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Biology
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Dendrochronology in Arid and Semiarid Regions
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Dendrochronology in Arid and Semiarid Regions

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 10403

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zongshan Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Interests: dendroclimatology; dendroecology; the arid to semiarid lands in China
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Drylands are home to more than 38% of the total global population and are one of the most sensitive areas to climate change and human activities. In addition, the IPCC expects a considerable increase in the dryland expansion rate, resulting in drylands covering half of the global land surface by the end of this century. Such an expansion of drylands would lead to reduced carbon sequestration and enhanced regional warming, which will exacerbate the risk of land degradation and desertification in the near future. Tree rings have long been recognized as a useful proxy for past climate variations because of their special characteristics, such as precise dating, annual resolution, long time series, and climate sensitivity. Because forest vegetation is particularly sensitive to changes in the moisture availability in drylands, tree-ring materials have been frequently used to resolve climatic and ecological questions in drylands.

For this Special Issue, we encourage the submission of manuscripts on any aspects of tree-ring studies in drylands, including tree-ring materials of forest (tree species) and non-forest (shrub and perennial herb species) vegetation and forests. We accept reviews, short and full-size research papers that cover the aforementioned subjects, such as climatic, ecological, wood anatomical or tree physiological issues based on tree rings in drylands.

Dr. Zongshan Li
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • tree rings
  • growth–climate response
  • dendrochronology
  • dendroecology
  • dryland regions

