Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between tree growth and air mass type variability, using the spatial synoptic classification (SSC) in a bottomland slash pine forest in coastal Alabama (USA). The use of an air mass approach in dendroclimatology is somewhat unconventional and has not been fully explored. However, we believe that it may be useful because the air mass approach represents a holistic and comprehensive measure of surface conditions. Cores from 36 slash pines (Pinus elliotti) were extracted and ring widths were measured to the nearest 0.01 mm. The cores were then cross-dated and a standardized ring index series was established. Relationships were explored between the index series and several climate variables and teleconnections. The index series showed significant relationships with SSC air mass types and SSC air mass ratios, but insignificant results with teleconnections. Specifically the Dry Tropical air mass type was negatively correlated with tree growth while Moist Moderate was positively correlated. Concomitantly, Dry Tropical : Moist Moderate, Dry Tropical : Moist Tropical, and Dry Moderate : Moist Moderate air mass ratios also showed negative correlations. Positive Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) sea surface temperatures were also associated with significant moisture and air mass variability in the region, although the PDO did not have a significant relationship with tree growth. The significance between SSC air mass variability and tree growth in the humid subtropical climate of coastal Alabama has favorable implications for dendroclimatological research in drier environments where trees are more sensitive to climatic variables.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams HD, Kolb TE (2005) Tree growth response to drought and temperature in a mountain landscape in Northern Arizona, USA. J Biogeogr 32(9):1629–1640
Ashby WC, Fritts HC (1972) Tree growth, air pollution, and climate near LaPorte, Ind. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 53(3):246–251
Cleaveland MK, Stahle DW, Therrell MD, Villanueva-Diaz J, Burns BT (2003) Tree-ring reconstructed winter precipitation and tropical teleconnections in Durango, Mexico. Clim Change 59(3):369–388
Climate Diagnostics Center (2005) Monthly PDO Data (http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/Correlation/pdo.data). Last Visited 03/14/06, February 17th
Climate Prediction Center (2005) Monthly Nino 3.4 Data (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/data/indices/). Last Visited 03/14/06, February 17th
Cook ER, Holmes RH (1986) Users manual for program ARSTAN. Dendrochronology Program Library University of Arizona
Cook ER, Glitzenstein JS, Krusic PJ, Harcombe PA (2001) Identifying functional groups of trees in West Gulf Coast forests (USA): a tree-ring approach. Ecol Appl 11(3):883–903
Dixon PG, Mote TL (2003) Patterns and causes of Atlanta’s urban heat island-initiated precipitation. Jf Appl Meteorol 42(9):1273–1284
Englehart PJ, Douglas AV (2003) Assessing warm season drought episodes in the central United States. J Climate 16:1831–1842
Fekedulegn D, Hicks RR, Colbert JJ (2003) Influence of topographic aspect, precipitation and drought on radial growth of four major tree species in an Appalachian Watershed. For Ecol Manag 177(1–3):409–425
Fritts HC (1976) Tree rings and climate. Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. University of Arizona
Gershunov A, Barnett TP (1998) ENSO influence on intraseasonal extreme rainfall and temperature frequencies in the contiguous United States: observations and model results. J Climate 11(7):1575–1586
Green PM, Legler DM, Miranda CJ, O’Brien JJ (1997) The North American climate patterns associated with the El Nino Southern Oscillation. COAPS Project Report Series 97-1. http://www.coaps.fsu.edu/lib/booklet/. Last Visited 02/05/06
Hansen JW, Hodges AW, Jones JW (1998) ENSO influences on agriculture in the Southeastern United States. J Climate 11(3):404–411
