Climatic Warming-Induced Drought Stress Has Resulted in the Transition of Tree Growth Sensitivity from Temperature to Precipitation in the Loess Plateau of China

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Although two warming phases have been confirmed over the past century, the responses of tree growth in drylands remain uncertain. To investigate this, we utilized the tree-ring chronology in the Loess Plateau of China to explore the changes in tree growth–climate relationships during these warming phases. Our findings indicate that tree growth rates primarily increased during the first warming phase (1910–1940) and decreased during the second phase (1970–2000). Furthermore, we observed that temperature was the main influencing factor for tree growth during the first phase, whereas drought played a more significant role during the second phase. These temporal changes emphasize the importance of water availability for tree growth in drylands and suggest that reductions in precipitation will further exacerbate the adverse effects of climate warming on tree growth. ABSTRACT: Ongoing climate warming poses significant threats to forest ecosystems, particularly in drylands. Here, we assess the intricate responses of tree growth to climate change across two warming phases (1910–1940 and 1970–2000) of the 20th century in the Loess Plateau of China. To achieve this, we analyzed a dataset encompassing 53 ring-width chronologies extracted from 13 diverse tree species, enabling us to discern and characterize the prevailing trends in tree growth over these warming phases. The difference in the primary contributors over two warming phases was compared to investigate the association of tree growth with climatic drivers. We found that the first warming phase exerted a stimulating effect on tree growth, with climate warming correlating to heightened growth rates. However, a contrasting pattern emerged in the second phase as accelerated drought conditions emerged as a predominant limiting factor, dampening tree growth rates. The response of tree growth to climate changed markedly during the two warming phases. Initially, temperature assumed a dominant role in driving the tree growth of growth season during the first warming phase. Instead, precipitation and drought stress became the main factors affecting tree growth in the second phase. This drought stress manifested predominantly during the early and late growing seasons. Our findings confirm the discernible transition of warming-induced tree growth in water-limited regions and highlight the vulnerability of dryland forests to the escalating dual challenges of heightened warming and drying. If the warming trend continues unabated in the Loess Plateau, further deterioration in tree growth and heightened mortality rates are foreseeable outcomes. Some adaptive forest managements should be encouraged to sustain the integrity and resilience of these vital ecosystems in the Loess Plateau and similar regions.