Cedro, A. 2006. Comparative Dendroclimatological Studies of the Impact of Temperature and Rainfall on Pinus nigra Arnold and Pinus sylvestris in Northwestern Poland. Baltic Forestry, 12 (1): 110-116

The research focused on two pine species; the native one for the investigated area – Pinus sylvestris, and species introduced from S Europe – Pinus nigra. The analysed trees grow in the municipal forests in Szczecin (NW Poland). The chronology established for the black pine spans 108 years (1895-2002), and the master pattern for the Scots pine consists of 115 annual growth rings (1886-2000). The constructed chronologies were used as a basis for dendroclimatological analyses: response function and signature years. Both analyses have demonstrated different relations between the increments and climate at the investigated pine species, in spite of high similarity of the discussed chronologies (Gl = 71.9%, t = 5.21). The native pinus display high sensitivity on thermal conditions in winter (especially February) and in the beginning of spring, whereas the amount of rainfall in the vegetation season proves to be of lower importance. On the contrary, the cambium activity of the black pine is highly dependent on the amount of rainfall in the vegetation season (positive significant values of correlation and regression for May, June and July), whereas winter (February) thermal conditions may be considered as an additional factor affecting the tree growth.

Key words: tree – ring width, dendroclimatology, climatic conditions, signature years, response function, Pinus nigra Arnold, Pinus sylvestris L., NW Poland