Impacts of changing frost regimes on Swedish forests: Incorporating cold hardiness in a regional ecosystem model

Understanding the effects of climate change on boreal forests which hold about 7% of the global terrestrial biomass carbon is a major issue. An important mechanism in boreal tree species is acclimatization to seasonal variations in temperature (cold hardiness) to withstand low temperatures during winter. Temperature drops below the hardiness level may cause frost damage. Increased climate variability under global and regional warming might lead to more severe frost damage events, with consequences for tree individuals, populations and ecosystems. We assessed the potential future impacts of changing frost regimes on Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) in Sweden. A cold hardiness and frost damage model were incorporated within a dynamic ecosystem model, LPJ-GUESS. The frost tolerance of Norway spruce was calculated based on daily mean temperature fluctuations, corresponding to time and temperature dependent chemical reactions and cellular adjustments. The severity of frost damage was calculated as a growth-reducing factor when the minimum temperature was below the frost tolerance. The hardiness model was linked to the ecosystem model by reducing needle biomass and thereby growth according to the calculated severity of frost damage. A sensitivity analysis of the hardiness model revealed that the severity of frost events was significantly altered by variations in the hardening rate and dehardening rate during current climate conditions. The modelled occurrence and intensity of frost events was related to observed crown defoliation, indicating that 6-12% of the needle loss could be attributed to frost damage. When driving the combined ecosystem-hardiness model with future climate from a regional climate model (RCM), the results suggest a decreasing number and strength of extreme frost events particularly in northern Sweden and strongly increasing productivity for Norway spruce by the end of the 21st century as a result of longer growing seasons and increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. However, according to the model, frost damage might decrease the potential productivity by as much as 25% early in the century.     

北疆地区近53年极端气温事件及其影响因素分析

根据北疆地区1960—2012年31个气象站点的逐日最高气温和最低气温资料,采用线性趋势分析、主成分分析和反距离加权等方法对该地区的年平均最高气温、年平均最低气温和14个极端气温指数的时空变化特征进行了研究,并探讨了各极端气温指数与北极涛动指数、北大西洋涛动指数和厄尔尼诺-南方涛动之间的关系。研究表明:(1)近53年来,北疆地区年平均最低气温、年平均最高气温分别以0.49℃·(10a)~(-1)、0.22℃·(10a)~(-1)的年际倾向率呈显著的上升趋势;气温日较差以0.27℃·(10a)~(-1)的年际倾向率呈显著下降趋势。极端暖指数除暖昼日数、夏日日数和极端最高气温均表现为不显著的上升趋势外,其他暖指数均呈显著上升趋势;极端冷指数中除极端最低气温、日最高气温的极小值呈上升趋势外,其他冷指数均呈减小趋势;在空间变化上各极端气温指数均表现为在阿尔泰山东南部地区和伊犁河谷地区变化幅度较大,其他地区变化较小。(2)冷指数(冷夜、日最高气温的极小值、极端最低气温)的增温幅度明显大于部分暖指数(暖夜、日最低气温极大值、极端最高气温),这一变化特征在山麓、山谷等地区表现最为明显,而在这一地区夜指数(暖夜、冷夜)的变暖幅度也明显大于昼指数(暖昼、冷昼)。(3)极端气温指数与大气环流指数相关性分析表明,三种大气环流指数中北极涛动指数对北疆地区极端气温的影响最为明显,其次是北大西洋涛动指数,且这两种大气环流指数对研究区极端气温冷指数的影响较为显著,而厄尔尼诺-南方涛动对研究区极端气温影响较小。     

Pathological tree-ring structures in Siberian juniper (juniperus sibirica burgsd.) and their use for reconstructing extreme climatic events

The results of identification and dating of frost, false, and light rings in the wood of living and dead Siberian juniper plants growing at the upper forest boundary in the Polar Urals were used to determine the incidence of these structures over the past 630 years. Based on the data of instrumental observations on daily air temperature, the dates and rates of temperature decrease in the years of pathological tree ring formation were analyzed. The recurrence and intensity of extreme temperature drops during the growing seasons of the past six centuries were reconstructed. The severest frosts occurred in the summer seasons of 1601, 1783, 1857, 1882, and 1968.     

