging climate can strongly affect tree growth and forest productivity. The dendrochronological approach to assessing the impact of climate change on tree growth is possible through climate–growth correlation analysis. This study uses an individual tree-based approach to model <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> (<i>P. wallichiana</i>) radial growth response to climate across the physiographic gradients in the lower distributional range of Nepal. This study sampled six sites across the Makwanpur district of central Nepal that varied in elevation and aspect, obtaining 180 tree-ring series. Climate data series were obtained from Climate Research Unit (CRU 4.0). The pair correlation approach was used to assess <i>P. wallichiana</i> growth response to climate and site-level physiographic variables such as site-level environmental stress. The study also determined long-term growth trends across the elevation and aspect gradients. Trees at sites with higher elevation and northeast aspect (NEA) were more responsive to winter and spring precipitation, whereas trees with lower elevation and northwest aspect (NWA) were more responsive to winter and spring precipitation. Basal area increment (BAI) analysis showed the variation of growth at site-level environmental stress, suggesting that the sensitivity of forest ecosystems to changing climate will vary across the lower growth limit of <i>P. wallichiana</i> due to differences in local physiographic conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/11/1771climate changebasal area incrementgrowth–climate responseradial growthtree ring |
| spellingShingle | Deepak Gautam Narayan Prasad Gaire Mukti Subedi Ram P. Sharma Shankar Tripathi Rajesh Sigdel Saroj Basnet Mahamad Sayab Miya Parveen K. Chhetri Xiaojuan Tong Moisture, Not Temperature, in the Pre-Monsoon Influences <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> Growth along the Altitudinal and Aspect Gradients in the Lower Himalayas of Central Nepal Forests climate change basal area increment growth–climate response radial growth tree ring |
| title | Moisture, Not Temperature, in the Pre-Monsoon Influences <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> Growth along the Altitudinal and Aspect Gradients in the Lower Himalayas of Central Nepal |
| title_full | Moisture, Not Temperature, in the Pre-Monsoon Influences <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> Growth along the Altitudinal and Aspect Gradients in the Lower Himalayas of Central Nepal |
| title_fullStr | Moisture, Not Temperature, in the Pre-Monsoon Influences <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> Growth along the Altitudinal and Aspect Gradients in the Lower Himalayas of Central Nepal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Moisture, Not Temperature, in the Pre-Monsoon Influences <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> Growth along the Altitudinal and Aspect Gradients in the Lower Himalayas of Central Nepal |
| title_short | Moisture, Not Temperature, in the Pre-Monsoon Influences <i>Pinus wallichiana</i> Growth along the Altitudinal and Aspect Gradients in the Lower Himalayas of Central Nepal |
| title_sort | moisture not temperature in the pre monsoon influences i pinus wallichiana i growth along the altitudinal and aspect gradients in the lower himalayas of central nepal |
| topic | climate change basal area increment growth–climate response radial growth tree ring |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/11/1771 |
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