Influence of climate on Scots pine growth on dry and wet soils near Lake Engure in Latvia; pp. 225–235

Abstract

Tree-ring width chronologies provide a retrospective record of the past tree growth, which allows scientists to infer the past history of environmental change. These types of studies have already been conducted throughout Europe for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing in dry conditions, but there is little knowledge about pine growth on organic soils. Scots pines were cored on dry and wet soils near Lake Engure to obtain tree-ring widths and to determine climate–growth relationships. Scots pine growth response to precipitation differed between the wet soil and dry soil sites. On the wet soil Scots pine was more sensitive to precipitation in the previous year and in October while yearly precipitation (previous-year October to present-year September) and growing-period precipitation (April–September) positively influenced pines growing on the dry soil. Yearly temperature and dormant-period temperature (January–March) showed a positive influence on tree growth on both sites. The explained variation of tree-ring width was very low: 5.9% for the dry site and 14.8% for the wet site. Therefore, unknown other abiotic and also biotic factors (e.g. competition) may have had a strong influence on the radial growth of the trees in this study.