Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dendrochronology of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) from two range centres in lowland Poland

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Trees Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In Europe, spruce grows in two main regions which meet in Poland, one to the north and east, the other to the south and west. The northeastern area ranges from the northern treeline extending from Norway to Siberia, to southern Sweden, north-eastern Poland and the southern Ural mountains. The southwestern spruce region reaches the mountainous areas of the Alps and the Balkans, the mountains and uplands of the Sudety Mountains, the Carpathians and neighbouring lowlands. Opinions about the distribution of Norway spruce have changed over the years, and its scarcity in the centre of Poland has been strongly debated. The favoured current theory is that Norway spruce once had a continuous distribution in Poland. It is assumed that the rare occurrence in the central Polish lowland is due to a combination of unfavourable soil conditions and previous management activity. The main aim of this work was to analyse climate–growth relationships of Norway spruce in eastern Poland and distinguish regions with similar increment patterns with regards to spruce range. Spruce growth in northern Polish sites is positively correlated with rainfall from May to July. Tree-ring widths in southern sites are more correlated with March temperature. Selected homogenous regions are the same as range types. Trees from the so-called “spruceless area” seem to have similar climate–growth relationships to trees from the southern region. This finding does not settle the question of the origin of the trees, but it does indicate that similar environmental conditions exist in these two areas and proves that the climate was not a limiting factor there.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Site descriptions upon request (or http://www.dendro.uni.torun. pl/spruce.htm).

  2. Detailed growth–climate relationships for each site upon request.

References

  • Aniol RW (1983) Tree-ring analysis using CATRAS. Dendrochronologia 1:45–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Bednarz Z (1996) June–July temperature variation for the Babia Góra National Park, Southern Poland, for the period 1650–1910. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Prace Geograficzne - Zeszyt 102:523–529

    Google Scholar 

  • Bednarz Z, Jaroszewicz B, Ptak J, Szwagrzyk J (1998–1999) Dendrochronology of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] in the Babia Góra National Park, Poland. Dendrochronologia 16–17:45–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Briffa K, Cook E (1990) Methods of response function analysis. In: Cook ER, Kairiukstis LA (eds). Methods of dendrochronology: applications in the environmental sciences. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, pp 240–247

  • Briffa K, Schweingruber FH, Jones PD, Osborn TJ, Harris IC, Shiyatov SG, Vaganov EA, Grudd H (1998) Trees tell of past climate: but are they speaking less clearly today? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B 353:65–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dittmar C, Elling W (1999) Jahrringbreite von Fichte und Buche in Abhängigkeit von Witterung und Höhenanlage. Forstwiss Centralbl 118:251–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dittmar C, Elling W (2004) Radial growth of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] at the Coulissenhieb Site in relation to environmental conditions and comparison with sites in the Fichtelgebirge and Erzgebirge. Ecol Stud 172:291–311

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Douglass AE (1939) Crossdating in Dendrochronology. J For 39:825–832

    Google Scholar 

  • Eckstein D (1969) Entwicklung und Anwendung der Dendrochronologie zur Alterbestimmung der Siedlung Haithbau. Diss. University Hamburg, p 113

  • Eckstein D, Krause C, Bauch J (1989) Dendroecological investigation of spruce trees [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] of different damage and canopy classes. Holzforschung 43:411–417

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feliksik E (1972) Dendroclimatic studies of spruce (Picea excelsa L.). Part I. Studies of spruce in Gasienicowy Forest in the Tatra Mountains. Acta Agric Et Silv Series Silvestris 12:71–83 (in Polish, summary in English)

    Google Scholar 

  • Feliksik E, Wilczyński S (2000a) Dendroclimatological analysis of the Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] from the Beskid Śląski Mountains. Zpravodaj Beskydy”Vliv imisi na lesy a lesni hospodářstvi Beskyd”. Edični středisko MZLU v Brne 13:161–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Feliksik E, Wilczyński S (2000b) Climate impact on the radial growth of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] from the Ustroń Forest District. Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Rolniczej im. H. Kołłątaja w Krakowie. Leśnictwo 29:13–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Feliksik E, Wilczyński S (2001) The influence of temperature and rainfall on the increment width of native and foreign tree species from the Istebna Forest District. Folia Forestalia Pol, Ser A– For 43:103–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritts HC (1976) Tree-rings and climate. Academic Press, London, p567

  • Fritts HC (1996) Quick help for PRECON. User manual. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

  • Giertych M (1973) A contribution to the discussion on the range and origin of Norway spruce in Poland. Sylwan 10:14–25 (in Polish, summary in English)

    Google Scholar 

  • Grissino-Mayer HD (2001) Evaluating crossdating accuracy: a manual and tutorial for the computer program COFECHA. Tree-Ring Res 57:205–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Guiot J (1993) The Bootstrapped response function. Tree Ring Bull 51:39–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes RL (1984) Dendrochronology program library. Users manual. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, p 51

  • Holmes RL (1986) Quality control of crossdating and measuring. A users manual for program COFECHA. In: Holmes RL, Adams RK, Fritts HC (eds) Tree-ring chronologies of western North America: California, eastern Oregon and northern Great Basin. Chronology series VI. University Of Arizona, Tucson, pp 41–49