江苏省近47年来的梅雨特征及灾害影响

利用江苏省气象台1954～2000年的梅雨期降水资料，采用趋势分析方法，对江苏省的梅雨变化特征进行了分析研究。结果表明：近47年来江苏省梅雨量年际变化大致可以分为少雨和多雨两个阶段；梅雨的区域分布特征是苏南及沿江地带梅雨量的年波动不及淮北地区；各年份梅雨持续的天数相差极为悬殊，而其降水极值除个别年份外大多低于800mm；梅雨量的丰歉常常决定了江苏省的旱涝总趋势，特别的丰梅年和枯梅年对江苏省农业生产和社会经济发展都带来显著的负面影响。     

珠江流域极端降雨时空演变特征分析

基于珠江流域1960-2005年42个雨量站的日降雨资料,定义了3个极端降雨的指标(最大连续降雨量(MCP)、最大连续降雨天数(MCD)以及最大连续降雨强度(MCI))及通过将三者叠加得到的综合指数Z,运用线性回归模型以及Mann-Kendall法分析了珠江流域极端降雨的时空分布特征。研究结果表明:①珠江流域的MCP、MCD、MCI和Z值在总空间分布上呈东大西小的局势,全年和夏季MCP、MCD、MCI等Z值的高值出现在珠江三角洲、桂林市、百色市等地区,表明上述区域是极端降雨的高发区;②珠江流域近46年的极端降雨事件没有出现显著变异,未发现显著突变;③极端降雨事件的空间分布特征与地形有密切联系,流域内极端降水事件的多发区周围往往有山脉或高大地形环绕,由于山区或者丘陵区地势较高,因而易发生山洪等灾害。     

Impacts of 21st‐Century Climate Change on Hydrologic Extremes in the Pacific Northwest Region of North America

Climate change projections for the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of North America include warmer temperatures (T), reduced precipitation (P) in summer months, and increased P during all other seasons. Using a physically based hydrologic model and an ensemble of statistically downscaled global climate model scenarios produced by the Columbia Basin Climate Change Scenarios Project, we examine the nature of changing hydrologic extremes (floods and low flows) under natural conditions for about 300 river locations in the PNW. The combination of warming, and shifts in seasonal P regimes, results in increased flooding and more intense low flows for most of the basins in the PNW. Flood responses depend on average midwinter T and basin type. Mixed rain and snow basins, with average winter temperatures near freezing, typically show the largest increases in flood risk because of the combined effects of warming (increasing contributing basin area) and more winter P. Decreases in low flows are driven by loss of snowpack, drier summers, and increasing evapotranspiration in the simulations. Energy‐limited basins on the west side of the Cascades show the strongest declines in low flows, whereas more arid, water‐limited basins on the east side of the Cascades show smaller reductions in low flows. A fine‐scale analysis of hydrologic extremes over the Olympic Peninsula echoes the results for the larger rivers discussed above, but provides additional detail about topographic gradients.     

近60年来乌鲁木齐气候极值分析

基于乌鲁木齐近60年的气温、降水资料,运用Mann-Kendall和线性回归检验对气候变量序列进行了趋势和极值分析。结果表明,平均气温、平均最高气温、平均最低气温表现出增加趋势且以秋冬季的增温幅度最大。气温日较差在所有时间步长内都是缩小的,其主要原因是平均最低气温的升温幅度比最高气温大,降水量总体上增加,季节降水中以冬季增加最为明显。从气候极值变化方面看,与异常偏冷相关的极端事件如霜冻日数、冷夜日数、冷昼日数、冷日持续指数显著减少减弱;与异常偏暖相关的暖夜日数、暖昼日数则明显增多增强;降水强度、强降水量增加明显,持续干旱有所下降。