Growth-climate relationships at yew and wild service trees on the eastern edge of their range in Europe

  • Anna Cedro Laboratory of Climatology and Marine Meteorology, University of Szczecin, Faculty of Geosciences, Szczecin.
  • Bernard Cedro Laboratory of Geology and Paleogeography, University of Szczecin, Faculty of Geosciences, Szczecin.

Abstract

Aim of study: The aim of the study was the construction of regional chronologies for South-Western Poland for yew (Taxus baccata L.) and wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis L.), two of the rarest native tree species on the edge of their range in Europe. The relationships growth-climate and incremental dynamics at both these species were investigated as well.

Area of study: The eastern borders of the ranges of yew and wild service trees run across Poland. The majority of the yew occurrence sites are situated in South Poland, within the area of uplands and mountains, whereas the wild service tree grows in the western part of the country. The study plots (5 for yew trees, 4 for wild service trees) were located in nature reserves in SW Poland.

Material and Methods: The research materials were cores from 200 trees (115 yew trees and 85 wild service trees). The annual growth widths were measured, then, local chronologies were constructed using classic methods of dating. Regional chronologies were based on yew trees with the Student’test t > 6.0, and wild service trees with t > 5.9. The chronologies were subjected to the indexation and used for dendroclimatological analyses: pointer years, correlation and response function.

Main results: The yew chronology, spanning 219 years (1790-2008), was established on the basis of 51 samples, the average width of annual growths amounted to 0.61 mm. The wild service tree chronology, representing the period 1841-2013 (173 years), was produced from 37 samples, the average width of annual growth amounted to 0.60 mm (from 0.27 up to 0.58 mm). Dendroclimatological analyses of the yew indicated thermal conditions of the winter months and beginning of spring (straight correlations) as the predominating factor affecting the annual growth widths. Summer drought was an additional factor limiting growth. For the wild service trees cool and humid summer months in the growing season favour the formation of wide growths.

Research highlights: On account of strong dispersion and limited small populations of these two tree species, there are few dendrochronological studies available. Therefore, every piece of information on the ecology of the yew and wild service tree allows us to broaden our knowledge of these rare species enriching the biodiversity of the native tree flora.

Keywords: tree-ring width; Taxus baccata L.; Sorbus torminalis L.; dendroclimatology; Poland.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

References

Bednorz L, 2004. Rozmieszczenie i zasoby Sorbus torminalis (Rosaceae: Maloideae) w Polsce. Fragm Flor Geobot Polonica 11: 105-121.

Bednorz L, 2007. The wild service tree Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz in plant communities of Poland. Dendrobiology 57: 49-54.

Bednorz L, 2010. Jarząb brekinia Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz w Polsce. Bogucki Wydawnictwo Nakowe, Poznań.

Boratyński A, Kosiński P, Kwiatkowski P, Szlachetka A, 1995. Chronione i godne ochrony drzewa i krzewy polskiej części Sudetów, Pogórza i Przedgórza Sudeckiego. 8. Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz. Arboretum Kórnickie, Rocznik 40: 11-35.

Boratyński A, Kmiecik M, Kosiński P, Kwiatkowski P, Szczęśniak E, 1997. Chronione i godne ochrony drzewa i krzewy polskiej części Sudetów, Pogórza i Przedgórza Sudeckiego. 9. Taxus baccata L. Arboretum Kórnickie, Rocznik 42: 111-147.

Cedro A, 2004. Wpływ warunków klimatycznych na kształtowanie się przyrostów radialnych cisa pospolitego (Taxus baccata L.) w Rezerwacie Cisy Staropolskie w Wierzchlesie. Prace Geograficzne 200: Rekonstrukcja i prognoza zmian środowiska przyrodniczego w badaniach geograficznych (Eds. Błaszkiewicz M & Gierszewski P): 47-57.

Cedro A, 2005. Czynniki wpływające na szerokość przyrostów rocznych cisa (Taxus baccata L.) ze stanowisk Pomorza Zachodniego. W: Hydrograficzne i meteorologiczne aspekty badań wybrzeża Bałtyku i wybranych obszarów Polski (Eds. Gierjatowicz J & Koźmiński C) Szczecin: 8-13.

Cedro A, 2012. Dendrochronologia cisa pospolitego w Polsce i na zachodniej Ukrainie. PPH Zapol, Szczecin: 1-230.

Cedro A, Cedro B, 2012. Przyrosty roczne sosny zwyczajnej (Pinus sylvestris L.) i cisa pospolitego (Taxus baccata L.) w rezerwacie "Cisy Staropolskie im. Leona Wyczółkowskiego" i ich dendroklimatologiczna analiza. In: Pajakowski J, (Eds.) Rezerwat przyrody "Cisy Staropolskie im. Leona Wyczółkowskiego" w Wierzchlesie. Świecie: 84-88.

Cedro A, Iszkuło G, 2011. Do females differ from males of European Yew (Taxus baccata L.) in dendrochronological analysis? Tree-Ring Research, Vol. 67(1): 3-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.3959/2009-9.1

Cook ER, Holmes RL, 1986. Arstan. Guide for computer program Arstan. The University of Arizona: 50-65.

Giertych P, 2000. Factors determining natural regeneration of Yew (Taxus baccata L.) in the Kórnik Arboretum. Dendrobiology 45: 31-40.

Holmes RJ, 1983. Computer-assisted quality control in tree-ring dating and measurement. Tree-Ring Bull 43: 69-78.

Holmes RJ, 1994. Dendrochronology Program Library. Users Manual. University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.