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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13 pages, 1439 KiB  
Article
Response of Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Six Desert Shrubs to Different Moisture Levels under Greenhouse Conditions
by Yonghong Luo, Hui Yang, Xingfu Yan, Yongrui Ma, Shuhua Wei, Jiazhi Wang, Ziyu Cao, Zhong Zuo, Chunhui Yang and Jiming Cheng
Biology 2024, 13(9), 747; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13090747 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1778
Abstract
Moisture is the most important environmental factor limiting seed regeneration of shrubs in desert areas. Therefore, understanding the effects of moisture changes on seed germination, morphological and physiological traits of shrubs is essential for vegetation restoration in desert areas. In March to June [...] Read more.
Moisture is the most important environmental factor limiting seed regeneration of shrubs in desert areas. Therefore, understanding the effects of moisture changes on seed germination, morphological and physiological traits of shrubs is essential for vegetation restoration in desert areas. In March to June 2023, in a greenhouse using the potting method, we tested the effects of soil moisture changes (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%) on seed germination and seedling growth of six desert shrubs (Zygophyllum xanthoxylum, Nitraria sibirica, Calligonum mongolicum, Corethrodendron scoparium, Caragana korshinskii, and Corethrodendron fruticosu). Results showed that (1) seed germination percent and vigor index were significantly higher at 15 and 20% soil moisture content than at 5 and 10%; (2) shoot length, primary root length, specific leaf area and biomass of seedlings were significantly higher in the 15% and 20% soil moisture content treatments than in the 5% and 10% treatments; (3) superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) and soluble protein content (SP) decreased with decreasing soil water content, while peroxidase activity (POD) and catalase activity (CAT) showed a decreasing and then increasing trend with increasing soil water content; (4) the six seeds and seedling of shrubs were ranked in order of their survivability in response to changes in soil moisture: Caragana korshinskii > Zygophyllum xanthoxylum > Calligonum mongolicum > Corethrodendron scoparium > Corethrodendron fruticosu > Nitraria sibirica. Our study shows that shrub seedlings respond to water changes by regulating morphological and physiological traits together. More importantly, we found that C. korshinskii, Z. xanthoxylum and C. mongolicum were more survivable when coping with water deficit or extreme precipitation. The results of the study may provide a reference for the selection and cultivation of similar shrubs in desert areas under frequent extreme droughts in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid and Semiarid Regions)
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18 pages, 7633 KiB  
Article
Dendrochronological Analysis of Pinus pinea in Central Chile and South Spain for Sustainable Forest Management
by Verónica Loewe-Muñoz, Antonio M. Cachinero-Vivar, Jesús Julio Camarero, Rodrigo Del Río, Claudia Delard and Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo
Biology 2024, 13(8), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13080628 - 17 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1272
Abstract
Pinus pinea is an important Mediterranean species due to its adaptability and tolerance to aridity and its high-quality pine nuts. Different forest types located in Mediterranean native and non-native environments provide the opportunity to perform comparative studies on the species’ response to climate [...] Read more.
Pinus pinea is an important Mediterranean species due to its adaptability and tolerance to aridity and its high-quality pine nuts. Different forest types located in Mediterranean native and non-native environments provide the opportunity to perform comparative studies on the species’ response to climate change. The aims of this study were to elucidate growth patterns of the species growing in native and exotic habitats and to analyze its response to climatic fluctuations, particularly drought, in both geographical contexts. Understanding stone pine (Pinus pinea) growth responses to climate variability in native and exotic habitats by comparing natural stands and plantations may provide useful information to plan adequate management under climate change. By doing so, we enhance the understanding of P. pinea’s adaptability and provide practical approaches to its sustainable management. In this study, we reconstructed and compared the stem radial growth of seven stone pine stands, two in southern Spain and five in central–southern Chile, growing under different climatic conditions. We quantified the relationships between growth variability and climate variables (total rainfall, mean temperature, and SPEI drought index). Growth was positively correlated with autumn rainfall in plantations and with autumn–winter rainfall in natural stands. Growth was also enhanced by high autumn-to-spring rainfall in the driest Chilean plantation, whereas in the wettest and coolest plantation, such correlation was found in winter and summer. A negative impact of summer temperature was found only in one of the five Chilean plantations and in a Spanish site. The correlation between SPEI and tree-ring width indices showed different patterns between and within countries. Overall, exotic plantations showed lower sensitivity to climate variability than native stands. Therefore, stone pine plantations may be useful to assist in mitigating climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid and Semiarid Regions)
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16 pages, 10529 KiB  
Article
Drought Stress Might Induce Sexual Spatial Segregation in Dioecious Populus euphratica—Insights from Long-Term Water Use Efficiency and Growth Rates
by Honghua Zhou, Zhaoxia Ye, Yuhai Yang and Chenggang Zhu
Biology 2024, 13(5), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13050318 - 2 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1370
Abstract
P. euphratica stands as the pioneering and dominant tree within desert riparian forests in arid and semi-arid regions. The aim of our work was to reveal why dioecious P. euphratica in natural desert riparian forests in the lower Tarim River exhibits sexual spatial [...] Read more.
P. euphratica stands as the pioneering and dominant tree within desert riparian forests in arid and semi-arid regions. The aim of our work was to reveal why dioecious P. euphratica in natural desert riparian forests in the lower Tarim River exhibits sexual spatial distribution differences combined with field investigation, tree ring techniques, isotope analysis techniques, and statistical analyses. The results showed that P. euphratica was a male-biased population, with the operational sex ratio (OSR) exhibiting spatial distribution differences to variations in drought stress resulting from groundwater depth change. The highest OSR was observed under mild drought stress (groundwater depth of 6–7 m), and it was reduced under non-drought stress (groundwater depth below 6 m) or severe drought stress (groundwater depth exceeding 7 m). As drought stress escalated, the degradation and aging of the P. euphratica forest became more pronounced. Males exhibited significantly higher growth rates and WUEi than females under mild drought stress. However, under severe drought stress, males’ growth rates significantly slowed down, accompanied by significantly lower WUEi than in females. This divergence determined the sexual spatial segregation of P. euphratica in the natural desert riparian forests of the lower Tarim River. Furthermore, the current ecological water conveyance project (EWCP) in the lower Tarim River was hard to fundamentally reverse the degradation and aging of the P. euphratica forest due to inadequate population regeneration. Consequently, we advocated for an optimized ecological water conveyance mode to restore, conserve, and rejuvenate natural P. euphratica forests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid and Semiarid Regions)
