Warm summers and moderate winter precipitation boost Rhododendron ferrugineum L. growth in the Taillefer massif (French Alps)
Rhododendron ferrugineum L. is a widespread dwarf shrub species growing in high-elevation, alpine environments of the Western European Alps. For this reason, analysis of its growth rings offers unique opportunities to push current dendrochronological networks into extreme environments and way beyond...
Published in: | Science of The Total Environment |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2017
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:122142 |
id |
ftunivgeneve:oai:unige.ch:aou:unige:122142 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivgeneve:oai:unige.ch:aou:unige:122142 2023-10-01T03:54:18+02:00 Warm summers and moderate winter precipitation boost Rhododendron ferrugineum L. growth in the Taillefer massif (French Alps) Francon, L. Corona, C. Roussel, E. Lopez Saez, J. Stoffel, Markus 2017 https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:122142 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.083 https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:122142 unige:122142 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess ISSN: 0048-9697 Science of the Total Environment, vol. 586 (2017) p. 1020-1031 info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/333.7-333.9 Tree-ring analysis Dwarf shrubs Rhododendron ferrugineum L Climate-growth correlations Winter precipitation info:eu-repo/semantics/article Text Article scientifique info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2017 ftunivgeneve https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.083 2023-09-07T07:51:51Z Rhododendron ferrugineum L. is a widespread dwarf shrub species growing in high-elevation, alpine environments of the Western European Alps. For this reason, analysis of its growth rings offers unique opportunities to push current dendrochronological networks into extreme environments and way beyond the treeline. Given that different species of the same genus have been successfully used in tree-ring investigations, notably in the Himalayas where Rhododendron spp. has proven to be a reliable climate proxy, this study aims at (i) evaluating the dendroclimatological potential of R. ferrugineum and at (ii) determining the major limiting climate factor driving its growth. To this end, 154 cross-sections from 36 R. ferrugineum individuals have been sampled above local treelines and at elevations from 1800 to 2100 m asl on northwest-facing slopes of the Taillefer massif (French Alps). We illustrate a 195-year-long standard chronology based on growth-ring records from 24 R. ferrugineum individuals, and document that the series is well-replicated for almost one century (1920–2015) with an Expressed Population Signal (EPS) > 0.85. Analyses using partial and moving 3-months correlation functions further highlight that growth of R. ferrugineum is governed by temperatures during the growing season (May–July), with increasingly higher air temperatures favoring wider rings, a phenomenon which is well known from dwarf shrubs growing in circum-arctic tundra ecosystems. Similarly, the negative effect of January–February precipitation on radial growth of R. ferrugineum, already observed in the Alps on juniper shrubs, is interpreted as a result of shortened growing seasons following snowy winters. We conclude that the strong and unequivocal signals recorded in the fairly long R. ferrugineum chronologies can indeed be used for climate–growth studies as well as for the reconstruction of climatic fluctuations in Alpine regions beyond the upper limits of present-day forests. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Tundra Université de Genève: Archive ouverte UNIGE Arctic Science of The Total Environment 586 1020 1031 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Université de Genève: Archive ouverte UNIGE |
op_collection_id |
ftunivgeneve |
language |
English |
topic |
info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/333.7-333.9 Tree-ring analysis Dwarf shrubs Rhododendron ferrugineum L Climate-growth correlations Winter precipitation |
spellingShingle |
info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/333.7-333.9 Tree-ring analysis Dwarf shrubs Rhododendron ferrugineum L Climate-growth correlations Winter precipitation Francon, L. Corona, C. Roussel, E. Lopez Saez, J. Stoffel, Markus Warm summers and moderate winter precipitation boost Rhododendron ferrugineum L. growth in the Taillefer massif (French Alps) |
topic_facet |
info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/333.7-333.9 Tree-ring analysis Dwarf shrubs Rhododendron ferrugineum L Climate-growth correlations Winter precipitation |
description |
Rhododendron ferrugineum L. is a widespread dwarf shrub species growing in high-elevation, alpine environments of the Western European Alps. For this reason, analysis of its growth rings offers unique opportunities to push current dendrochronological networks into extreme environments and way beyond the treeline. Given that different species of the same genus have been successfully used in tree-ring investigations, notably in the Himalayas where Rhododendron spp. has proven to be a reliable climate proxy, this study aims at (i) evaluating the dendroclimatological potential of R. ferrugineum and at (ii) determining the major limiting climate factor driving its growth. To this end, 154 cross-sections from 36 R. ferrugineum individuals have been sampled above local treelines and at elevations from 1800 to 2100 m asl on northwest-facing slopes of the Taillefer massif (French Alps). We illustrate a 195-year-long standard chronology based on growth-ring records from 24 R. ferrugineum individuals, and document that the series is well-replicated for almost one century (1920–2015) with an Expressed Population Signal (EPS) > 0.85. Analyses using partial and moving 3-months correlation functions further highlight that growth of R. ferrugineum is governed by temperatures during the growing season (May–July), with increasingly higher air temperatures favoring wider rings, a phenomenon which is well known from dwarf shrubs growing in circum-arctic tundra ecosystems. Similarly, the negative effect of January–February precipitation on radial growth of R. ferrugineum, already observed in the Alps on juniper shrubs, is interpreted as a result of shortened growing seasons following snowy winters. We conclude that the strong and unequivocal signals recorded in the fairly long R. ferrugineum chronologies can indeed be used for climate–growth studies as well as for the reconstruction of climatic fluctuations in Alpine regions beyond the upper limits of present-day forests. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Francon, L. Corona, C. Roussel, E. Lopez Saez, J. Stoffel, Markus |
author_facet |
Francon, L. Corona, C. Roussel, E. Lopez Saez, J. Stoffel, Markus |
author_sort |
Francon, L. |
title |
Warm summers and moderate winter precipitation boost Rhododendron ferrugineum L. growth in the Taillefer massif (French Alps) |
title_short |
Warm summers and moderate winter precipitation boost Rhododendron ferrugineum L. growth in the Taillefer massif (French Alps) |
title_full |
Warm summers and moderate winter precipitation boost Rhododendron ferrugineum L. growth in the Taillefer massif (French Alps) |
title_fullStr |
Warm summers and moderate winter precipitation boost Rhododendron ferrugineum L. growth in the Taillefer massif (French Alps) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Warm summers and moderate winter precipitation boost Rhododendron ferrugineum L. growth in the Taillefer massif (French Alps) |
title_sort |
warm summers and moderate winter precipitation boost rhododendron ferrugineum l. growth in the taillefer massif (french alps) |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:122142 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Tundra |
op_source |
ISSN: 0048-9697 Science of the Total Environment, vol. 586 (2017) p. 1020-1031 |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.083 https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:122142 unige:122142 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.083 |
container_title |
Science of The Total Environment |
container_volume |
586 |
container_start_page |
1020 |
op_container_end_page |
1031 |
_version_ |
1778521775061073920 |