The Resistance of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) From the Eastern Natural Limit of Species to Climate Change

Authors

  • Marius BUDEANU National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, Braşov Research Station, 13 Cloşca street, 500040 Braşov (RO)
  • Any Mary PETRITAN National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, Braşov Research Station, 13 Cloşca street, 500040 Braşov (RO)
  • Flaviu POPESCU National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry "Marin Drăcea", Simeria Research Station, 1 Biscaria street, 335900 Simeria, Hunedoara county (RO)
  • Diana VASILE National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, Braşov Research Station, 13 Cloşca street, 500040 Braşov (RO)
  • Nicu Constantin TUDOSE National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, Braşov Research Station, 13 Cloşca street, 500040 Braşov (RO)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha44210262

Abstract

In this study, different approaches were used to investigate the vulnerability of beech forests, located at the eastern limit of their natural range, to climate change. To accomplish this, six 2500 m2 plots were sampled in four European beech forest genetic resources, located in Romania at different altitudinal levels, varying from 230 to 580 m in the Bacău hills and between 650 and 1300 m in the Curvature Carpathian (Braşov region). The analysis of trees phenotypic traits, their radial growth, and the regeneration, did not indicate a vulnerability of the sampled stands to the fluctuations of the environmental factors from the 1950-2014 period. The growth indices of all three populations of Bacău hills are negatively correlated with both June air temperature of current year and September of the previous year. The precipitation amount of September previous year positively influenced the growth indices. The radial growth of plots in Braşov region is slightly linked to the climate. The temperature during the growing season represents a limiting factor for stands that are located outside of the optimal altitudinal species distribution (600-1200 m, in Romania), especially at low altitudes. Our results indicated that a rise of the temperature accompanied by a possible reduction of the precipitations (as is predicted for the coming years) could increase the sensibility of beech forests at lower altitude.

Author Biographies

Marius BUDEANU, National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, Braşov Research Station, 13 Cloşca street, 500040 Braşov

Tree Genetics and Breeding Department

Any Mary PETRITAN, National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, Braşov Research Station, 13 Cloşca street, 500040 Braşov

Forest Ecology

Flaviu POPESCU, National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry "Marin Drăcea", Simeria Research Station, 1 Biscaria street, 335900 Simeria, Hunedoara county

Tree Genetics and Breeding Department

Diana VASILE, National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, Braşov Research Station, 13 Cloşca street, 500040 Braşov

Forest Ecology

Nicu Constantin TUDOSE, National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, Braşov Research Station, 13 Cloşca street, 500040 Braşov

Torrent control and climatology

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Published

2016-12-14

How to Cite

BUDEANU, M., PETRITAN, A. M., POPESCU, F., VASILE, D., & TUDOSE, N. C. (2016). The Resistance of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) From the Eastern Natural Limit of Species to Climate Change. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 44(2), 625–633. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha44210262

Issue

Section

Research Articles
CITATION
DOI: 10.15835/nbha44210262

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