In this project, we have developed two networks of radial growth chronologies and anatomical variables (earlywood xylem vessels), one for deciduous Quercus spp. and the other one for Fagus sylvatica, covering the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and providing an adequate representation of the growth patterns associated with climate change of deciduous hardwoods in the area of study.
Growth rings of Quercus petraea (a) and Q. pyrenaica (b) in a transitional area between the Atlantic and Mediterranean climates, showing greater plasticity and variability in the size and density of vessels in the earlywood of Q. pyrenaica than Q. robur. Photos I. García-González.
Two types of forest where was sampled Fagus sylvatica, more frequents in the Cantabrian area: (a) mixed forest with low altitude Quercus robur, with dense Ilex aquifolium, and (b) monospecific mountain forest in the ‘Cordillera Cantábrica central’. Photos V. Rozas.