Imprisoned in the Cretan mountains: How relict Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae) trees cope with Mediterranean climate
- Fazan, Laurence Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland - Department of Biology and Botanical Garden, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Guillet, Sébastien Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland - Dendrolab.ch, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
- Corona, Christophe GEOLAB UMR CNRS 6042, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Kozlowski, Gregor Department of Biology and Botanical Garden, University of Fribourg, Switzerland - Natural History Museum Fribourg, Switzerland
- Stoffel, Markus Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland - Dendrolab.ch, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
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01.12.2017
Published in:
- Science of The Total Environment. - 2017, vol. 599–600, no. Supplement C, p. 797–805
English
We investigate the sensitivity of the relict, endemic Cretan tree species Zelkova abelicea (Lam.) Boiss. (Ulmaceae) to several climate variables (temperature, precipitation and drought). For this purpose, we establish the first centennial tree-ring chronology for the species, and the first ever tree-ring chronology for a broadleaved species on Crete. We demonstrate the strong sensitivity of Z. abelicea towards precipitation and drought in late spring to early summer and the absence of a significant response to abundant precipitation occurring during winter or early spring. Whereas the late spring sensitivity is strong and consistent through time, the species seems to be experiencing a loss of signal towards early summer conditions since the 1970s, interpreted as an earlier cessation of cambial activity due to the increase in summer drought conditions on Crete. However, despite a reduced vegetative period, no significant decrease in radial growth of Z. abelicea was observed in the tree-ring series for the last decades, thus highlighting the capacity of Z. abelicea to withstand changing environmental conditions.
- Faculty
- Faculté des sciences et de médecine
- Department
- Département de Biologie
- Language
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- English
- Classification
- Biological sciences
- License
- License undefined
- Identifiers
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- RERO DOC 305612
- DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.047
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/305946
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