Iszkuło G, Boratyński A, 2005. Different age and spatial structure of two spontaneous subpopulations of Taxus baccata as a result of various intensity of colonization process. Flora 200: 195-206. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2004.03.001

Iszkuło G, Jasińska AK, Sobierajska K, 2011. Dendroecological differences between Taxus baccata males and females in comparison with monoecious Abies alba. Dendrobiology 65: 55-61.

Kaennel M, Schweingruber FH, 1995. Multilingual Glossary of Dendrochronology. WSL FNP, Haupt.

Król S, 1975. Zarys ekologii. W: Cis pospolity. Taxus baccata L. Red. Białobok S. PWN, Warszawa-Poznań: 78-103.

Kruszelnicki J, 2001. Taxus baccata L. Cis pospolity. W: Polska Czerwona Ksiega Roślin. Paprotniki i rosliny kwiatowe. Red. Kaźmierczakowa R. i Zarzycki K. Instytut Botaniki im. W. Szafera, Instytut Ochrony Przyrody, Kraków, (Poland): 68-70.

Linares JC, 2013. Shifting limiting factors for population dynamics and conservation status of the endangered English yew (Taxus baccata L., Taxaceae). Forest Ecol Manag 291: 119-127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2012.11.009

Meyer FD, 1997-1998. Pointer years analysis in dendrochronology: a comparison of methods. Dendrochronologia 16-17: 193-204.

Mindur B, 2000. Dendrometer 1,0. Kraków, Poland.

Mitchell A, 1996. Alan Mitchell's Trees of Britain. Harper Collins Publishers, London, UK.

Moir AK, 1999. The dendrochronological potential of modern yew (Taxus baccata) with special reference to yew from Hampton Court Palace, UK. New Phytol 144: 479-488. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1469-8137.1999.00545.x

Moir AK, Leroy S.A.G. Manuscript. The age and growth-climate relationship of yew (Taxus baccata L.) in southeastern England.

Paganova V, 2007. Ecology and distribution of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz. In Slovakia. Hort Sci (Prague), 34 (4): 138-151.

Parsapajouh D, Schär E, Habibi H, Bräker OU, 1986a. Etude radiodensitometrique du bois de Taxus baccata du nord de l'Iran. Manuskript eingereicht bei R.F.F./Ann.sci.forest.F.

Parsapajouh D, Bräker OU, Habib H, Schär E, 1986b. Etude dendroclimatique du bois de Taxus baccata du nord de l'Iran. Schweiz Z Forstwes 137(1986), 10: 853 - 868.

Pyttel P, Kunz J, Bauhus J, 2011. Age and growth of wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis (L.) Cranz) in former oak coppice forests in southwest Germany. In: Maaten-TheunissenM., Spiecker H., Gartner H., Helle G., Heinrich I. (Eds.) (2011): TRACE – Tree Rings in Archeology, Climatology and Ecology, Vol. 9. GFZ Potsdam, Scientific Technical Report STR 11/07, Potsdam, pp. 64-70.

Pyttel P, Kunz J, Bauhus J, 2013. Growth, regeneration and shade tolerance of the Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis (L.) Cranz) in aged oak coppice forests. Trees 27: 1609-1619. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00468-013-0908-7

Rasmussen KK, 2007. Dendroecological analysis of a rare sub-canopy tree: Effects of climate, latitude, habitat conditions and forest history. Dendrochronologia 25: 3-17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dendro.2007.01.002

Rasmussen KK, Kollmann J, 2004. Poor sexual reproduction on the distribution limit of the rare tree Sorbus torminalis. Acta Oecologica 25: 211-218. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2004.02.001

Roper P, 1993. The distribution of the Wild Service Tree, Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz, in the British Isles. Watsonia 19: 209-229.

Spjut RW, 2007. A phytogeographical analysis of Taxus (Taxaceae) based on leaf anatomical characters. J Bot Inst Teras 1(1): 291-332.

Szeszycki T, 2007. Cis pospolity - Taxus baccata, przeszłość, ochrona, hodowla, przyszłość. Soft Vision. Wydanie II: 1-234.

Szeszycki T, 2008. Jarząb brekinia – Sorbus torminalis, historia, hodowla, ochrona, przyszłość. Soft Vision: 1-138.

Thomas PA, Polwart A, 2003. Taxus baccata L. J Ecology 91: 489-524. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00783.x

Walanus A, 2002. Instrukcja obsługi programu TCS. Program TCS do obliczania lat wskaźnikowych. Kraków, Poland.

Wigley TML, Briffa KR, Jones PD, 1984. On the average value of correlated time series, with applications in dendroclimatology and hydrometeorology. J Clim App Meteorol 23: 201-213.

Zając M, Zając A, (Eds.), 1997. Atlas rozmieszczenia roślin naczyniowych chronionych w Polsce. Nakładem Pracowni Chorologii Komputerowej Instytutu Botaniki Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków (Mapa rozmieszczenia Sorbus torminalis w Polsce).

Zając M, Zając A, (Eds.), 2001. Atlas rozmieszczenia roślin naczyniowych w Polsce. Nakładem Pracowni Chorologii Komputerowej Instytutu Botaniki Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków (Mapa rozmieszczenia Sorbus torminalis w Polsce).

Zembrzuski J, 1975. Cis (Taxus baccata). Studia Ośrodka Dokumentacji Fizjograficznej, t. IV: 169-193.

Zwijacz T, 2005. Stan aktualny stanowisk cisa pospolitego Taxus baccata L. w Tatrzańskim Parku Narodowym. Chrońmy Przyrodę Ojczystą. Zeszyt 6(61): 25-38.

Published
2015-12-03
How to Cite
Cedro, A., & Cedro, B. (2015). Growth-climate relationships at yew and wild service trees on the eastern edge of their range in Europe. Forest Systems, 24(3), e044. https://doi.org/10.5424/fs/2015243-07480
Section
TAXUS