Forest response to increasing typhoon activity on the Korean peninsula: evidence from oak tree-rings

0393232 - BÚ 2014 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Altman, Jan - Doležal, Jiří - Černý, Tomáš - Song, J.-S.
Forest response to increasing typhoon activity on the Korean peninsula: evidence from oak tree-rings.
Global Change Biology. Roč. 19, č. 2 (2013), s. 498-504. ISSN 1354-1013. E-ISSN 1365-2486
R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP504/12/1952; GA ČR GA206/05/0119
Institutional support: RVO:67985939
Keywords : climate change * typhoon * tree-ring analyzes
Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour
Impact factor: 8.224, year: 2013

The globally observed trend of changing intensity of tropical cyclones over the past few decades emphasises the need for a better understanding of the effects of such disturbance events in natural and inhabited areas. On the Korean Peninsula, typhoon intensity has increased over the past 100 years as evidenced by instrumental data recorded from 1904 until present. We examined how the increase in three weather characteristics (maximum hourly and daily precipitation, and maximum wind speed) during the typhoon activity affected old-growth oak forests. Quercus mongolica is a dominant species in the Korean mountains and the growth releases from 220 individuals from 3 sites along a latitudinal gradient (33-38 N) of decreasing typhoon activity were studied. Growth releases indicate tree-stand disturbance and improved light conditions for surviving trees. The trends in release events corresponded with spatiotemporal gradients in maximum wind speed and precipitation.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0222298