An Analysis of the Growth of Fire-Damaged Pinus koraiensis Trees in a Northern Temperate Forest

This paper evaluates the effects of a groundfire on the radial growth of fire tolerance species Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) trees growing in the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve which occurred more than 90 years.. The study material includes damaged and undamaged sample trees approximately with the same age. The trees are growing in close vicinity to each other and are subject to the same climatic conditions. The study material is rather homogenous and allowing analysis of the long-term effects of ground fire on the growth of important tree species. Two tree-ring chronologies from 25 fire-damaged and 24 undamaged trees were analyzed. The results showed that temperature and precipitation during the previous winter had a significant effect on the mean annual radial growth of both groups. Trees which had been damaged by an old fire were more sensitive to the negative effect of high summer temperatures and to the positive effect of high spring temperatures than the undamaged group. In contrast to previous studies, their growth was also considerably more affected by competition than the growth of the undamaged individuals. The study material is rather homogenous and probably unique, allowing such a temporal and spatial analysis of the long-term effects of a ground fire on the growth of an important tree species in a northern temperate forest.