Ali Thabeet⁽¹⁾, Kamel Khalil ⁽²⁾* and Diana Hamad⁽²⁾

(1) Department of Renewable Natural Resources and Ecology- Faculty of Agriculture – Aleppo University.

 (2) Department of Environmental prevention- Higher Institute for Environmental Researches, Tishreen University
(*Corresponding author: Dr. Kamel Khalil. E-mail: d.kamelkhalil@tishreen.edu.sy)

Received: 10/09/2021                          Accepted: 28/11/2021

Abstract

The aim of this research is to estimate the relationship between the thickness of the annual growth rings of the Pinus brutia and the climatic elements using dendroclimatology techniques. The study was carried in two sites Al–Daraykiyah and  Mehwarti (Baniyas) during 2018-2019. Five samples were selected from each site. In each sample, 10 trees were identified from which three cores were obtained from each tree. The cores were subjected to sanding operations for ease of reading, then CROSS-DATING was done to determine the exact year of formation for each ring, then the thickness of the rings was measured using Photoshop, and then the standardization process was carried out to calibrate the initial values of the annual growth rings to eliminate the effect of age and obtain the growth index. The multi-correlation relationship between growth index and climatic elements of precipitation and temperature was studied during the period between 1971-2018. The results of the study showed that the average thickness of the annual growth rings ranged between 2.24-3.36 mm/year. Some pseudo-rings were observed in both sites, while some missing rings were recorded in the Mehwarti site only. No significant effect of precipitation, maximum or minimum temperatures on the thickness of the growth rings was recorded for the Al–Daraykiyah site. As for the Mehwarti site, precipitation recorded a positive significant effect on the thickness of the growth rings during the months of November, December, January, March, April and June. The maximum temperatures also recorded a significant negative effect on the thickness of the growth rings of one sample only during the months of March and April. Whereas, the minimum temperatures did not have any significant effect on the thickness of the growth rings in Mehwarti site.

Keywords: Pinus brutia Ten., Dendroclimatology, Tree rings, climatic elements, Baniyas.

Full paper in Arabic: pdf