Abstract: Aims To explore the relationship between the radial growth of natural Fraxinus mandshurica and climate factors and the main meteorological factors limiting the growth of F.mandshurica in Changbai Mountain, the response of natural F. mandshurica radial growth to climate factors was studied. Methods The natural F. mandshurica in Hongshi, Qingyuan, Huanren, and Ji’an were selected. The dendrochronological method was used to establish the standard chronology to study the relationship between radial growth and climate factors. Important findings The tree ring width index of four provenances was lower from 1960 to 1980, and these data had different trends and fluctuation characteristics. The correlation of four standard chronologies of F. mandshurica was extremely significant. The radial growth of F. mandshurica at these four provenances had strong regional consistency. Temperature, especially low temperature in winter and early growing season, was the main limiting factor for the radial growth of natural F. mandshurica in Hongshi, Qingyuan, Huanren and Ji’an. Meanwhile, the water condition in non-growing season also had an important effect on the radial growth of F. mandshurica in the following year. The variance decomposition analysis further confirmed the limiting effect of temperature, especially low temperature, on the radial growth of F. mandshurica from four provenances in Changbai Mountain. In the context of global climate change, the F. mandshurica from Ji’an was more stable in responding to climate change. It’s an excellent germplasm resource of F. mandshurica.

Key words: Fraxinus mandshurica, Changbai mountain, radial growth, climate response, provenance, variance decomposition