10.5061/DRYAD.KS97H
Piper, Frida I.
University Austral de Chile
Instituto de Ecología
Viñegla, Benjamín
University of Jaén
Linares, Juan Carlos
Pablo de Olavide University
Camarero, Jesús Julio
Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología
Cavieres, Lohengrin A.
University of Concepción
Instituto de Ecología
Fajardo, Alex
University Austral de Chile
Data from: Mediterranean and temperate treelines are controlled by
different environmental drivers
Dryad
dataset
2017
Carbon limitation
timberline
Pinus uncinata
Pinus sylvestris
Holocene
carbon balance
Kageneckia angustifolia
Nothofagus pumilio
2017-02-01T00:00:00Z
2017-02-01T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12555
116616 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
The growth limitation hypothesis (GLH) is the most accepted explanation
for treeline formation, but it has been scarcely examined in Mediterranean
treelines, which are located at lower elevations than temperate treelines.
The GLH states that low temperature is the ultimate environmental driver
for treeline formation, constraining C-sinks (i.e. tissue formation) more
than C-sources. The GLH predicts similar or increasing (but not
decreasing) non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations with
elevation throughout the course of the growing season. We hypothesized
that elevational trends in growth and NSC in Mediterranean regions are not
determined by only low temperature. We tested the GLH by examining the
mean annual basal area and NSC concentrations in developing (new twigs)
and ripened tissues (branch, stem) of trees growing at three elevations in
three Mediterranean and three temperate treelines in the Chilean southern
Andes (33ºS, Kageneckia angustifolia, 36ºS, 40ºS, and 46ºS, Nothofagus
pumilio) and in Spain (36ºN, Pinus sylvestris, 42ºN, P. uncinata). Samples
for NSC were taken at the onset of summer and autumn, which represent
periods of contrasting drought intensities in Mediterranean regions. Tree
growth decreased significantly with elevation in temperate treelines but
not in Mediterranean treelines. In Mediterranean treelines, new twig NSC
concentrations increased significantly with elevation in the early summer
but not in the early autumn. In temperate treelines, in contrast, no
elevational or seasonal variation (or interaction between them) was
observed in new twig NSC concentrations. The NSC concentrations of the
branches and stems from both climates showed no elevational trends. The
soluble sugars’ NSC fraction increased over the season in Mediterranean
treelines and decreased in temperate treelines. Synthesis. Although we
found support for the growth limitation hypothesis (GLH) in temperate and
Mediterranean treelines, our study shows that the tree growth and C
balance in Mediterranean treelines are not controlled by low temperature
alone. We suggest that environmental factors other than temperature
explain the lower global elevation of Mediterranean treelines when
compared to temperate treelines.
Growth and carbohydrates in temperate and Mediterranean treelinesThe file
contains two sheets: 1. NSC shows total soluble carbohydrate, starch, and
non structural carbohydrates concentrations per mass unit (col I, J, K,
respectively) and per volume unit (N, O, P, respectively) in three tissues
(col D, new developing twings, stem sapwood, and branches) in early summer
and early autumn (col E, spring and autumn, respectively) 6-8 adult trees
of different species (lenga: Nothofagus pumilio, frangel: Kageneckia
angustifolia, uncinata: Pinus uncinata, sylvestris: Pinus sylvestris) at
three elevations (treeline, intermediate named as "inter", and
closed or montane forest named as "low") of altitudinal
gradients sampled in four locations of Chile (termas: Termas de Chillán,
antillanca: Antillanca area within Puyehue National Park, castillo: Cerro
Castillo Natural Reserve, in Patagonia, and farellones: Farellones in
Central Chile) and Spain (pyrenees: Sierra de Cutas area in Spanish
Central Pyrenees, and sierra: Sierra Nevada). First col indicates the
climate for each location. 2. BAI refers to mean annual basal area
increment of the last 10 years in 6-8 adult trees of different species
(lenga: Nothofagus pumilio, frangel: Kageneckia angustifolia, uncinata:
Pinus uncinata, sylvestris: Pinus sylvestris) at three elevations
(treeline, intermediate named as "inter", and closed or montane
forest named as "low") of altitudinal gradients sampled in four
locations of Chile (termas: Termas de Chillán, antillanca: Antillanca area
within Puyehue National Park, castillo: Cerro Castillo Natural Reserve, in
Patagonia, and farellones: Farellones in Central Chile) and Spain
(pyrenees: Sierra de Cutas area in Spanish Central Pyrenees, and sierra:
Sierra Nevada). First col indicates the climate for each
location.mediterranean_nsc_dryad.xlsx
Chile
Spain