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27 pages, 11912 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Urbanization on Tree Growth and Xylem Anatomical Characteristics
by Xiaohui Gao, Binqing Zhao, Zecheng Chen, Wenqi Song, Zongshan Li and Xiaochun Wang
Biology 2023, 12(11), 1373; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12111373 - 27 Oct 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2652
Abstract
In the context of the intensification of global urbanization, how urbanization (urban heat island effect and air pollution) affects urban tree growth is not fully understood. In this paper, the radial growth and xylem anatomical characteristics of three different tree species (Quercus [...] Read more.
In the context of the intensification of global urbanization, how urbanization (urban heat island effect and air pollution) affects urban tree growth is not fully understood. In this paper, the radial growth and xylem anatomical characteristics of three different tree species (Quercus mongolica, Fraxinus mandshurica, and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) in urban and rural areas of Harbin were compared by means of tree-ring anatomy. The results showed that there were significant differences in the growth of both broadleaf trees and conifers between urban and rural areas. The vessel number, cumulative area of vessels, and theoretical hydraulic conductivity of all tree species in rural areas were higher than those in urban areas, indicating that urbanization may have the effect of slowing down growth. However, broadleaf trees in urban areas had higher vessel density and a greater percentage of a conductive area within xylem and theoretical xylem-specific hydraulic conductivity. The thickness of cell walls and cell wall reinforcement index of P. sylvestris var. mongolica were strongly reduced by air pollution, implying that it may be more sensitive to urbanization. Compared to Q. mongolica, F. mandshurica showed less sensitivity to urbanization. Warming and drying climate in Harbin may be an important factor affecting tree growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid and Semiarid Regions)
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14 pages, 2831 KiB  
Article
Climatic Warming-Induced Drought Stress Has Resulted in the Transition of Tree Growth Sensitivity from Temperature to Precipitation in the Loess Plateau of China
by Qindi Zhang, Shaomin Fu, Hui Guo, Shaoteng Chen and Zongshan Li
Biology 2023, 12(10), 1275; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12101275 - 25 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1857
Abstract
Ongoing climate warming poses significant threats to forest ecosystems, particularly in drylands. Here, we assess the intricate responses of tree growth to climate change across two warming phases (1910–1940 and 1970–2000) of the 20th century in the Loess Plateau of China. To achieve [...] Read more.
Ongoing climate warming poses significant threats to forest ecosystems, particularly in drylands. Here, we assess the intricate responses of tree growth to climate change across two warming phases (1910–1940 and 1970–2000) of the 20th century in the Loess Plateau of China. To achieve this, we analyzed a dataset encompassing 53 ring-width chronologies extracted from 13 diverse tree species, enabling us to discern and characterize the prevailing trends in tree growth over these warming phases. The difference in the primary contributors over two warming phases was compared to investigate the association of tree growth with climatic drivers. We found that the first warming phase exerted a stimulating effect on tree growth, with climate warming correlating to heightened growth rates. However, a contrasting pattern emerged in the second phase as accelerated drought conditions emerged as a predominant limiting factor, dampening tree growth rates. The response of tree growth to climate changed markedly during the two warming phases. Initially, temperature assumed a dominant role in driving the tree growth of growth season during the first warming phase. Instead, precipitation and drought stress became the main factors affecting tree growth in the second phase. This drought stress manifested predominantly during the early and late growing seasons. Our findings confirm the discernible transition of warming-induced tree growth in water-limited regions and highlight the vulnerability of dryland forests to the escalating dual challenges of heightened warming and drying. If the warming trend continues unabated in the Loess Plateau, further deterioration in tree growth and heightened mortality rates are foreseeable outcomes. Some adaptive forest managements should be encouraged to sustain the integrity and resilience of these vital ecosystems in the Loess Plateau and similar regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid and Semiarid Regions)
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9 pages, 832 KiB  
Brief Report
Effect of Fertilization on the Performance of Adult Pinus pinea Trees
by Verónica Loewe-Muñoz, Claudia Bonomelli, Claudia Delard, Rodrigo Del Río and Monica Balzarini
Biology 2025, 14(2), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14020216 - 19 Feb 2025
Viewed by 510
Abstract
Background: Pinus pinea L. (stone pine) produces pine nuts of high value. Its cultivation is carried out in forests and plantations, with intensive management techniques being studied to stimulate diameter growth, which is positively related to cone production. Aims: To evaluate the effect [...] Read more.
Background: Pinus pinea L. (stone pine) produces pine nuts of high value. Its cultivation is carried out in forests and plantations, with intensive management techniques being studied to stimulate diameter growth, which is positively related to cone production. Aims: To evaluate the effect of fertilization in a 30-year-old plantation and to understand if adult trees respond to nutritional management. Methods: A trial with completely randomized block design was established with two treatments (fertilization/control) and three repetitions. The plantation, with a density of 204 trees/ha, is located in central Chile, on a sandy-loam soil with neutral pH, medium organic matter content, and a fertility condition that limits tree development. Fertilization considered the repeated application of macro (N, P, K, S, Mg) and micronutrients (B, Fe, and Zn). Periodic measurements of height, stem and crown diameter, and cone production were made up to age 36. Cone production was evaluated using mixed generalized linear models and growth variables using ANOVA (analysis of variance). Results: Significant effects of fertilization on DBH annual growth (35% higher than the control, p < 0.001) and in cone production (3 times higher, p < 0.0001) were found. Conclusions: Fertilization is a useful practice to improve the growth and cone productivity of the species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendrochronology in Arid and Semiarid Regions)
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