Tree‐ring growth variability in the Austrian Alps: the influence of site, altitude, tree species and climate
Abstract
We present an extensive new network of ring‐width chronologies, comprising data from 100 sites within the Austrian Eastern Alps, made up of multiple tree species. Principal components analysis and cluster analysis were used to identify five separate high‐frequency tree‐growth signals from these data. Tree‐growth variability at these sites is explained by site altitude and species differences that moderate the effects of the annually varying climatic forcing on tree growth. Recently developed, two‐century long gridded climate data sets for the Greater Alpine Region were used to assess the relationship between climate and tree growth. Tree growth at low altitudes is controlled mainly by spring‐summer moisture availability. At high altitudes precipitation is no longer a limiting factor and growth is mostly determined by summer temperature. In the intermediate altitudinal range, we did not find any direct relationships with specific climatic variables. High‐altitude chronologies suitable for reconstructing past temperatures and low‐altitude chronologies suitable for reconstructing past precipitation were identified.Keywords
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