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Ring Chronologies II Modern New Zealand Tree-Ring Chronologies II. Nothofagus meziesii Item Type Article Authors Norton, D. A. Citation Gray, B.M., Pilcher, J.R. 1983. Testing the significance of summary response functions. Tree-Ring Bulletin 43:31-38. Publisher Tree-Ring Society Journal Tree-Ring Bulletin Rights Copyright © Tree-Ring Society. All rights reserved. Download date 03/10/2021 07:59:19 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/261195 TREE -RING BULLETIN,vol. 43, 1983 MODERN NEW ZEALAND TREE -RING CHRONOLOGIES II. Nothofagus menziesii D. A. NORTON* Department of Botany University of Canterbury Christchurch, New Zealand ABSTRACT Five modern Nothofagus menziesii tree -ring chronologies, developed from sites near the alpine timberline, South Island, New Zealand, are presented. The properties of the chronologies are described; as a group they have high mean sensitivity values (mean of 0.31), moderate autocorrelation values (mean of 0.42) and moderate common variance values (mean of 31 %). One site, lying some 200 km distant from the others, is the least similar of the five chronologies. It is concluded that both the long length of N. menziesii chronologies and the proximity of trees to the alpine timberline present considerable potential for reconstructing palaeotemperatures. Es werden fünf Jahrringchronologien von Nothofagus menziesii von Standorten nahe der alpinen Baumgrenze auf South Island, Neuseeland, vorgestellt. Die Eigenschaften der Chronologien werden beschrieben: Sie besitzen eine hohe mittlere Sensitivität von 0.31 und eine mäßige Reihenkorrelation von durchschnittlich 0.42. DiegemeinsameVarianzderindenChronologienenthalteneneinzelnen Jahrringfolgen ist mit durchschnittlich 31% mäßig groß. Ein von den anderen etwa 200 km entfernt liegender Standort weist die geringste Ahnlichkeit mit den übrigen auf. Sowohl die Länge der Chronologien als auch ihre Nähe zur alpinen Baumgrenze bedeuten ein beträchtliches Potential zur Rekonstruktion von Temperaturen in vergangenen Zeiten. Cinq chronologies modernes développées sur Nothofagus menziesii croissant près de la limite des arbres dans la South Island, New Zealand, sont présentées. Les propriétés de ces chronologies sont décrites: en moyenne elles ont une "sensitivity" élevée de (0.31), une autocorrélation modérées (0.42) et comme variance commune (31 %). Un site se localisant à 200 km de distance d'un autre, est le moins semblable des cinq chronologies. On peut en conclure que la longueur des cinq chronologies et que la proximité des arbres par rapport à la limite alpine des arbres, présentent un potentiel considérable pour reconstruire les paléotempératures. INTRODUCTION This is the second paper of a series presenting modern New Zealand tree -ring chronologies developed since the work of Dunwiddie (1979) and LaMarche et al. (1979).In thefirst paper (Norton 1983b),16 Nothofagus solandri tree -ring chronologies, developed from sites near the alpine timberline, were presented. This paper presents five tree -ring chronologies developed from N. menziesii trees growing at sites near the alpine timberline, South Island, New Zealand. As well as presenting the chronologies and their statistics, information on the biology of N. menziesii and sites sampled is included. NOTHOFAGUS MENZIESII Nothofagus (Fagaceae), the southern beeches, occur in temperate South America, New Zealand, Australia, New Caledonia and New Guinea. Four species are endemic to New Zealand (Allan 1961): N. fusca, N. menziesii, N. solandri and N. truncata. N. menziesii (silver beech) is phylogenetically separated from the other New Zealand Nothofagus species and is more closely related to the Australian N. cuninghamii (Wardle 1967). Evergreen N. menziesii can grow to heights of 30 m in low altitude 40 NORTON Figure 1. Location of study areas and the distributionofNothofagus menziesii(after Wardle 1967). New Zealand Chronologies II 41 forests but decrease in size with increasing altitude. Timberline N. menziesii trees are usually not as small as comparable timberline N. solandri trees. The wood anatomy of N. menziesii has been described by Meylan and Butterfield (1978); growth rings are distinct. The ecology, life history, and distribution of Nothofagus menziesii has been described in detail by Cockayne (1926), Poole (1950), Wardle (1967) and Manson (1974). In the North Island, N. menziesii is abundant in montane and subalpine forests of the southern and eastern ranges while in the South Island, it is common in the northwest and southwest (Figure 1). N. menziesii occurs only occasionally east of the main ranges in the South Island. N. menziesii forms timberline where N. solandri is absent, and pure N. menziesii forests are predominantly subalpine. Elsewhere N. menziesii isusually codominant with a wide range of species