Dendroclimatological analyses in a protected area and its surroundings: A case study of the Örümcek Forest

Protected areas are facing challenges arising from both climate change and human activities. Dendrochronological studies can be used to understand tree growth dynamics in protected areas and pro­vide a significant perspective in comprehending the effects of climate change on the trees growing in these regions. To achieve this goal, the study focused on Picea orientalis and Pinus sylvestris trees at different eleva­tions in the Örümcek Forest Conservation Site in the Eastern Black Sea region of Türkiye. The study area is located in the Caucasian ecoregion and is designated as a Grade I protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to its undisturbed ecosystem. In the study, five new tree-ring chronologies, with the longest one spanning 300 years, were produced. Linear and non-linear growth analyses between tree-ring widths and main climate factors revealed that the growth of trees in the conservation area and its surroundings was found to respond to late winter-early spring (January–April) temperatures and late spring-early summer (May–June) precipitation. Moving correlation analyses further revealed that these relationships were not consistent over time. Precipitation was found to be a more critical factor for P. orien­talis trees, whereas temperature changes were more influential on the growth of P. sylvestris trees. Through Generalised Additive Mixed Model (GAMM) analyses, it became possible to understand the critical periods affecting the growth of both coniferous tree species in more detail.