Declining Radial Growth in Major Western Carpathian Tree Species: Insights from Three Decades of Temperate Forest Monitoring

Overview

Journal Plants (Basel)

Date 2023 Dec 23

PMID 38140406

Authors

Jergus Rybar

Zuzana Sitkova

Peter Marcis

Pavel Pavlenda

Jozef Pajtik

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study investigates the radial growth response of five key European forest tree species, i.e., , , , and , to dry years in the West Carpathians, Slovakia. Utilizing data from ICP Forests Level I plots, we identified species-specific growth declines, particularly in and , with milder radial growth declines for and . exhibited a growth peak in the mid-2000s, followed by a decline in the end of the observed period. Elevation emerged as the only significant environmental predictor, explaining 3.5% of growth variability during dry periods, suggesting a potential mitigating effect. The scope of this study was limited by the complex interplay of ecological factors that influence tree growth, which vary across the ICP Forests Level I monitoring sites. Nonetheless, our findings enhance the understanding of species-specific growth responses and offer insights for the climate-smart management of temperate forests under changing conditions.

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