DENDROCLIMATOLOGY OF A MID-ELEVATION FOREST IN PAKISTAN

The study aims for the exploration of dendroclimatological history from Himalayan fir (Abies pindrow Royle ex D. Don) growing in the mid elevation zone of Pakistan. Temperature and precipitation are the main limiting factors for tree growth in the region, of which precipitation dominates as the area is moist temperate in nature. As the lower and mid elevations experience a greater degree of human interference, tree-ring records only 148 years old spanning from 1870-2016 AD obtained. The average mean sensitivity of Abies pindrow is 0.280 and average auto-correlation is 0.757. Tree-ring widths correlate with precipitation, which was best suited for reconstruction of past climate. Linear correlation between tree-ring chronology and precipitation is significantly (p<0.05) positive with May-June precipitation showing the highest correlation with growth of Abies pindrow. Gradually changing climate has produced significant changes between past and current climatic conditions, as evidenced from tree rings of Himalayan fir.