Chronology Development and Climate Response Analysis of Schrenk Spruce (Picea Schrenkiana) Tree-Ring Parameters in the Urumqi River Basin, China

Seven different tree-ring parameters (total tree-ring width, earlywood width, latewood width, maximum latewood density, minimum earlywood density, average earlywood density, and average latewood density) were obtained from Schrenk spruce in the Urumqi River Basin, China. The chronologies were analyzed individually and then compared with each other. The relationships between the different tree-ring parameters and climate data (Daxigou) are also presented. Earlywood-related parameters (earlywood width, minimum density, and earlywood density) were more sensitive to climate than those of latewood. Temperature (July) was found to be the most strongly related to the earlywood density. Based on the results of climate response analysis, the potential of tree-ring chronologies from this species to provide climate reconstructions in the Urumqi River Basin has been established. This study demonstrates that the use of tree-ring density data can increase the climate information obtained from tree-ring and should lead to improved paleoclimate reconstructions in Central Asian.