Tree ring growth as a response of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) from Rudnik Forest District to climatic factors

Autorzy

• Monika Tomczyk-Kida Forest Research Institute, Department of Mountain Forests,
  Kraków, Poland
  e-mail: M.Tomczyk-Kida@ibles.waw.pl
• Grzegorz Durło University of Agriculture in Cracow, Faculty of Forestry, Institute of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Department of Forest Protection Entomology and Forest Climatology, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31–425 Kraków, Poland
• Sławomir Wilczyński University of Agriculture in Kraków, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Protection, Entomology and Forest Climatology
  Kraków, Poland

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the sensitivity of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) from the Rudnik Forest District on the selected meteorological elements and to develop a chronology of local tree-ring width and the annual sensitivity.
Based on the analysis, the site chronology of silver fir was developed and the strength of the relationship between the climate components and the width of annual rings was calculated. In addition, we examined the degree of homogeneity of short-term incremental response, rated the representativeness of the chronology and climate signal strength.
Having analysed the indicator years, namely 1932–2013, we concluded that the growth of firs was positively influenced mainly by air temperature in winter, and to a lesser extent, by precipitation in spring and summer. The main factors that limit its growth are cold winters, cool and low rainfall summers, and rainy springs.

Keywords

• dendrochronological analysis
• dendrochronology
• climate
• Abies alba
• dendroclimatology