Holmes RL (1986) Quality control of crossdating and mea-suring: a user’s manual for program COFECHA. University of Arizona Press
Kalkstein LS, Nichols MC, Barthel CD, Greene JS (1996) A new spatial synoptic classification: application to air-mass analysis. Int J Climatol 16(9):983–1004
Leathers DJ, Graybeal D, Mote T, Grundstein A, Robinson D (2004) The role of air mass types and surface energy fluxes in snow cover ablation in the Central Appalachians. J Appl Meteorol 43(12):1887–1898
Mantua NJ, Hare SR, Zhang Y, Wallace JM, Francis RC (1997) A Pacifc Interdecadal climate oscillation with impacts on Salmon Production. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 78:1069–1079
Mauget SA (2003) Intra- to multidecadal climate variability over the Continental United States: 1932–99. J Climate 16(13):2215–2231
Meldahl RS, Pederson N, Kush JS, Varner JM (1999) Dendrochronological investigations of climate and competitive effects on longleaf pine growth. Tree ring analysis, biological, methodological and environmental aspects
National Climatic Data Center (2006) 1971–2000 Fairhope Alabama Climate Normals. http://www5.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim81/ALnorm.txt. Last Visited 02/28/06, February 10th
Orwig DA, Abrams MD (1997) Variation in radial growth responses to drought among species, site, and Canopy Strata. Trees-Structure Funct 11(8):474–484
Palmer WC (1965) Meteorological drought. Research Paper No. 45. U.S. Weather Bureau. NOAA Library and Information Services Division, Washington, DC, 20852
Phipps RL (1985) Collecting, preparing, crossdating, and measuring tree increment cores. US Geological Survey. Water-Resour Invest Report 85–4148
Rainham DGC, Smoyer-Tomic KE, Sheridan SC, Burnett RT (2005) Synoptic weather patterns and modification of the association between air pollution and human mortality. Int J Environ Health Res 15(5):347–360
Rodgers JC III, Gamble DG, McCay DH, Phipps S (2006) Tropical cyclone signals within tree ring chronologies from weeks bay National Estuary and Research Reserve. J Coast Res 22:1320–1329
Sheridan SC (2002) The redevelopment of a weather-type classification scheme for North America. Int J Climatol 22(1):51–68
Spatial Synoptic Classification Homepage (2005) http://sheridan.geog.kent.edu/ssc.html. Last Visited 03/01/06
Stahle DW, D’Arrigo RD, Krusic PJ, Cleaveland MK, Cook ER, Allan RJ, Cole JE, Dunbar RB, Therrell MD, Gay DA, Moore MD, Stokes MA, Burns BT, Villanueva-Diaz J, Thompson LG (1998) Experimental dendroclimatic reconstruction of the Southern Oscillation. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 79(10):2137–2152
Stokes MA, Smiley TL (1968) An introduction to tree-ring dating. University of Arizona Press
Tadesse T, Wilhite DA, Hayes MJ, Harms SK, Goddard S (2005) Discovering Associations between climatic and oceanic parameters to monitor drought in Nebraska using data-mining techniques. J Climate 18(10):1541–1550
Tan JG, Kalkstein LS, Huang JX, Lin SB, Yin HB, Shao DM (2004) An operational heat/health warning system in Shanghai. Int J Biometeorol 48(3):157–162
Tootle GA, Piechota TC, Singh A (2005) Coupled oceanic-atmospheric variability and U.S. Streamflow. Water Resour Res 41(12): Art. No. W12408
Velmex Inc. (2005) Website: http://www.voortech.com/project2x/docs/userGuid.htm. Last visited 03/13/05
Wang H, Ting MF, Ji M (1999) Prediction of seasonal mean United States precipitation based on El Nino sea surface temperatures. Geophys Res Lett 26(9):1341–1344
West DC, Doyle TW, Tharp ML, Beauchamp JJ, Platt WJ, Downing DJ (1993) Recent growth increases in old-growth longleaf pine. Can J For Res 23(5):846–853
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Senkbeil, J.C., Rodgers, J.C. & Sheridan, S.C. The sensitivity of tree growth to air mass variability and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in coastal Alabama. Int J Biometeorol 51, 483–491 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-007-0087-6
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-007-0087-6