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METHODS article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Technical Advances in Plant Science
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1469675
This article is part of the Research Topic Insights in Technical Advances in Plant Science: 2023 View all 10 articles

Dendroclimatological study of ancient trees integrating non-destructive techniques

Provisionally accepted
Jinkuan Li Jinkuan Li Yafei Wei Yafei Wei Yameng Liu Yameng Liu Jiaxin Li Jiaxin Li Keyu Zhang Keyu Zhang Xiaoxu Wei Xiaoxu Wei Jianfeng Peng Jianfeng Peng *
  • Henan University, Kaifeng, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Based on the need to protect previous ancient trees and the development of dendroclimatology, the use of non-destructive technologies in tree-ring research has gained increasing attention. This study focuses on the ancient Pinus tabulaeformis in Yu Xiang Forest Farm in Henan Province. Firstly, samples were collected using the traditional Increment borers and the Resistograph, a non-destructive method. Subsequently, the peak-valley analysis was used to filter the data obtained by the Resistograph to extract the tree ring width sequence, and the data's accuracy was verified by correlation analysis with tree ring width sequence by the Increment borers. Then, the optimal filtering method and an appropriate comprehensive threshold were determined, and tree ring width and density sequences were successfully extracted. Following that, the growth trend and residual resistance in the measurement process were corrected using linear fitting and Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) technology, thereby establishing the tree-ring width and density index series, which were further validated through correlation analysis and t-tests. Finally, analysis of the correlation with climatic factors, identified the main limiting factors for tree growth, and the accuracy of the tree-ring information extracted by the Resistograph was further verified.The results showed that spite of certain differences between the tree-ring width indices extracted by the Resistograph and the Increment borer, they were generally reliable. The radial growth of the ancient P.tabulaeformis in Yu Xiang Forest Farm is primarily influenced by temperature, with the maximum density of the tree rings responding more significantly to the mean maximum temperature, while the minimum density of the tree rings responded more significantly to the mean minimum temperature. These results not only provide a scientific and accurate age for the protection of ancient trees and verify the reliability of the data obtained by the Resistograph, but also facilitate the use of non-destructive technology for in-depth study of ancient trees, therefore enhancing our understanding of how climate change affects tree growth, and provide valuable insights for the future protection and management of these ancient trees.

    Keywords: Ancient trees, Non-destructive technology, Peak-valley analysis, Tree ring index, Climate response

    Received: 24 Jul 2024; Accepted: 19 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Li, Wei, Liu, Li, Zhang, Wei and Peng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jianfeng Peng, Henan University, Kaifeng, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.