Aim To examine the response of ring widths of Phyllocladus aspleniifolius t
o maximum and minimum temperatures and to a zonal index (ZI).
Location Tasmania, Australia.
Methods Between two and four increment cores were obtained from approximate
ly 20 trees at each of 16 sires of P. aspleniifolius across Tasmania. Four
regions were defined and temperature data for climate stations from each of
these regions were transformed into dimensionless time series appropriate
for each region. The ZI was constructed from Melbourne and Hobart mean sea
level pressure (MSLP). Correlations were calculated between climate data an
d ring widths over most of the 20th century. Data were then segregated into
two subperiods to assess whether or not temporal changes in ring width res
ponse have occurred over the 20th century.
Results The dominant feature of the correlation functions was a negative co
rrelation with temperatures of the previous growing season. Correlation bet
ween the ZI and ring width is most significant, and positive, in November a
nd March of the previous growing season. Differences in the shape of the co
rrelation functions, and their strength is apparent over the course of the
century. In general, correlations have become weaker and less consistent am
ong the 16 sites for the latter part of the century. Temperatures have gene
rally increased during the 1900s over which time period correlations have b
een calculated.
Main conclusions The temporally changing climatic response in ring widths i
s consistent with a hypothesis of competition for resources between differe
nt parts of a plant. A nonlinear response to climate over a short-time peri
od violates one of the basic assumptions of dendroclimatology, therefore su
ggesting further investigation of both the physiology of trees used for den
droclimatological purposes and the statistical methods used for climatic re
construction.