Impact of the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption on conifer growth in the eastern Tibetan Plateau
Severe volcanic eruptions often trigger regional or global droughts and cooling events,which subsequently affect forest growth patterns.This study utilized tree-ring width data from the International Tree-Ring Data Bank for the eastern Tibetan Plateau,encompassing 33 sample sites and five conifer species the investigation focused on climate changes in different regions of the eastern Tibetan Plateau and the radial growth changes of various conifer species after the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora.To study the interannual radial growth at each sample site,the measurement data were fitted using the ARSTAN program to calculate the mean values.A double-weighted averaging method was used to establish the standard tree ring width chronology(STD)for each sample site.The average growth state of trees from 1799 to 1808 was taken as the baseline to calculate the ring width change rates from 1809 to 1830 after the eruption.Subsequently,a modified superposed epoch analysis(SEA)was employed to compare the changes and significance of tree ring width indices before and after the eruption(1799-1830),analyzing the radial growth differences of different species across various regions.The results indicated that post-eruption,tree growth changes in the northeastern and central parts of the Tibetan Plateau were relatively similar,exhibiting significant variations in ring width,while changes in the southeastern region were comparatively smaller.The study found that the 1816-1819 cold and drought events on the Tibetan Plateau,triggered by the eruption of Mount Tambora,has led to a decrease in tree-ring width starting in 1816.However,over 63％of the sample trees'ring widths had returned to pre-eruption levels by 1822.This indicated that most trees on the Tibetan Plateau can recover normal growth within three years after extreme climate events,demonstrating the high sensitivity and resilience of plateau forests to climate change.This research serves as a pivotal reference for understanding forest dynamics following significant volcanic eruptions,encompassing the relationship between climate change and changes in tree growth.It significantly enhances our comprehension of how forests dynamically respond and recover under extreme climatic conditions.
tree ringsradial growthvolcanic eruptionsTibetan Plateau
万方数据
维普
