RESPONSE OF RADIAL GROWTH OF DOWNY OAK (QUERCUS PUBESCENS WILLD.) TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY AT THE EXTRAZONAL LIMIT OF THE AREA

Gheorghe FLORENȚĂ,Veronica FLORENȚĂ,Andrei POPA,Ionel POPA,Universitatea de Stat din Moldova,Institutul Național de Cercetare Dezvoltare în Silvicultură Marin Drăcea, România,Institutul Național de Cercetare Dezvoltare în Silvicultură Marin Drăcea, România

Abstract

The study analyzes the response of downy oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.) to climate variability in an azonal stand. Twenty-four tree-ring series obtained from increment cores of mature trees were analyzed. The average series length was 89 ± 13 years, covering the period 1923–2024. The standardized chronology shows a relatively high sensitivity (MS = 0,363) and a very good expressed population signal (EPS = 0,964), indicating a pronounced response of radial growth to climatic variations. The analysis of climate-growth relationships highlights a positive influence of precipitation in the cold season and early spring (November-April) and a negative effect of high temperatures in September. The years 1942, 1946 and 2020 correspond to growth minima associated with severe drought episodes. The results indicate that soil water availability is the main limiting factor for radial growth, confirming the potential of the Quercus pubescens species as a dendroclimatic indicator of regional climate variability. Keywords: dendrochronology, climate variability, radial growth, extrazonal forests, downy oak, hydric stress.DOI: https://doi.org/10.59295/sum1(191)2026_18