IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-42409-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Global tree growth resilience to cold extremes following the Tambora volcanic eruption

Author

Listed:
  • Shan Gao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • J. Julio Camarero

    (Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC))

  • Flurin Babst

    (University of Arizona
    University of Arizona)

  • Eryuan Liang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Although the global climate is warming, external forcing driven by explosive volcanic eruptions may still cause abrupt cooling. The 1809 and 1815 Tambora eruptions caused lasting cold extremes worldwide, providing a unique lens that allows us to investigate the magnitude of global forest resilience to and recovery from volcanic cooling. Here, we show that growth resilience inferred from tree-ring data was severely impacted by cooling in high latitudes and elevations: the average tree growth decreased substantially (up to 31.8%), especially in larch forests, and regional-scale probabilities of severe growth reduction (below −2σ) increased up to 1390%. The influence of the eruptions extended longer (beyond the year 1824) in mid- than in high-latitudes, presumably due to the combined impacts of cold and drought stress. As Tambora-size eruptions statistically occur every 200–400 years, assessing their influences on ecosystems can help humankind mitigate adverse impacts on natural resources through improved management, especially in high latitude and elevation regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Shan Gao & J. Julio Camarero & Flurin Babst & Eryuan Liang, 2023. "Global tree growth resilience to cold extremes following the Tambora volcanic eruption," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42409-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42409-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42409-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-42409-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christoph C. Raible & Stefan Brönnimann & Renate Auchmann & Philip Brohan & Thomas L. Frölicher & Hans‐F. Graf & Phil Jones & Jürg Luterbacher & Stefan Muthers & Raphael Neukom & Alan Robock & Stephen, 2016. "Tambora 1815 as a test case for high impact volcanic eruptions: Earth system effects," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(4), pages 569-589, July.
    2. Taylor Smith & Dominik Traxl & Niklas Boers, 2022. "Empirical evidence for recent global shifts in vegetation resilience," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(5), pages 477-484, May.
    3. Feng Wang & Dominique Arseneault & Étienne Boucher & Fabio Gennaretti & Shulong Yu & Tongwen Zhang, 2022. "Tropical volcanoes synchronize eastern Canada with Northern Hemisphere millennial temperature variability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Thomas J. Aubry & John Staunton-Sykes & Lauren R. Marshall & Jim Haywood & Nathan Luke Abraham & Anja Schmidt, 2021. "Climate change modulates the stratospheric volcanic sulfate aerosol lifecycle and radiative forcing from tropical eruptions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, December.
    5. J. Brad Adams & Michael E. Mann & Caspar M. Ammann, 2003. "Proxy evidence for an El Niño-like response to volcanic forcing," Nature, Nature, vol. 426(6964), pages 274-278, November.
    6. M. Sigl & M. Winstrup & J. R. McConnell & K. C. Welten & G. Plunkett & F. Ludlow & U. Büntgen & M. Caffee & N. Chellman & D. Dahl-Jensen & H. Fischer & S. Kipfstuhl & C. Kostick & O. J. Maselli & F. M, 2015. "Timing and climate forcing of volcanic eruptions for the past 2,500 years," Nature, Nature, vol. 523(7562), pages 543-549, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fei Liu & Chaochao Gao & Jing Chai & Alan Robock & Bin Wang & Jinbao Li & Xu Zhang & Gang Huang & Wenjie Dong, 2022. "Tropical volcanism enhanced the East Asian summer monsoon during the last millennium," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.
    2. Sungwoo Kim, 2023. "Successive volcanic eruptions (1809–1815) and two severe famines of Korea (1809–1810, 1814–1815) seen through historical records," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(1), pages 1-15, January.
    3. Feng Wang & Dominique Arseneault & Étienne Boucher & Fabio Gennaretti & Shulong Yu & Tongwen Zhang, 2022. "Tropical volcanoes synchronize eastern Canada with Northern Hemisphere millennial temperature variability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Marlos Goes & Nancy Tuana & Klaus Keller, 2011. "The economics (or lack thereof) of aerosol geoengineering," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 719-744, December.
