title: Did the late spring frost in 2007 and 2011 affect tree-ring width and earlywood vessel size in Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) in northern Poland?
abstract: Trees are sensitive to extreme weather and environmental conditions. This sensitivity is visible in tree-ring widths and cell structure. In our study, we hypothesized that the sudden frost noted at the beginning of May in both 2007 and 2011 affected cambial activity and, consequently, the number and size of vessels in the tree rings. It was decided to test this hypothesis after damage to leaves was observed. The applied response function model did not show any significant relationships between spring temperature and growth. However, this method uses average values for long periods and sometimes misses the short-term effects. This is why we decided to study each ring separately, comparing them with rings unaffected by the late frost. Our study showed that the short-term effect of sudden frost in late spring did not affect tree rings and selected cell parameters. The most likely reasons for this are (i) cambial activity producing the earlywood vessels before the occurrence of the observed leaf damage, (ii) the forest micro-climate protecting the trees from the harsh frost and (iii) the temperature decline being too short-lived an event to affect the oaks. On the other hand, the visible damage may be occasional and not affect cambium activity and tree vitality at all. We conclude that oak is well-adapted to this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Herbarium TRN, Chair of Geobotany and Landscape Planning, Faculty of Biology and Environment Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100, Toruń, Poland. puchalka@umk.pl.
authors.forename: Radosław
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puchałka
authors.affiliation: Chair of Ecology and Biogeography, Faculty of Biology and Environment Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koprowski
authors.affiliation: Nicolaus Copernicus University Academic Secondary School, Szosa Chełmińska 83, 87-100, Toruń, Poland.|Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 61, 02-091, Warszawa, Poland.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Przybylak
authors.affiliation: Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, 87-100, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: Rajmund
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Przybylak
authors.affiliation: Archaeological Museum in Biskupin, Biskupin 17, 88-410, Gąsawa, Poland.
authors.forename: Henryk P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Dąbrowski
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D011044:Poland; D029963:Quercus / Q000254:growth & development*; D012621:Seasons; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development
keywords: Dendroanatomy; Dendroecology; Late spring frost; Pedunculate oak