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European beech responds to climate change with growth decline at lower, and growth increase at higher elevations in the center of its distribution range (SW Germany)

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Abstract

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In the center of the species’ distribution range in Germany, European beech stands show continued climate-change-related growth decline since the 1980s at low elevations, but growth increase at high elevations.

Abstract

Contradicting reports exist about the climate-change sensitivity of European beech (Fagus sylvatica), showing either a sensitive response of radial growth to dry and hot summer episodes and long-term growth decline with recent warming, or apparent insensitivity of growth and a remarkable potential for post-stress recovery. With a dendroecological study along an altitudinal transect in the center of the species’ distribution range in south-western Germany, we analyzed the climate response of radial growth with variation in altitude (110–1230 m) and associated temperature (10.6–3.5 °C MAT) and precipitation change (755–1788 mm year−1 MAP). Climate sensitivity analysis showed that annual stem increment was strongly limited at low elevations (110–300 m) by low precipitation in April/May, but by low summer temperatures at 1230 m. At intermediate elevation (640 m), indications of both moisture and temperature limitation were found. The differences in climate sensitivity were linked to contrasting long-term growth trends. At 110–300 m, radial growth has continually decreased since about the 1980s, while it has increased at 1230 m. Our results from the four stands suggest for the study region that the abiotic control of beech radial growth switches from moisture to temperature limitation at a threshold situated between 160 and 235 mm of precipitation in April/May (which corresponds to 200 and 313 mm of precipitation in June–August), in accordance with dendroecological results from other Central European lowland regions. This indicates that, with further warming and drying of the climate, beech may suffer in lowland and lower montane regions of Central Europe from reduced vitality and productivity, whereas it may profit from warming in montane to upper montane elevation. We conclude that climate-change-related growth decline is more widespread in the center of the species’ distribution range than previously thought, which is highly relevant for forestry planning.

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Acknowledgements

The study was funded by the Landesanstalt für Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Württemberg. We are grateful to Stefan Kaufmann (University of Göttingen) for his help during the field work and Jorma Zimmermann (University of Göttingen) for his support with the SPEI and SEA calculations. Bernd Raufeisen (University of Göttingen) prepared the map of the study area. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive criticism of an earlier version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Ecology, Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany

    Choimaa Dulamsuren & Christoph Leuschner

  2. TRIOPS Ökologie & Landschaftsplanung GmbH Jacobikirchhof 1, 37073, Göttingen, Germany

    Gisbert Kopp

  3. Landesanstalt für Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Württemberg, 76185, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Marcel Ruff

  4. Functional Ecology of Plants, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany

    Markus Hauck

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  1. Choimaa Dulamsuren
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  2. Markus Hauck
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Correspondence to Christoph Leuschner.

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Communicated by G. Wieser.

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Dulamsuren, C., Hauck, M., Kopp, G. et al. European beech responds to climate change with growth decline at lower, and growth increase at higher elevations in the center of its distribution range (SW Germany). Trees 31, 673–686 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-016-1499-x

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