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Mongolian pines (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) in the Hulun Buir steppe, China, respond to climate in adjustment to the local water supply

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Abstract

The growth response of Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) to climate was studied at three sites in the Hulun Buir steppe on the eastern Mongolian Plateau, China. Correlation analysis revealed two patterns of response: (1) trees on two sites in the upstream section of the Yimin River are strongly limited by temperature and precipitation during the growing season from April to September, and (2) trees in the convergence area of the downstream section of the Yimin River and of the midstream section of the Hailar River are sensitive to precipitation during winter (December–January) and early spring (April) as well as to the early growing season temperature (April and June). These responses can be attributed to the positions where groundwater, recharged by the runoff from summer to autumn (July–September), could supply sufficient water needed for tree growth. Therefore, the patterns of growth–climate responses and of climate variation trends in this steppe region should be considered for the management and afforestation of Mongolian pines.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Professor Yu Liu and Director Yuxiang Ge for supporting this research. We also thank field editor Dr. Lynda Chambers and three anonymous reviewers for comments that greatly improved the clarity of this manuscript. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41301101, 41171170), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-Q1-01, KZZD-EW-04), the One-hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Basic Research Program of China (2013CB955903), the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology Foundation (SKLLQG1302), Geography of Shaanxi Province key discipline, and Baoji University of Arts and Sciences (ZK11063).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Disaster Monitoring and Mechanism Simulating of Shaanxi Province, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, China

    Guang Bao

  2. State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, 710075, China

    Guang Bao

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Correspondence to Guang Bao.

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Bao, G. Mongolian pines (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) in the Hulun Buir steppe, China, respond to climate in adjustment to the local water supply. Int J Biometeorol 59, 1–10 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-013-0767-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-013-0767-3

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