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Growth dynamics of Shorea robusta Gaertn in relation to climate change: a case study from tropical region of Nepal

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Abstract

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The growth of Shorea robusta is positively correlated with temperature, whereas the relation to moisture is weak.

Abstract

Tree-ring analyses provide a rich archive of information on environmental attributes affecting tree growth. Tree-ring studies conducted so far have mostly focused on temperate species, and research on tropical trees is limited. This study aims to develop a tree-ring chronology of Shorea robusta and understand the climatic sensitivity of its growth in the tropical region of Nepal. Tree-ring samples of S. robusta were analysed following the standard dendrochronological sample analysis procedure. A 134-year-long ring-width chronology of S. robusta was developed, extending from 1851 to 2018, which is the longest chronology reported for this species. The chronology statistics revealed its high dendroclimatic potential with moderate R-bar, high expressed population signal, and low autocorrelation. The mean annual radial growth was 2.87 mm per year, while the mean basal area increment (BAI) was 9.245 cm2 per year. The ring width, BAI chronology and size-based growth analysis revealed an increasing growth trend of the species, which is likely favoured by the ongoing climate change. The tree growth of the species was positively correlated to temperature throughout the year; however, the relation to moisture parameters was weak. The temperature sensitivity of the species is stable over time, though a slight temporal difference exists in the strength of association.

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Availability of data and materials

The datasets analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on request.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to Timber Corporation Nepal (TCN), Bara, for providing the information and also cooperation for the tree measurement. We would like to thank Raj K. Shahu and Sudhir Shrestha, Institute of Forestry, for their support in data collection and compilation. The field work in Nepal has been financially supported by the Institute of Silviculture, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Austria.

Funding

The research was funded by the Institute of Silviculture, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.

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Author notes

  1. Narayan Prasad Gaire—Equal level of contribution in writing the paper as of first author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forestry & NRM, Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, 44613, Nepal

    Sony Baral

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Patan Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur, 44700, Nepal

    Narayan Prasad Gaire

  3. Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Lalitpur, 44700, Nepal

    Anjana Giri

  4. University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia

    Tek Maraseni

  5. United Nation Development Programme, Kathmandu, 44600, Nepal

    Bijendra Basnyat

  6. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

    Ambika Paudel

  7. Ethnobotanical Society of Nepal, Kathmandu, 44600, Nepal

    Ripu Kunwar

  8. Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, 44613, Nepal

    Santosh Rayamajhi

  9. Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, 17489, Greifswald, Germany

    Saroj Basnet

  10. The Resource Nepal, Kathmandu, 44600, Nepal

    Shiva K. Sharma

  11. Global Change Research Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic

    Chiranjeewee Khadka

  12. Institute of Silviculture, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190, Vienna, Austria

    Harald Vacik

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  1. Sony Baral
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Baral, S., Gaire, N.P., Giri, A. et al. Growth dynamics of Shorea robusta Gaertn in relation to climate change: a case study from tropical region of Nepal. Trees 36, 1425–1436 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-022-02300-5

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