[Sexual differences in climatic response of dioecious Populus davidiana tree]

The tree-ring width series and standardized chronologies of Populus davidiana trees in broad-leaved and Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountains were developed separately for male and female trees. Their differential radial growth and their relationship with climatic conditions were analyzed to reveal the effect of gender on radial growth and their climatic responses. It was found that there was a significant differential growth pattern before and after climate change for dioecious trees. The differential responses of the females and males to climate were also observed. The radial increment of female trees before 1980 was significantly higher than that of male trees, and the growth of female was negatively related with the monthly minimum temperature at the end of current growing season and precipitation in the previous and current growing season. The male was significantly positively related with the current growing season temperature. After 1980, the monthly temperature significantly increased, especially the monthly minimum temperature. The increment of dioecious trees decreased. The annual radial growth rate of the female was significantly lower than that of the male. Compared with the male tree, the female was more sensitive to the monthly minimum temperature. The female was significantly positively related with the spring minimum temperature and significantly negatively with the minimum temperature at the end of previous growing season. There was no significant correlation between the male and monthly minimum temperature. The monthly minimum temperature had an important impact on female P. davidiana trees in Changbai Mountains. Under the condition of stable precipitation, the increase of minimum temperature would restrain the growth of females, but lightly influenced the males' growth.