Climate-Growth Relationships in Managed and Unmanaged Kazdağı Fir Forests

Abstract

Climate change can affect tree growth, stand productivity, and tree mortality. The sensitivity of tree species to the changing climate may vary in managed and unmanaged forests. Thus, the main objective of this study was to examine whether the effects of climate vary in managed and unmanaged Kazdağı fir (Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani) forests in northern Turkey. Individual tree-ring chronologies from the managed and unmanaged forests of the species were used. Results indicated significant effects of climate (i.e., the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI)), and forest type (i.e., managed and unmanaged) on radial growth of Kazdağı fir trees (p < .05). Trees in the unmanaged forest exhibited a lower radial growth rate and a higher sensitivity to climatic conditions compared to the managed forest. This can be associated with the reduced tree density following silvicultural treatments, which result in increased resource availability to the remaining trees in the managed forest. Initial findings would create a basis for future decisions that aim to enhance the resistance of Kazdağı fir forests against the future climate extremes of the region. Long-term monitoring is needed to observe the effects of forest type on the response of Kazdağı fir trees to the climate over time.