Climatic Warming-Induced Drought Stress Has Resulted in the Transition of Tree Growth Sensitivity from Temperature to Precipitation in the Loess Plateau of China

Abstract

Ongoing climate warming poses significant threats to forest ecosystems, particularly in drylands. Here, we assess the intricate responses of tree growth to climate change across two warming phases (1910-1940 and 1970-2000) of the 20th century in the Loess Plateau of China. To achieve this, we analyzed a dataset encompassing 53 ring-width chronologies extracted from 13 diverse tree species, enabling us to discern and characterize the prevailing trends in tree growth over these warming phases. The difference in the primary contributors over two warming phases was compared to investigate the association of tree growth with climatic drivers. We found that the first warming phase exerted a stimulating effect on tree growth, with climate warming correlating to heightened growth rates. However, a contrasting pattern emerged in the second phase as accelerated drought conditions emerged as a predominant limiting factor, dampening tree growth rates. The response of tree growth to climate changed markedly during the two warming phases. Initially, temperature assumed a dominant role in driving the tree growth of growth season during the first warming phase. Instead, precipitation and drought stress became the main factors affecting tree growth in the second phase. This drought stress manifested predominantly during the early and late growing seasons. Our findings confirm the discernible transition of warming-induced tree growth in water-limited regions and highlight the vulnerability of dryland forests to the escalating dual challenges of heightened warming and drying. If the warming trend continues unabated in the Loess Plateau, further deterioration in tree growth and heightened mortality rates are foreseeable outcomes. Some adaptive forest managements should be encouraged to sustain the integrity and resilience of these vital ecosystems in the Loess Plateau and similar regions.

Keywords: Loess Plateau; climate change; tree radial growth; warming phases.

Figure 1

Distribution of sample sites of the Loess Plateau of China.

Figure 2

Climate change and tree growth trends in two warming phases. (a) Trends in the MAT; (b) Trends in the MAP; (c) Trends in the SPEI; (d)Trends in tree growth. The red trend line represents the fitted line of climate and tree growth rates for the first warming phase, while the blue colour similarly represents the second warming phase.

Figure 3

Spatial patterns of tree growth rates and climate sensitivity in two climate warming phases. MAT: temperature; MAP: precipitation. In graphs (a,b), the red and blue dots represent positive and negative tree growth rates, respectively, and the magnitude implies the size of the absolute value of the growth rate. In the (c–h) plot, the red and blue points represent the positive or negative response of tree growth sensitivity to climatic factors, respectively, and the magnitude implies the size of the absolute value of climate sensitivity.

Figure 4

Correlation between tree rings index and climate in two warming phases. (a) Rings width and temperature correlation; (b) Rings width and precipitation correlation; (c) Rings width and SPEI correlation. Different asterisks indicate differences in climate sensitivity between the two warming phases, * p < 0.05, ** p< 0.01, and *** p < 0.001. Lowercase abbreviated months represent the previous year, while uppercase abbreviated months represent the current year. The circles indicate outliers.