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Oak decline analyzed using intraannual radial growth indices, δ13C series and climate data from a rural hemiboreal landscape in southwesternmost Finland

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Abstract

Decline of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) was studied in SW Finland. This is a region where the species is growing near its northern distributional limit globally and a recent decline of mature trees has been described regionally. Tree rings of declining oaks were compared to the chronologies of healthy and oaks that died, climate series and stable isotope discrimination of carbon (δ13C) of comparable mature trees. The radial growth (earlywood, latewood, and annual ring width) of declining oaks was clearly deteriorated in comparison to healthy oaks, but recuperated, compared to oaks that died, through all index types. Comparison of climate relationships between growth and δ13C, expected to reflect oaks’ intrinsic water use efficiency, indicated enhancing resistance to droughts through the growing season. The growth and the climatic growth response was differentiated in declining oaks as compared with the healthy and oaks that died revealing that: (1) declining oaks exhibited decreasing competitive strength as indicated by reduced overall growth relative to healthy oaks, (2) the growth of declining oaks was more sensitive to winter conditions, but less restricted by summer droughts than the growth of other oaks, and (3) healthy oaks were seen having benefitted from the ongoing lengthening of the growing season. Lack of correlativity between growth and δ13C became evident as their responses to temperature and precipitation variations deviated drastically during the other but summer months. Our results indicate that several different ecological factors, rather than a single climatic factor (e.g., drought), are controlling the oak decline in the studied environment.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the landowner, Professor Kristian Donner, for the permission to core the oaks in Framnäs. The anonymous reviewers are acknowledged for their comments. The distances between the meteorological sites (Table 1) were estimated using an online JavaScript by John A. Byers. This work was supported by the Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation (S. Helama) and the Estonian Science Foundation under project ETF7510 (A. Läänelaid). Isotope analyses were produced as part of the EU-funded project ISONET (EVK2-CT-2002-00147).

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  1. S. Helama

    Present address: Finnish Forest Research Institute, Northern Unit, Rovaniemi, Finland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122, 96101, Rovaniemi, Finland

    S. Helama

  2. Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Vanemuise St. 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    A. Läänelaid

  3. The Public Works Department, Street and Park Division, P.O. Box 1515, 00099, City of Helsinki, Finland

    J. Raisio

  4. Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, 00101, Helsinki, Finland

    H. M. Mäkelä

  5. Dating Laboratory, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    E. Hilasvuori, H. Jungner & E. Sonninen

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  1. S. Helama
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Helama, S., Läänelaid, A., Raisio, J. et al. Oak decline analyzed using intraannual radial growth indices, δ13C series and climate data from a rural hemiboreal landscape in southwesternmost Finland. Environ Monit Assess 186, 4697–4708 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3731-8

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