Abstract:
The present study was conducted to assess climate change and its impacts on growth of Cedrus deodara, Pinus wallichiana and Pinus roxburghii at Galies Forest Division-Abbottabad during 1962-2011. The climate parameters of temperature and precipitation were used to assess climate regimes and climate changes, both on annual and seasonal basis. Bioclimatic indices regimes and changes therein during 1962-201 were calculated. The ring-width, early wood and late wood formations, and wood cell diameter and thickness, were measured for time function analysis and impacts of climate change on these characteristics.
The findings showed regimes of mean annual maximum temperature of 16.36±0.08 °C, mean annual minimum temperature 6.08±0.08 °C and mean annual temperature 11.21±0.07 °C, while of precipitation was 889.48±19.43 mm/annum.
Climate Vegetation Productivity Index (CVPI) was ranging from 4,342 to 9,091. The mean CVPI was calculated at 6,816, which indicated productivity in the range of 163.91-184.77 cubic feet/acre.
The mean ring-widths of C. deodara, P. wallichiana and P. roxburghii for the time period of 1962-2011 were 3.08±0.23 mm, 2.54±0.15 mm and 2.62±0.39 mm, with coefficients of variation of 32.88%, 26.55% and 67.20% respectively. The values of mean sensitivity of these species for the same period were 0.30±0.11, 0.38±0.11 and 0.29±0.10, with coefficients of variation of 16.56%, 19.50% and 17.53% respectively.
The overall increase in temperature and fluctuations in precipitation affected tree growth, both in terms of ring-width and intra-ring wood characteristics. The temperature was found negatively correlated with mean ring-widths and early wood formation in all the three species, while the correlation with late wood formation and intra-ring wood characteristics were positive in some cases and negative in others.
