Mountain pine radial growth and the forest limit zone in Gadmental, the Swiss Alps

Abstract

Ring‑width variations were studied in the arborescent mountain gine (Pinus mugo Turra) growing at the tree limit. The study covered the period 1800‑1976, and more especially 1864‑1976. Radial growth was poor at times when the glaciers in the Alps advanced. Annual growth correlates best with the mean July temperature for the same year, and ring‑width is obviously also affected by the temperature of the previous summer. The radial growth figures also reflect human activity in the area and local climatic features. The tree‑ring series exhibit a periodicity which would seem to be connected with the rhythm of solar activity.