    5. Jessica Picas & Stefan Grab, 2020. "Potential impacts of major nineteenth century volcanic eruptions on temperature over Cape Town, South Africa: 1834–1899," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 159(4), pages 523-544, April.
    6. Maya Ben-Yami & Vanessa Skiba & Sebastian Bathiany & Niklas Boers, 2023. "Uncertainties in critical slowing down indicators of observation-based fingerprints of the Atlantic Overturning Circulation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Jiaxin Mi & Huping Hou & Zhifeng Jin & Xiaoyan Yang & Yifei Hua, 2023. "Long-Term Impact of Ground Deformation on Vegetation in an Underground Mining Area: Its Mechanism and Suggestions for Revegetation," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-18, June.
    8. Jon Camuera & Francisco J. Jiménez-Espejo & José Soto-Chica & Gonzalo Jiménez-Moreno & Antonio García-Alix & María J. Ramos-Román & Leena Ruha & Manuel Castro-Priego, 2023. "Drought as a possible contributor to the Visigothic Kingdom crisis and Islamic expansion in the Iberian Peninsula," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    9. Simon L. L. Michel & Didier Swingedouw & Pablo Ortega & Guillaume Gastineau & Juliette Mignot & Gerard McCarthy & Myriam Khodri, 2022. "Early warning signal for a tipping point suggested by a millennial Atlantic Multidecadal Variability reconstruction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Lukas Reichen & Angela-Maria Burgdorf & Stefan Brönnimann & Jörg Franke & Ralf Hand & Veronika Valler & Eric Samakinwa & Yuri Brugnara & This Rutishauser, 2022. "A decade of cold Eurasian winters reconstructed for the early 19th century," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    11. Elisabeth Tschumi & Jakob Zscheischler, 2020. "Countrywide climate features during recorded climate-related disasters," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 158(3), pages 593-609, February.
    12. Grant L. Harley & Justin T. Maxwell & Karen E. King & Shelly A. Rayback & Edward R. Cook & Christopher Hansen & R. Stockton Maxwell & Frederick Reinig & Jan Esper & Tsun Fung Au & Ellen V. Bergan & Ka, 2024. "A 561-yr (1461-2022 CE) summer temperature reconstruction for Mid-Atlantic-Northeast USA shows connections to volcanic forcing and atmospheric circulation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(9), pages 1-23, September.
    13. Wenchang Yang & Elizabeth Wallace & Gabriel A. Vecchi & Jeffrey P. Donnelly & Julien Emile-Geay & Gregory J. Hakim & Larry W. Horowitz & Richard M. Sullivan & Robert Tardif & Peter J. Hengstum & Tyler, 2024. "Last millennium hurricane activity linked to endogenous climate variability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    14. Yue Sui & Yuting Chen, 2022. "Signals in temperature extremes emerge in China during the last millennium based on CMIP5 simulations," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 1-18, June.
    15. Philip E Higuera & John T Abatzoglou & Jeremy S Littell & Penelope Morgan, 2015. "The Changing Strength and Nature of Fire-Climate Relationships in the Northern Rocky Mountains, U.S.A., 1902-2008," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-21, June.
    16. Timothy M. Lenton & Jesse F. Abrams & Annett Bartsch & Sebastian Bathiany & Chris A. Boulton & Joshua E. Buxton & Alessandra Conversi & Andrew M. Cunliffe & Sophie Hebden & Thomas Lavergne & Benjamin , 2024. "Remotely sensing potential climate change tipping points across scales," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    17. Andreas Koutsodendris & Vasilis Dakos & William J. Fletcher & Maria Knipping & Ulrich Kotthoff & Alice M. Milner & Ulrich C. Müller & Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr & Oliver A. Kern & Laurin Kolb & Polina Vakhr, 2023. "Atmospheric CO2 forcing on Mediterranean biomes during the past 500 kyrs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    18. Beatriz Arellano-Nava & Paul R. Halloran & Chris A. Boulton & James Scourse & Paul G. Butler & David J. Reynolds & Timothy M. Lenton, 2022. "Destabilisation of the Subpolar North Atlantic prior to the Little Ice Age," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    19. Michaël Goujon & Hajare El Hadri & Raphael Paris, 2021. "A database of the economic impacts of historical volcanic eruptions," CERDI Working papers hal-03186803, HAL.
    20. Taylor Smith & Niklas Boers, 2023. "Global vegetation resilience linked to water availability and variability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42409-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.