Climatic response of Betula ermanii along an altitudinal gradient in the northern slope of Changbai Mountain, China

Abstract

The sensitivity of Betula ermanii tree-ring growth to climate variation over an altitudinal gradient was assessed. Betula ermanii forest grows in the northern slope of Changbai Mountain from approximately 1,700mabove sea level (a.s.l.), andforms the upper tree line at nearly 2,100ma.s.l.. Six study sites were constructed along the altitudinal gradient (1,670 to 2,010 m a.s.l.) and ring-width chronologies of Betula ermanii were built. The mean tree-ring series intercorrelation (RBAR) increasedwith elevation. In principal component analysis, the first unrotatedprinciple component explained77.1% of the total variance, indicating the tree-ring growth of Beutla ermanii over the altitudinal gradient was governed by regional climate. Correlation function analysis revealedthat the radial growth of Betula ermanii was significantly similar in response to climatic conditions. Overall, the low temperatures during previous June, July and during the dormant period (previous October to current May) andthe high temperatures during current June, July andAugust would benefit the radial growth of Betula ermanii. Abundant precipitation during growing season (previous June, July, September andcurrent August), previous November andcurrent May, wouldalso facilitate the tree-ring growth. The reason for this uniform growth behavior in Betula ermanii remainedunclear. Betula ermanii in Changbai Mountain formedrelatively pure stands with an open canopy, which might be partly contributing to the common growth response to climatic signals along the altitudinal gradient, but further work was required for testing this assumption.