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Responses to climate by tree-ring widths and maximum latewood densities of two Abies species at upper and lower altitudinal distribution limits in central Japan

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Abstract

This study examined the effects of climate on tree-ring widths and maximum latewood densities of Abies veitchii and Abies mariesii at the upper and lower distribution limits in central Japan. A. veitchii and A. mariesii dominated at the lower and upper parts of the subalpine zone, respectively. Residual chronologies of tree-ring width and maximum latewood density were developed for the two Abies species at the upper and lower distribution limits, and were compared with monthly mean temperatures and monthly sums of precipitation. Tree-ring widths of the two Abies species at the upper and lower distribution limits positively correlated with temperatures during the beginning of the dormant season and during the growing season of the current year, except for A. veitchii at the lower distribution limit, which showed no positive correlation with temperature. Maximum latewood densities of the two Abies species at the upper and lower distribution limits positively and negatively correlated with temperatures and precipitation, respectively, during the growing season of the current year. Therefore, tree-ring widths and maximum latewood densities of the two Abies species were sensitive to low temperature, except for the tree-ring width of A. veitchii at the lower distribution limit with the warmest thermal conditions along the altitude. Global warming is suggested to affect maximum latewood densities and tree-ring widths of the two Abies species along the altitude.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Takeshi Fujiwara and his colleagues of Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute for giving facilities for X-ray. This study was partially supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (Nos. 15710007, 19580168).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan

    Koichi Takahashi & Yohei Tokumitsu

  2. Institute of Mountain Science, Shinshu University, Asahi 3-1-1, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan

    Koichi Takahashi & Koh Yasue

  3. Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Asahi 3-1-1, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan

    Isao Okuhara

  4. Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Minami-Minowa 8304, Nagano, 399-4598, Japan

    Koh Yasue

Authors
  1. Koichi Takahashi
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  2. Isao Okuhara
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  3. Yohei Tokumitsu
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  4. Koh Yasue
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Correspondence to Koichi Takahashi.

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Communicated by G. Wieser.

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Takahashi, K., Okuhara, I., Tokumitsu, Y. et al. Responses to climate by tree-ring widths and maximum latewood densities of two Abies species at upper and lower altitudinal distribution limits in central Japan. Trees 25, 745–753 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-011-0552-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-011-0552-z

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