Influence of climate and climate anomalies on Norway spruce tree-ring growth at different altitudes and on glacier responses: examples from the Central Italian Alps
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2008
Citazione:
Influence of climate and climate anomalies on Norway spruce tree-ring growth at different altitudes and on glacier responses: examples from the Central Italian Alps / G. Leonelli, M. Pelfini. - In: GEOGRAFISKA ANNALER. SERIES A, PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. - ISSN 0435-3676. - 90A:1(2008), pp. 75-86.
Abstract:
Climate change and climate anomalies
are inducing strong variations in the highmountain
environment, driving the responses of
physical and biological systems differently. This
paper assesses tree-ring growth responses to climate
for two Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.)
Karst.) sites at different altitudes from an Ortles-
Cevedale Group (OCG; internal zones of the Central
Italian Alps) valley site and reports some examples
of climate impact on glacier dynamics in the OCG
in recent decades. Growth–climate relationships
between tree-ring chronologies and meteorological
data were established by means of Pearson’s
correlation and response functions. In the high-altitude
chronology we found a strong signal of July
temperatures, whereas the low-altitude chronology
also contained a signal of summer precipitation.
Climate anomalies occurring in these months
proved to influence tree growth at the two sites differently.
In summer 2003 extreme climatic conditions established
over Europe and the Alps, strongly affecting
physical and biological systems. Spruce responses
to the climate anomaly of 2003 were more
evident with a one-year lag. The high-altitude site
profited from the warmer growing season, whereas
trees at the low-altitude site experienced water
stress conditions and their growth was strongly inhibited
also in the following year. Glacier mass loss
in the OCG in 2003 was the highest since yearly
measurement started. The examples reported confirm
the strong and even divergent variations affecting
the Alpine environment, induced by recent climate
change.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Keywords:
Climate anomalies; Climate change; European Alps; Glaciers; Tree rings
Elenco autori:
G. Leonelli, M. Pelfini
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