Growth dynamics and climatic sensitivity of Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) in the European important site (SIC) at the Alpe della Luna - Bocca Trabaria (PU - Italy)

Abstract

A dendroecological and dendroclimatic analysis was carried out in silver fir stand of Fonte Abeti, in the Apennines of central Italy. This small forest is the only one present in the northern side of the Marche region and it is currently included as a priority habitat in the Site of Community Interest “ Luna-Bocca Trabaria”. The study aimed to assess the sensitivity of silver fir to the current climate variability and was carried out on 40 dominant trees, for which we reconstructed radial growth dynamics, pointer years and climate-growth relationships. These were computed for the period 1892-2003, using monthly mean temperatures and precipitation drawn from the ALP-IMP climate dataset using simple and moving correlations in order to verify response stationarity through time.

Keywords

• Abies alba
• Tree-ring growth
• Climate-growth response
• Moving correlation function
• Habitat directive
• Forest management