TY - JOUR
T1 - Climate controls on tree growth in the Western Mediterranean
AU - Touchan, Ramzi
AU - Anchukaitis, Kevin J.
AU - Meko, David M.
AU - Kerchouche, Dalila
AU - Slimani, Said
AU - Ilmen, Rachid
AU - Hasnaoui, Fouad
AU - Guibal, Frederic
AU - Julio Camarero, Jesus
AU - Sánchez-Salguero, Raúl
AU - Piermattei, Alma
AU - Sesbou, Abdessadek
AU - Cook, Benjamin I.
AU - Sabir, Mohamed
AU - Touchane, Hayat
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, © The Author(s) 2017.
PY - 2017/10/1
Y1 - 2017/10/1
N2 - The first large-scale network of tree-ring chronologies from the western Mediterranean (WM; 32°N–43°N, 10°W–17°E) is described and analyzed to identify the seasonal climatic signal in indices of annual ring width. Correlation and rotated empirical orthogonal function analyses are applied to 85 tree-ring series and corresponding gridded climate data to assess the climate signal embedded in the network. Chronologies range in length from 80 to 1129 years. Monthly correlations and partial correlations show overall positive associations for Pinus halepensis (PIHA) and Cedrus atlantica (CDAT) with winter (December–February) and spring (March–May) precipitation across this network. In both seasons, the precipitation correlation with PIHA is stronger, while CDAT chronologies tend to be longer. A combination of positive correlations between growth and winter–summer precipitation and negative partial correlations with growing season temperatures suggests that chronologies in at least part of the network reflect soil moisture and the integrated effects of precipitation and evapotranspiration signal. The range of climate response observed across this network reflects a combination of both species and geographic influences. Western Moroccan chronologies have the strongest association with the North Atlantic Oscillation.
AB - The first large-scale network of tree-ring chronologies from the western Mediterranean (WM; 32°N–43°N, 10°W–17°E) is described and analyzed to identify the seasonal climatic signal in indices of annual ring width. Correlation and rotated empirical orthogonal function analyses are applied to 85 tree-ring series and corresponding gridded climate data to assess the climate signal embedded in the network. Chronologies range in length from 80 to 1129 years. Monthly correlations and partial correlations show overall positive associations for Pinus halepensis (PIHA) and Cedrus atlantica (CDAT) with winter (December–February) and spring (March–May) precipitation across this network. In both seasons, the precipitation correlation with PIHA is stronger, while CDAT chronologies tend to be longer. A combination of positive correlations between growth and winter–summer precipitation and negative partial correlations with growing season temperatures suggests that chronologies in at least part of the network reflect soil moisture and the integrated effects of precipitation and evapotranspiration signal. The range of climate response observed across this network reflects a combination of both species and geographic influences. Western Moroccan chronologies have the strongest association with the North Atlantic Oscillation.
KW - North Africa
KW - chronology development
KW - cubic smoothing spline
KW - expressed population signal
KW - general circulation models
KW - palmer drought index
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U2 - 10.1177/0959683617693901
DO - 10.1177/0959683617693901
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85029767674
SN - 0959-6836
VL - 27
SP - 1429
EP - 1442
JO - Holocene
JF - Holocene
IS - 10
ER -