Influences of slope aspect on the growth of Sabina przewalskii along an elevation gradient in China’s Qinghai Province

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.05.005

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Our objective was to collect tree-ring data of Sabina przewalskii and analyze the effects of elevation and aspect on tree growth.

Methods We collected tree ring samples from four sample sites that differed by elevation and slope aspect on a continuous mountain slope of Hebei Forest Farm in southern Tongde County, eastern Anymaqen Mountains, Qinghai Province. We analyzed relationships among the four tree ring-width chronologies using correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and made simple correlation function analysis between tree-ring width index and climate factors by Dendro2002 software.

Important findings Tree-ring chronological eigenvalues indicated the upper three sites had similar variation, but differed from the low-elevation chronology. Correlations among chronologies and results of PCA showed there was change along the altitude gradient. Correlations between tree-ring index and mean temperature in current June-August trended to increase, and the upper treeline was mainly determined by mean temperature of current July and August. There were significantly negative correlations between tree-ring index of the low sampling sites and temperature of prior November and current June and significant positive correlations between tree-ring index of the low sampling sites and precipitations of prior August and current May. Compared to the usual situation of tree-growth at lower elevation limits being constrained by precipitation results indicated an enhanced role of temperature and a reduced role of precipitation. Slope aspect played an important role in the growth of S. przewalskii along the elevation gradient.

Key words: elevation gradient, response to climate, Sabina przewalskii, slope aspect, tree-ring index

PENG Jian-Feng, GOU Xiao-Hua, CHEN Fa-Hu, FANG Ke-Yan, ZHANG Fen. Influences of slope aspect on the growth of Sabina przewalskii along an elevation gradient in China’s Qinghai Province[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2010, 34(5): 517-525.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.05.005

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2010/V34/I5/517

Figures/Tables 10

Table 1 Basic information of sampling sites

采样点 Sampling site	经度 Longitude (E)	纬度 Latitude (N)	坡向 Slope aspect	海拔高度 Altitude (m)	样芯/株数 Samples/trees
HB₁	100°43′33″	34°43′32″	南坡 South slope	3 730	43/31
HB₂				3 650	36/25
HB₃				3 580	38/30
HB₄			东南坡 Southeast slope	3 520	37/25

Fig. 1 Sketch map of regional sampling sites in study area. HB1-HB4 see Table 1.

Fig. 2 Standard ring-width chronologies and sampling numbers along elevation gradient. Curves stand for tree ring-width indices; Bleaks stand for sampling numbers; Vertical dotted lines stand for the begin year of subsample signal strength (SSS) > 0.8. HB1-HB4 see Table 1.

Table 2 Basic data from three meteorological stations near sampling sites (1959-2001)

站名 Station name	经度 Longitude (E)	纬度 Latitude (N)	海拔 Altitude (m)	年平均气温 Mean annual temperature (℃)	年平均降水量 Mean annual precipitation (mm)
玛沁 Maqên	100°15′	34°28′	3 720.0	-0.37	508.1
河南 Henan	101°15′	34°44′	3 500.0	0.26	583.4
同德 Tongde	100°39′	35°16′	3 290.4	0.49	425.5

Fig. 3 Mean month temperature and mean month precipitation of three meteorological stations near sampling sites. HN, Henan; MQ, Maqên; TD, Tongde.

Table 3 Statistics and results of common interval analysis from four standard chronologies

采样点 Sampling sites	年份 Year	样芯数量 Number of rings	SSS > 0.8 起始年 (样芯数) SSS > 0.8 start year (cores)	标准年表特征值 Eigenvalue of standard chronology			公共区间统计值(1900-2000年) Common interval analysis (1900-2000)
采样点 Sampling sites	年份 Year	样芯数量 Number of rings	SSS > 0.8 起始年 (样芯数) SSS > 0.8 start year (cores)	MS	SD	AC	SNR	EPS
HB₁	1807-2004	29	1 849 (8)	0.136	0.182	0.567	5.542	0.847
HB₂	1778-2004	32	1 802 (9)	0.108	0.162	0.598	7.912	0.888
HB₃	1733-2004	27	1 811 (9)	0.108	0.162	0.662	7.043	0.876
HB₄	1498-2004	35	1 740 (10)	0.173	0.190	0.331	9.242	0.902

Table 4 Correlation between four standard chronologies

	HB₁	HB₂	HB₃	HB₄
HB₁	1
HB₂	0.518^**	1
HB₃	0.438^**	0.575^**	1
HB₄	0.229^**	0.320^**	0.485^**	1

Fig. 4 Distribution diagram of first principal component (PC1) and second principal component (PC2) loads from four standard chronologies along elevation gradient. HB1-HB4 see Table 1.

Fig. 5 Correlation coefficients between first principal component (PC1) of four ring-width chronologies and mean month temperature and month precipitation. Abbreviation of the month is represented on the abscissa. Ellipse indicate p<0.05.

Fig. 6 Correlation between four ring-width chronologies along differential elevation and mean month temperature and total month precipitation. Abbreviation of the month is represented on the abscissa. Ellipse indicate p < 0.05.

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