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<p>In Mediterranean forests, where seasonal drought imposes severe physiological constraints, the dynamics of tree growth are shaped not only by climate but also by interspecific interactions. However, how these factors influence intra-annual growth phenology remains poorly understood. Here, we used biweekly band dendrometer data collected since May 2022 to June 2024, from 154 trees across seven pure and mixed sample plots in the Spanish Northern Plateau. Our aim was to investigate how stand composition and interspecific competition affect phenological events, seasonal growth rates, and tree water deficit (TWD) in four tree species: <i>Pinus pinea</i> L., <i>Pinus pinaster</i> Ait., <i>Quercus ilex</i> L. and <i>Juniperus thurifera</i> L. We found that the identity of surrounding species significantly altered the xylogenesis phenology as the daily growth rate, particularly in spring and early summer, but not in autumn. Species mixing tended to advance spring onset in <i>J. thurifera</i> (by 9 ± 3 days), but caused a delay in <i>Q. ilex</i> (by 9 ± 2 days) and <i>P. pinaster</i> (by 9 ± 3 days). Under stronger interspecific competition <i>Juniperus thurifera</i>,<i> Pinus pinea</i> and to lesser extent, <i>Pinus pinaster</i> showed increased daily basal area growth rates during dry springs (up to 0.024–0.067 cm<sup>2</sup>/day, depending on the species), consistent with the stress gradient hypothesis. In contrast, <i>Q. ilex</i> exhibited the opposite pattern, suffering increased TWD and reduced daily growth rates in mixtures. These divergent responses were likely driven by species-specific water use strategies and seasonal asynchrony in root activity. Our findings demonstrate that interspecific interactions can either buffer or amplify climatic stress, depending on species identity and season. By linking cambial phenology, growth dynamics, and water deficit under varying competition contexts, this study provides new insights into the possible effects of species mixing towards more resilience under climate change in Mediterranean forests.</p>

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Phenology, growth, and drought: how species interactions shape intra-annual tree dynamics in mediterranean forests

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月15日

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  • Przemysław A. Jankowski,
  • Marta Pardos,
  • Torben Hilmers,
  • Enno Uhl,
  • Guillermo Madrigal,
  • Matías García,
  • Rafael Calama

摘要

In Mediterranean forests, where seasonal drought imposes severe physiological constraints, the dynamics of tree growth are shaped not only by climate but also by interspecific interactions. However, how these factors influence intra-annual growth phenology remains poorly understood. Here, we used biweekly band dendrometer data collected since May 2022 to June 2024, from 154 trees across seven pure and mixed sample plots in the Spanish Northern Plateau. Our aim was to investigate how stand composition and interspecific competition affect phenological events, seasonal growth rates, and tree water deficit (TWD) in four tree species: Pinus pinea L., Pinus pinaster Ait., Quercus ilex L. and Juniperus thurifera L. We found that the identity of surrounding species significantly altered the xylogenesis phenology as the daily growth rate, particularly in spring and early summer, but not in autumn. Species mixing tended to advance spring onset in J. thurifera (by 9 ± 3 days), but caused a delay in Q. ilex (by 9 ± 2 days) and P. pinaster (by 9 ± 3 days). Under stronger interspecific competition Juniperus thurifera, Pinus pinea and to lesser extent, Pinus pinaster showed increased daily basal area growth rates during dry springs (up to 0.024–0.067 cm2/day, depending on the species), consistent with the stress gradient hypothesis. In contrast, Q. ilex exhibited the opposite pattern, suffering increased TWD and reduced daily growth rates in mixtures. These divergent responses were likely driven by species-specific water use strategies and seasonal asynchrony in root activity. Our findings demonstrate that interspecific interactions can either buffer or amplify climatic stress, depending on species identity and season. By linking cambial phenology, growth dynamics, and water deficit under varying competition contexts, this study provides new insights into the possible effects of species mixing towards more resilience under climate change in Mediterranean forests.