including other Nothofagusspecies,Podocarpusspecies,Libocedrusbidwillii,Dacrydium cupressinum and Beilschmeidia tawa. Nothofagus menziesii trees probably live to a maximum age of about 600 years (Wardle 1967). No detailed studies of N. menziesii phenology have been undertaken, but the growth rings are assumed to be annual (Wardle 1963). STUDY SITES Sites were sampled in both mixed and monospecific Nothofagus menziesii forests in South Westland and Fiordland (Figure 1). Based on sampling experience with N. solandri (Norton 1983b), sampling was concentrated at sites close to the alpine timberline. Eight sites were sampled in three areas. A. Landsborough Valley The Landsborough Valley is located in South Westland and is oriented parallel to and west of the main divide of the Southern Alps (Figure 1). This 60 km long valley lies between two heavily glaciated mountain ranges. The mountains, with peaks over 2600 m elevation, are composed of strongly schistose and finely foliated quartzo- feldspathic schist of Mesozoic age (Gair 1967). The forest soils are commonly podzolised yellow -brown earths (New Zealand Soil Bureau 1968); organic soils occur near timberline. No climate data are available for this remote valley, although precipita- tion is probably in excess of 6000 mm per annum. Snow lies down to timberline during the winter months. The vegetation of the upper Landsborough Valley has been described by Wardle (1977, 1980) in conjunction with that of Westland National Park immediately to the north. Nothofagus menziesii is the sole tree species in the forests, where it is at approx- imately the northern -most distribution of its range in South Westland (Wardle 1980). Timberline occurs between 1150 m and 1250 m but drops at the head of the valley where N. menziesii appears to be actively expanding its range. Below the closed canopy a varied and often dense scrub layer occurs and includesPseudowintera colerata, Pseudopanax simplex, Griselinia littoralis, Myrsine divaricata, Coprosma species and,nearer timberline,Phyllocladus alpinus,Archeriatraversii and Dracophyllum species. A thick cover of herbacious plants, ferns and mosses occur on the forest floor. The Kea Flat site is in this valley. B. Hollyford Valley The Hollyford River drains the southern and eastern flanks of the Darren Moun- 42 NORTON tains, Fiordland (Figure 1). The floor of the valley is narrow and flat and the sides steep. To the west, glacier -cut U- shaped valleys occur and the glaciated mountain peaks of the Darren Mountains rise to over 2500 m. The Humboldt Range to the east is lower (under 2000 m) and carries little permanent snow and ice. The geology of the area is complex with Palaeozoic schistose sandstones of the Humboldt Range faulted against Palaeozoic rocks of the Darren Mountains which are massive, weakly gneissose diorites and granodiorites (Wood 1962). The climate of the area has not been describ- ed in detail but rainfall probably exceeds 4000 mm in the east and is higher further west. Snowfalls occur regularly in winter. The forests of the Hollyford Valley have been described by Mark and Sanderson (1962). The floor and lower slopes of the Hollyford Valley are occupied by beech- podocarp- kamahiforestwithNothofagusmenziesii,N.fusca,Dacrydium cupressinum, Podocarpus ferruginius and P. hallü forming an open canopy above Weinmannia racemosa. The closed upper forests are pure N. menziesii and form timberline at approximately 1000 m to 1050 m. These upper forests have a dense scrub layerwhichincludesOleariailicifolia,Archeriatraversii,Seneciobenettii, Pseudopanax colensoi, Phyllocladus alpinus and Coprosma species. Many of these forests have been extensively modified by avalanches. Three sites (KEY, HRS, UHV) are located in this valley. C. Murchison Mountains This area has been described in detail by Norton (1983b) and includes four sites (CMF, LKE, OBL, UTV). SAMPLING AND CHRONOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS Field sampling was undertaken during the austral summers of 1980 -81 and 1981 -82. The methods and criteria used in sampling and the techniques used to develop the chronologies have been described in the first paper of this series (Norton 1983b). As with Nothofagus solandri (Norton 1983b; figure2),one N.menziesii chronology was developed twice; once using only polynomial curves in standardization and once using only horizontal straight lines in standardization. Examination of filtered values for the resultant chronologies (Figure 2) again show only small dif- ferences. X 2 w p 1 z -o 1650' 1700 1750 1800 1850 19'00 19150 YEAR A.D. Figure 2. Filtered curves for the two chronologies developed from the same Nothofagus menziesii tree -ring data. The chronology depicted by the solid line was developedusingorthogonalpolynomial curvesinstandardizationand
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