Growth responses of subalpine fir (Abies fargesii) to climate variability in the Qinling Mountain, China

Dendroecological techniques have been employed to investigate the relationship between subalpine fir (Abies fargesii) growth and climatic variability throughout its elevational range on both south and north aspects in the Qinling Mountain of Shaanxi Province, China. Correlation analyses indicate that early spring and summer temperatures are the principal factors limiting its growth in the low- and middle-elevation distributional areas. In the high-elevation areas, it is the summer precipitation that affects A. fargesii radial growth. The previous year August and November temperatures show positive correlation with the radial growth in the low- and middle-elevation distributional areas of the south aspect, and in the high-elevation areas, precipitation in previous November has significantly negative influences on the radial growth. The previous year's temperature and precipitation have no significant effects on the radial growth of the fir trees in the north aspect. Thus, the growth of the subalpine A. fargesii responds differently to climatic conditions along the elevational gradient and in different aspects.