A new Portland State University study shows that not all populations of a single, widely spread tree species respond the same to climate change, something scientists will need to consider when making climate change projections.
A new Portland State University study shows that not all populations of a single, widely spread tree species respond the same to climate change, something scientists will need to consider when making climate change projections.
The study, published online recently in the Journal of Biogeography, examined growth rings from the world's southernmost conifer tree species, Pilgerodendron uviferum, to see if its growth rate responded differently to climate change over time and depending on its location in northern, central or southern Patagonia.
The study, led by PSU geography professor Andrés Holz, found that during the first half of the 20th century, the climate-growth relationships were relatively similar between the southern (poleward) and northern (equatorward) range edges, but diverged after the 1950s when warming in southern South America increased.
In the northern and southern edges, where it can be relatively dry during the spring and summer months, wetter-than-average conditions resulted in increased tree growth. However, in central Patagonia, the region that gets the most rain, growth was mostly dependent on drier and sunnier conditions.
Read more at Portland State University
Image: The study examined growth rings from the world's southernmost conifer tree species, Pilgerodendron uviferum. (Credit: Andrés Holz, Portland State University)
