Abstract:
Accurately predicting the role of forests in the global carbon cycle requires a detailed understanding of the factors mediating the timing and magnitude of radial stem growth. While weather conditions and topo‐edaphic factors play a critical role in mediating short‐term woody growth, biotic factors can also drive radial growth dynamics, yet their importance is often overlooked.
To better understand how weather and neighbouring trees drive patterns of intra‐annual stem growth, we installed automated dendrometer bands on two tree species (
Pinus ponderosa
,
Quercus kelloggii
) in a dryland ecosystem for 2 years. We evaluated differences in radial growth dynamics between the two species...