  • Huber B (1943) Über die Sicherheit jahrring-chronologischer Datierung. Holz Roh- und Werkstoff 6:263–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahle HP, Spiecker H (1996) Adaptability of radial growth of Norway spruce to climate variations: results of a site-specific Dendroecological study in high elevetions of the Black Forest (Germany). Radiocarbon 38:785–801

    Google Scholar 

  • Kondracki J (2002) Regional geography of Poland PWN. Warszawa, p 440 (in Polish)

  • Koprowski M, Zielski A (2002) Pointer years of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karsten] in Olsztyn Lake District. Sylwan 11:29–39. (in Polish, abstract and summary in English)

    Google Scholar 

  • Koprowski M, Zielski A (2003) Increment pattern in Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karsten] in the gradient of continentality. Ecol Questions 3:113–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Mäkinen H, Nojd P, Mielikäinen K (2000) Climatic signal in annual growth variation of Norway spruce (Picea abies) along a transect from central Finland to the Arctic timberline. Can J For Res 30:769–777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mäkinen H, Nojd P, Mielikäinen K (2001) Climatic signal in annual growth variation in damaged and healthy stands of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] in southern Finland. Trees 15:177–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mäkinen H, Nöjd P, Kahle H-P, Neumann U, Tveite B, Mielikäinen K, Röhle H, Spiecker H (2003) Large-scale climatic variability and radial increment variation of Picea abies (L.) Karst. in central and northern Europe. Trees 17:173–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer FD, Bräker OU (2001) Climate response in dominant and suppressed spruce trees, Picea abies (L.) Karst., on subalpine and lower montana site in Switzerland. Ecoscience 8:105–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Miina J (2000) Dependence of tree-ring, earlywood and latewood indices of Scots pine and norway spruce on climatic factors in eastern Finland. Ecol Model 132:259–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riemer T (1994) Über die Varianz von Jahrringbreiten. Statistische Methoden für die Auswertung der jährlichen Dickenzuwächse von Bäumen unter sich ändernden Lebensbedingungen. Berichte des Forschungszentrums Waldökosysteme, Reihe A, Bd. 121. Gottingen, p 375

  • Sander C, Eckstein D, Kyncl J, Dobry J (1995) The growth of spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] in the Krkonoce (Giant) – Mts. as indicated by ring width and wood density. Ann Sci For 52:401–410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt-Vogt H (1977) Die Fichte. Band I. Taxonomie. Verbreitung. Morphologie. Ökologie. Waldgesellschaft. Verlag Paul Parey. Hamburg und Berlin, p 647

  • Schweingruber FH (1983) Der Jahrring. Standort, Methodik, Zeit und Klima in der Dendrochronologie. Bern, Stuttgart. Verl. P. Haupt., p 234

  • Schweingruber FH, Eckstein D, Serre-Bachet F, Braeker OU (1990) Identification, presentation and interpretation of event years and pointer years in dendrochronology. Dendrochronologia 8–9:9–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Skre O, Nes K (1996) Combined effects of elevated winter temperatures and CO2 on Norway spruce seedlings. Silva Fenn 30:135–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Środoń A (1967) Norway spruce in the Quarternary Poland. Acta Paleobotanica, vol. VIII. Nr 2. Institute of Botany, Kraków, p 59(in Polish, summary in English)

  • Szychowska-Krąpiec E (1998) Spruce chronology from Mt Pilsko area (Żywiec Beskid Range) 1641–1995 AD. Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Earth Sci 46:75–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitas A (2004) Tree rings of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karsten] in Lithuania as drought indicators: dendroecologica approach. Polish J Ecol 2:201–210

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilczyński S, Krąpiec M, Szychowska-Krąpiec E, Zielski A (2001) Dendroclimatological regions of the Scots pine in Poland. Sylwan 8:53–61. (in Polish, abstract in English)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RJS, Hopfmueller M (2001) Dendrochronological investigations of Norway spruce along an elevational transect in the Bavarian Forest, Germany. Dendrochronologia 19:67–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Zielski A, Koprowski M (2001) Dendrochronological analysis of annual growth in the Norway spruce of Olsztyn Lake District. Sylwan 7:65–73. (in Polish, abstract in English).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zielski A, Koprowski M (2002) Annual variation of ring width in Norway spruce–Picea abies (L.) Karsten in Olsztyn Lakeland. Ecol Questions 2:33–40

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Martin Bridge for checking the English version and comments on the manuscript. The research was supported by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research No. 3PO6L 048 23 and by the Institute of Ecology and Environment Protection of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dendrochronological Laboratory, Institute of Ecology and Environment Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Gagarina Street 9, 87-100, Torun, Poland

    Marcin Koprowski & Andrzej Zielski

Authors
  1. Marcin Koprowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrzej Zielski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcin Koprowski.

Additional information

Communicated by E. Beck

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Koprowski, M., Zielski, A. Dendrochronology of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) from two range centres in lowland Poland. Trees 20, 383–390 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-006-0051-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-006-0051-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation