Temporal Changes in Growth–Climate Relationship of Pinus taiwanensis Hayata in Subtropical China

Abstract

Whether the tree growth–climate relationship is consistent in subtropical China has not yet been reported. To fill this gap, we chose Pinus taiwanensis which grow on Lushan Mountain in a subtropical region of China as the target tree species, established a standard tree-ring width chronology, and conducted a moving correlation analysis with climatic factors. The results showed that the relationship between radial growth of P. taiwanensis and climate changed significantly during 1980–1990. From 1955 to 1985, tree rings were negatively affected mainly by precipitation in September of the current growing season. From 1990 to 2014, however, a significant negative correlation appeared between tree rings and sunshine duration from March to April in the growing season. Our results suggest the need to pay attention to this growth–climate inconsistency when conducting dendroclimatology studies in subtropical China. However, the causes of the inconsistency still require further confirmation.