Fan Yue, Zhang Yujian, Han Dongqing, Fan Yanbo, Liu Yanhong
School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
School of Geographical Sciences, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China.
Plants (Basel). 2025 May 12;14(10):1441. doi: 10.3390/plants14101441.
A deeper understanding of growth-climate relationships in natural forests (NFs) and planted forests (PFs) is crucial for the prediction of climate change impacts on forest productivity. Yet, the mechanisms and divergences in climatic responses between these forest types remain debated. This study investigated NFs and PFs in China using tree-ring chronologies to analyze their radial growth responses to climatic factors and associated temporal-spatial dynamics. The results reveal significant negative correlations between radial growth and mean temperatures (Tmean) in August of the previous year and June of the current year, and positive correlations were observed with the September standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) of the previous year and May precipitation (PPT) and SPEI of the current year. Compared with NFs, PFs exhibited a heightened climatic sensitivity, with stronger inhibitory effects from prior- and current-year growing-season temperatures and greater SPEI influences during the growing season. Moving window analysis demonstrated higher temporal variability and more frequent short-term correlation shifts in PF growth-climate relationships. Spatially, NFs displayed latitudinal divergence, autumn Tmean shifted from growth-suppressive in southern regions to growth-promotive in the north, and winter SPEI transitioned from positive to negative correlations along the same gradient. However, PFs showed no significant spatial patterns. Relative importance analysis highlighted water availability (PPT and SPEI) as the dominant driver of NF growth, whereas temperature, moisture, and solar radiation co-regulated PF growth. These findings provide critical insights into climate-driven growth divergences between forest types and offer scientific support for the optimization of NF conservation and PF management under accelerating climate change.
深入了解天然林（NFs）和人工林（PFs）的生长与气候关系对于预测气候变化对森林生产力的影响至关重要。然而，这些森林类型之间气候响应的机制和差异仍存在争议。本研究利用树木年轮年表对中国的天然林和人工林进行了调查，以分析它们的径向生长对气候因子的响应以及相关的时空动态。结果表明，径向生长与前一年8月和当年6月的平均温度（Tmean）之间存在显著负相关，与前一年9月的标准化降水蒸散指数（SPEI）、当年5月降水量（PPT）和当年SPEI呈正相关。与天然林相比，人工林表现出更高的气候敏感性，前一年和当年生长季节温度的抑制作用更强，生长季节SPEI的影响更大。移动窗口分析表明，人工林生长与气候关系的时间变异性更高，短期相关性变化更频繁。在空间上，天然林表现出纬度差异，秋季平均温度从南部地区的抑制生长转变为北部地区的促进生长，冬季SPEI沿相同梯度从正相关转变为负相关。然而，人工林没有明显的空间格局。相对重要性分析强调，水分有效性（PPT和SPEI）是天然林生长的主要驱动因素，而温度、湿度和太阳辐射共同调节人工林生长。这些发现为气候驱动的森林类型间生长差异提供了关键见解，并为在气候变化加速的情况下优化天然林保护和人工林管理提供了科学支持。
