Assessment of radial growth and tree water deficit in Cedrus libani, Juniperus excelsa, and Pinus brutia using high-precision dendrometers

Year 2024, Volume: 25 Issue: 2, 166 - 175, 28.06.2024

Aylin Güney , Fatma Gökçe Cankara , Burak Bahar

https://doi.org/10.18182/tjf.1355275

Abstract

Data obtained from continuous measurements of high-precision dendrometers offer information about radial stem growth and tree water relations in high resolution. In 2022, two long-term monitoring sites were established in Antalya as part of the “DenTRo” initiative: Point dendrometers were installed to measure stem radius changes in a mixed Cedrus libani (Taurus cedar)- Juniperus excelsa (Greek juniper) stand in the Elmalı Cedar Research Forest and in a pure Pinus brutia (Turkish pine) stand in the Bük Lütfü Büyükyıldırım Research Forest. This work presents the first results of stem radius change measurements covering the growing season of 2022. Seasonal dynamics of radial growth were modeled by Gompertz functions. Further, radial stem growth (GRO) and tree water deficit-induced stem shrinkage (TWD) were extracted from hourly stem radius change measurements, investigated for their patterns, and correlated with environmental variables. Radial stem growth in Turkish pine started in the first week of April, approximately three weeks earlier than cedar and juniper. Maximum GRO was also reached earlier in Turkish pine. In all three species, main stem growth happened before July after which all experienced longer periods of water limitations as measured by increasing TWD. Relative air humidity had a stronger positive effect on GRO in cedar and juniper, while in pine GRO and TWD were strongly positively correlated with precipitation and high temperatures, respectively. To provide more detailed and comprehensive information on how trees are affected by climate change, long-term monitoring sites in different forest ecosystems using ecophysiological methods such as dendrometers are needed.

Keywords

Greek juniper, Stem radius change, Cambial activity, Turkish pine, Drought stress, Taurus cedar

Yüksek hassasiyetli dendrometreler kullanılarak Cedrus libani, Juniperus excelsa ve Pinus brutia’da radyal büyüme ve ağaç su açığının değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Yüksek hassasiyetli dendrometrelerin sürekli ölçümlerinden elde edilen veriler, radyal gövde büyümesi ve ağaç su ilişkileri hakkında yüksek çözünürlükte bilgi sunar. 2022 yılında, "DenTRo" girişiminin bir parçası olarak Antalya'da iki uzun vadeli izleme sahası kurulmuştur: Elmalı Sedir Araştırma Ormanı'ndaki bir Cedrus libani A. Rich (Toros sediri)- Juniperus excelsa (Boylu ardıç) karışık meşceresi ve Bük Lütfü Büyükyıldırım Araştırma Ormanı'ndaki saf bir Pinus brutia (kızılçam) meşceresinde saatlik gövde yarıçap değişimlerini ölçmek için nokta dendrometreler kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışma, 2022 büyüme sezonunu kapsayan gövde yarıçap değişimi ölçümlerinin ilk sonuçlarını sunmaktadır. Radyal büyümenin yıl içerisindeki seyri Gompertz büyüme fonksiyonu ile modellenmiştir. Ayrıca, radyal gövde büyümesi (GRO) ve gövde çapının daralmasına sebep olan ağaç su açığı (TWD) saatlik gövde yarıçap değişimi ölçümlerinden hesaplanmıştır. GRO ve TWD’nin yıl içerisindeki seyri türler arasında karşılaştırılmıştır ve korelasyon analizi ile meteorolojik değişkenlerle ilişkilendirilmiştir. Kızılçamda radyal gövde büyümesi, sedir ve boylu ardıça göre yaklaşık üç hafta önce, Nisan ayının ilk haftasında başlamıştır. Kızılçam ayrıca maksimum GRO değerlerine de daha erken ulaşmıştır. Her üç türde de ana gövde büyümesi temmuz ayından önce gerçekleşmiş, ardından artan TWD ile ölçüldüğü üzere hepsi uzun süreli su kısıtlamaları yaşamıştır. Bağıl nem sedir ve boylu ardıçta GRO üzerinde daha güçlü bir pozitif etkiye sahipken, kızılçamda GRO ve TWD sırasıyla yağış ve yüksek sıcaklıklarla güçlü pozitif korelasyon göstermiştir. Ağaçların iklim değişikliğinden nasıl etkilendiği hakkında daha ayrıntılı ve kapsamlı bilgiler edinilmesine olanak sağlayabilmek için, farklı orman ekosistemlerinde dendrometre gibi ekofizyolojik yöntemler kullanan uzun süreli izleme sahalarının kurulmasına ihtiyaç vardır.

Keywords

Boylu ardıç, Gövde yarıçap değişimi, Kambiyum faaliyeti, Kızılçam, Kuraklık stresi, Toros sediri

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