Pervasive threshold effects on tree radial growth in response to precipitation extremes across varying aridity gradients

Zhou B, Yang B, Wang F, Qin C, Niu L, Liu X, Zhang Q, Gao J, Zeng Q, He M, Rossi S, Bräuning A (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Elsevier Masson

Book Volume: 389

Article Number: 111445

DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111445

Abstract

Optimal hydrothermal conditions are crucial for tree growth. Previous studies have mainly focused on the temperature thresholds, while the existence of potential precipitation thresholds may be overlooked. Since extreme precipitation events have become increasingly frequent and intense, their impacts on tree radial growth still remain poorly understood and quantified. Here we established one of the longest (10–15 years) dendrometer dataset to investigate how tree stem radial increment (SRI) responds to daily-scale extreme precipitation events for three coniferous species and four sites across varying aridity gradients in arid and semi-arid northern China. Trees exhibited pronounced nonlinear responses to extreme precipitation: SRI increases with rainfall amount but declines once rainfall event exceeded a critical threshold of 50–60 mm. This threshold effect was consistently among species and throughout different phases of the growing season. Moreover, under extreme precipitation conditions, high soil water content negatively impacted SRI, whereas daily maximum temperature showed a weaker positive association. These findings provide event-scale evidence that may help explain the nonlinear precipitation-growth relationships commonly reported in dendroclimatology studies, and offer new insights into dryland forest productivity predictions under future climate change.

Authors with CRIS profile

Achim Bräuning Lehrstuhl für Geographie (Physische Geographie)

Involved external institutions

Nanjing University CN China (CN) Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) / 中国科学院西北生态环境资源研究院 CN China (CN) Centre de géomatique du Québec (CGQ) CA Canada (CA) Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) CA Canada (CA) University of Iowa US United States (USA) (US) Fujian Normal University / 福建师范大学 CN China (CN) Guangdong Academy of Sciences / 广东省科学院 CN China (CN)

How to cite

APA:

Zhou, B., Yang, B., Wang, F., Qin, C., Niu, L., Liu, X.,... Bräuning, A. (2026). Pervasive threshold effects on tree radial growth in response to precipitation extremes across varying aridity gradients. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111445

MLA:

Zhou, Boru, et al. "Pervasive threshold effects on tree radial growth in response to precipitation extremes across varying aridity gradients." Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 389 (2026).

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