Climate change impacts on spatial distribution, tree-ring growth, and water use of stone pine ( Pinus pinea L.) forests in the Mediterranean region and silvicultural practices to limit those impacts

iForest: Biogeosciences and Forestry

article

Kaouther Mechergui¹  Amal Saleh Altamimi³  Wahbi Jaouadi¹  Souheila Naghmouchi² 

[1] Silvo-Pastoral Institute of Tabarka, B.P 328, 8110 Tabarka, University of Jendouba;National Institute of Research in Rural Engineering, Waters and Forests, BP 10, Hédi Karray Street, Menzeh IV, Ariana 2080, University of Carthage;Biology Department, College of Science Princess Norah Bint Abdulrahman University

关键词: Stone Pine;    Climate Change;    Spatial Distribution;    Tree-ring;    Silvicultural Practices;    Mediterranean Area;   

DOI  :  10.3832/ifor3385-013

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Societa Italiana di Selvicoltura ed Ecologia Forestale (S I S E F)

【 摘 要 】

Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) has been cultivated since centuries in Mediterranean areas for its products and economic benefits, including edible pine nuts, timber, mushrooms, firewood, and grazing. However, current management objectives of stone pine stands also include recreational use, biodiversity conservation, protection from soil erosion, and CO2 fixation. Stone pine stands are considered to be among the ecosystems most vulnerable to climate change, and the current increase in drought frequency in the Mediterranean Basin has been shown to negatively impact their long-term establishment. Understanding the effects of climate change on the distribution, tree-ring growth and water use of stone pine forests can help assessing the adaptive capacity of the species, and developing management programs aimed at its conservation. This paper reviews the impacts of climate change on stone pine in the Mediterranean region. The high sensitivity of stone pine to climate change has been widely demonstrated in that: (i) climatic models predict the loss of suitable habitats and the shift of its geographical distribution in the next future; (ii) tree-ring analysis showed that winter and spring rainfalls have positive effects on growth, whereas high spring temperature has a negative effect; (iii) the strategy of stone pine to cope with water deficit affects the processes regulating its growth, including wood formation, leading to peculiar tree-ring anatomical features such as intra-annual density fluctuations. The silvicultural interventions and the most effective management strategies for stone pine forests are reviewed and discussed in the context of current climate change in the Mediterranean Basin.

【 授权许可】

Unknown