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Key message <p><i>Picea crassifolia</i> shows varying growth patterns, climate-growth relationships, and ecological resilience across climatic habitats.</p> Abstract <p>Significant unknowns persist concerning how forest ecosystems globally react to climate change. Dryland trees exhibit increased sensitivity to rising temperatures, threatening the survival of regional forest ecosystems. Therefore, understanding growth patterns of trees and assessing their ecological resilience to extreme drought events are of critical environmental importance. Dendrochronological samples of <i>Picea crassifolia</i> were obtained across elevational gradients in both humid and arid regions of the Qilian Mountains, positioned within northwestern China’s arid and semiarid belt. We evaluated tree growth patterns, their climatic sensitivity, and key indicators of ecological resilience to drought using tree-ring data. Our findings were as follows: (1) Trees at three elevations in the arid region demonstrated uniform growth trajectories: initial augmentation, intermediate suppression, and terminal resurgence. Tree growth at high elevation in the humid region exhibited a continuous upward trend, whereas trees at mid and low elevations initially increased before declining. (2) Drought imposed limitations on arboreal development across tripartite elevational tiers in the arid region. High temperatures had suppressive effects on arboreal development within middle and low elevational belts in the humid region, while low temperatures limited tree growth at high elevation. (3) Trees in the humid region exhibited greater drought resistance, while those in the arid region demonstrated higher recovery. Drought resistance increased with increasing elevation, whereas recovery decreased. Consequently, developing and implementing adaptive silvicultural strategies is imperative for proactive climate response.</p>

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Contrasting radial growth and drought resilience of Picea crassifolia along aridity and elevation gradients in the Qilian mountains

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月12日

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  • Weiyin Shi,
  • Liang Jiao,
  • Peng Zhang,
  • Xuge Wang,
  • Zhengdong Guo,
  • Le Zhang,
  • Yarong Qin,
  • Yuanyuan Ma

摘要

Key message

Picea crassifolia shows varying growth patterns, climate-growth relationships, and ecological resilience across climatic habitats.

Abstract

Significant unknowns persist concerning how forest ecosystems globally react to climate change. Dryland trees exhibit increased sensitivity to rising temperatures, threatening the survival of regional forest ecosystems. Therefore, understanding growth patterns of trees and assessing their ecological resilience to extreme drought events are of critical environmental importance. Dendrochronological samples of Picea crassifolia were obtained across elevational gradients in both humid and arid regions of the Qilian Mountains, positioned within northwestern China’s arid and semiarid belt. We evaluated tree growth patterns, their climatic sensitivity, and key indicators of ecological resilience to drought using tree-ring data. Our findings were as follows: (1) Trees at three elevations in the arid region demonstrated uniform growth trajectories: initial augmentation, intermediate suppression, and terminal resurgence. Tree growth at high elevation in the humid region exhibited a continuous upward trend, whereas trees at mid and low elevations initially increased before declining. (2) Drought imposed limitations on arboreal development across tripartite elevational tiers in the arid region. High temperatures had suppressive effects on arboreal development within middle and low elevational belts in the humid region, while low temperatures limited tree growth at high elevation. (3) Trees in the humid region exhibited greater drought resistance, while those in the arid region demonstrated higher recovery. Drought resistance increased with increasing elevation, whereas recovery decreased. Consequently, developing and implementing adaptive silvicultural strategies is imperative for proactive climate response.