Climate influence on seed production and water-use efficiency (δ13C) over 27 year in Nothofagus obliqua in southern Chile

Abstract

Reduced precipitation and increased drought (Fig. 1a,b) have been observed in south central Chile during the last 50 years, however the effect of climate variability on the processes and functions of tree species is still not well documented. It is especially important to understand the relationship between the climate variability with the functional traits associated with reproduction and growth. In this context, long term studies can provide more information about the response of the forest ecosystem to climate change. In Southern Chile, San Martín Experimental Forest is the only place where seed production of the main species have been monitored for more than 25 years. The main goal of this study was to integrate this data base with dendrocronological approaches to asses the response of the dominant species (N. obliqua) of this forest to the precipitation variability