Tree growth response to ENSO in Durango, Mexico

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Climatology
• Dendrochronology

Background:

• Global forest dynamics are influenced by climatic teleconnections.
• El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a major driver of interannual climate variability, impacting regional climates.
• These climatic shifts can affect forest ecosystems, influencing plant phenology, growth, and extent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of ENSO and regional microclimates on Pinus cooperi populations.
• To understand how P. cooperi growth responds to climatic variations in northwestern Mexico.
• To establish correlations between tree-ring data and ENSO events.

Main Methods:

• Dendrochronological techniques were employed to generate tree-ring chronologies (TRI).
• TRI data from 1950-2010 were correlated with ENSO and climate data.
• Multiple regressions were used to identify specific ENSO months directly influencing TRI.

Main Results:

• All five P. cooperi chronologies exhibited similar trends, indicating shared interannual growth variations.
• ENSO indices generally showed correspondence with tree-ring growth during synchronous periods.
• Positive ENSO values, corresponding to El Niño episodes, were found to drive radial growth.

Conclusions:

• ENSO demonstrates connectivity with the regional climate of northern Mexico.
• Radial growth of Pinus cooperi populations is significantly influenced by positive ENSO events.
• This study highlights the substantial impact of ENSO on forest ecosystems in the region.