Tree-Ring Chronology as a Source of Information on Susceptibility of Sitka Spruce to Climatic Conditions of Pomerania (Northern Poland)

This paper presents results concerning climatic conditions affecting diameter growth of Sitka spruce introduced to Baltic Pomerania (Sławno Forest District). A relatively high homogeneity of tree-ring series permitted to construct on their basis the tree-ring chronology of Sitka spruce. A significant positive correlation was found between radial increments of Sitka spruce and air temperatures of winter and spring months (January-April) and a negative relationship between radial increments and temperature of May. This study also showed a distinctly positive correlation between diameter growth and precipitation in July and November of the previous year, and precipitation in February and in summer season (June-August) of the current year. During years with low precipitation in summer or low temperatures in winter and spring all trees produced narrow tree-rings. The proportion of air temperature and precipitation in variation of radial increment of Sitka spruce, expressed by the coefficient of multiple determination, was 52%.