Quantifying the Impacts of Precipitation Fluctuation on Forest Growth

Abstract

Precipitation patterns influence forest growth, especially in semi-arid to subhumid regions. Hence, elucidating the dynamic relationship between precipitation characteristics and forest growth can provide effective management strategies for addressing climate change. This study characterizes the frequency and amplitude of precipitation fluctuations and analyses the response of forest growth from 1982 to 2015 in Northeast China. The research findings indicate that: (1) the growth of 51.8% of the region's forest is declining, with 29.2% of the area showing significant degradation; (2) the core degradation zones for forest growth are located in semi-arid regions with precipitation frequencies ≥ 10 and amplitudes ≤ 45 mm and subhumid regions with precipitation frequencies ≥ 11 and amplitudes ≤ 65 mm; (3) in the core semi-arid zone, deciduous broadleaf shrublands have greatest degraded area (305 km2), but deciduous coniferous forests have the highest proportion of degradation (80.0%), while in the subhumid core degradation zone, deciduous broadleaf forests have the highest area (7561 km2) and proportion of degradation (43.6%). This research not only offers a new perspective for assessing the response of forest ecosystems to precipitation patterns but also provides a basis for the implementation and management of ecological projects in semi-arid regions.

Keywords: semi-arid region, subhumid region, precipitation variability, Forest Growth, forest decline