Abstract:Under the background of global warming, to achieve a better understanding about tree growth-climate association in subtropical China, tree-ring width chronologies of Pinus kwangtungensis at different elevations were established based on the standard method of dendrochronology. The relationship between radial growth and climatic factors was studied by response analysis and single-year analysis. The results showed that radial growth of P. kwangtungensis at the altitude of 1 400 m was negatively related to the averaged and maximum temperature in June of the current year, and positively related to precipitation in April of current year. The radial growth at the altitude of 1 200 m was significantly positively correlated with the temperature in March, the average temperature and the lowest temperature in October of last year and current year, negatively correlated with the lowest temperature in July of current year, and significantly positively correlated with the precipitation in November of last year. The redial growth at the altitude of 1 000 m was significantly negatively correlated with the average and maximum temperature in June of current year, the average temperature in January and the lowest temperature in October of last year. Additionally, the precipitation in March, October of last year and current year was positively correlated with radial growth. Temperature and precipitation together affect the growth of P. kwangtungensis in Mangshan. Therefore, the temperature and precipitation at the beginning of the growing season as well as the maximum temperature in summer should be the major climatic factors affecting the radial growth of trees.
