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Climate response of ring width in some shrub species in the forest-steppe of northern Mongolia
* 1 , 1 , 2 , 3
1  Department of Biology, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Mongolian National University of Education, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
2  School of Agroecology, Mongolian University of Life Science Zaisan 17024, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
3  The 1st school of general education of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Academic Editor: Giovanna Battipaglia

Abstract:

The impacts of land use changes and climate change on shrub expansion have been extensively documented in the Northern Hemisphere. Studies conducted in the Tibetan Plateau indicate that shrub expansion is more reliant on soil moisture than in the Arctic, where results indicate that changes in temperature and precipitation have a significant correlation with shrub expansion. Studies on the spread of shrubs throughout Central Asia, including the northern part of our country, are, sadly, insufficient. We carried out studies on 6 shrub species present in the Shatan river area to determine the response of several shrub species to climate factors, growth patterns, and growth types of dependent habitat types. According to the results of our research, there is a correlation (R2=24) between the morphological characteristics of the shrub. Also, depending on the type of habitat, the growth of annual rings is different (P<0.0001). In addition, each species has a different annual ring width (P<0.0001). In terms of climatic factors, wind had a negative effect (R2=47) and precipitation had a positive effect (R2=57) on the annual ring width of Salix divaricate, a shrub growing in river valley habitats, and it was weakly related to other species. This differential pattern indicator may function depending on the habitat. That being the case, dominant shrub species in southwestern Khentii taiga, Mongolia, have successfully been proven to have high dendrochronological potential and it is practicable to apply it for rangeland and ecological assessments.

Keywords: Climate responce, shrub species, climate change, habitats

 
 
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