Drought Sensitiveness on Forest Growth in Peninsular Spain and the Balearic Islands

Peña-Gallardo, Marina ; Vicente-Serrano, Sergio M. ; Camarero, J. Julio ; Gazol, Antonio ; Sánchez-Salguero, Raúl ; Domínguez-Castro, Fernando ; El Kenawy, Ahmed ; Beguería-Portugés, Santiago ; Gutiérrez, Emilia ; de Luis, Martin ; Sangüesa-Barreda, Gabriel ; Novak, Klemen (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Rozas, Vicente ; Tíscar, Pedro A. ; Linares, Juan C. ; Martínez del Castillo, Edurne ; Ribas-Matamoros, Montserrat ; García-González, Ignacio ; Silla, Fernando ; Camisón, Álvaro ; Génova, Mar ; Olano, José M. ; Longares, Luis A. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Hevia, Andrea ; Galván, J. Diego

Resumen: Drought is one of the key natural hazards impacting net primary production and tree growth in forest ecosystems. Nonetheless, tree species show different responses to drought events, which make it difficult to adopt fixed tools for monitoring drought impacts under contrasting environmental and climatic conditions. In this study, we assess the response of forest growth and a satellite proxy of the net primary production (NPP) to drought in peninsular Spain and the Balearic Islands, a region characterized by complex climatological, topographical, and environmental characteristics. Herein, we employed three different indicators based on in situ measurements and satellite image-derived vegetation information (i.e., tree-ring width, maximum annual greenness, and an indicator of NPP). We used seven different climate drought indices to assess drought impacts on the tree variables analyzed. The selected drought indices include four versions of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI, Palmer Hydrological Drought Index (PHDI), Z-index, and Palmer Modified Drought Index (PMDI)) and three multi-scalar indices (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and Standardized Precipitation Drought Index (SPDI)). Our results suggest that—irrespective of drought index and tree species—tree-ring width shows a stronger response to interannual variability of drought, compared to the greenness and the NPP. In comparison to other drought indices (e.g., PDSI), and our results demonstrate that multi-scalar drought indices (e.g., SPI, SPEI) are more advantageous in monitoring drought impacts on tree-ring growth, maximum greenness, and NPP. This finding suggests that multi-scalar indices are more appropriate for monitoring and modelling forest drought in peninsular Spain and the Balearic Islands.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/f9090524

Año: 2018

Publicado en: FORESTS 9, 9 (2018), 524 [20 pp.]
ISSN: 1999-4907

Factor impacto JCR: 2.116 (2018)

Categ. JCR: FORESTRY rank: 17 / 67 = 0.254 (2018) - Q2 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.734 - Forestry (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/INIA/RTA2006-00117
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/INTERREG-V-POCTEFA-2014-2020
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/BFU2010-21451
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/AGL2014-53822-C2-1-R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2013-48843-C2-1-R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2014-52135-C03-01
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2015-69186-C2-1-R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2015-69985-R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2016-81706-REDT
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/FPDI-2013-16600
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/IJCI-2015-25845
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/PCIN-2015-220

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Geografía Física (Dpto. Geograf. Ordenac.Territ.)
Área (Departamento): Área Análisis Geográfico Regi. (Dpto. Geograf. Ordenac.Territ.)