Dendroclimatological studies of elm trees grown in the Hunshandak Desert in China

摘要

The present study deals with the influence of the monthly climatic variation on the annual ring width or on the annual ring-vessel diameter using five elm trees (Ulmus pumila L.) grown in the southern region of the Hunshandak Desert of China. By applying a three-year-moving average method to the original ring-width chronology, the standardized ring-width chronology of about 60 years was obtained from these five trees. Preliminary climate modeling demonstrated some significant relationships between ring width and temperature, and ring width and precipitation. The total current precipitation from April through July had a positive significant correlation with the tree-ring indices. And the current mean temperature of June and July had a negative correlation with tree-ring indices. In addition, individual vessel lumen diameter chronologies correlated with climatic factors, but the amount of fiber increment chronology had no significant correlation with climatic factors at all.