Warming-Induced Decline of Picea crassifolia Growth in the Qilian Mountains in Recent Decades.

ABSTRACT: Warming-induced drought has widely affected forest dynamics in most places of the northern hemisphere. In this study, we assessed how climate warming has affected Picea crassifolia (Qinghai spruce) forests using tree growth-climate relationships and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) along the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Tibet Plateau (the main range of Picea crassifolia). Based on the analysis on trees radial growth data from the upper tree line and the regional NDVI data, we identified a pervasive growth decline in recent decades, most likely caused by warming-induced droughts. The drought stress on Picea crassifolia radial growth were expanding from northeast to southwest and the favorable moisture conditions for tree growth were retreating along the identical directio

SUBMITTER: Yu L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4486449 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature