DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cc2fqz659
title: Data for: Growing faster, longer or both? Modelling plastic response of Juniperus communis growth phenology to climate change

description: Aim: Plant growth and phenology plastically respond to changing climatic
 conditions both in space and time. Species-specific levels of growth
 plasticity determine biogeographical patterns and the adaptive capacity of
 species to climate change. However, a direct assessment of spatial and
 temporal variability in radial-growth dynamics is complicated, as long
 records of cambial phenology do not exist. Location: 16 sites across
 European distribution margins of Juniperus communis L. (the Mediterranean,
 the Arctic, the Alps and the Urals). Time period: 1940-2016 Major taxa
 studied: Juniperus communis Methods: We applied the Vaganov-Shashkin
 process-based model of wood formation to estimate trends in growing season
 duration and growth kinetics since 1940. We assumed that J. communis would
 exhibit spatially and temporally variable growth patterns reflecting local
 climatic conditions. Results: Our simulations indicate regional
 differences in growth dynamics and plastic responses to climate warming.
 Mean growing season duration is the longest at Mediterranean sites and,
 recently, there is a significant trend towards its extension of up to 0.44
 days per year. However, this stimulating effect of longer growing season
 is counteracted by declining summer growth rates caused by amplified
 drought stress. Consequently, overall trends in simulated ring-widths are
 marginal in the Mediterranean. By contrast, durations of growing seasons
 in the Arctic show lower and mostly non-significant trends. However,
 spring and summer growth rates follow increasing temperatures, leading to
 a growth increase of up to 0.32 % per year. Main conclusions: This study
 highlights the plasticity in growth phenology of widely distributed shrubs
 to climate warming–an earlier onset of cambial activity that offsets the
 negative effects of summer droughts in the Mediterranean and, conversely,
 an intensification of growth rates during the short growing seasons in the
 Arctic. Such plastic growth responsiveness allows woody plants to adapt to
 the local pace of climate change.
description: This data package contains (i) input ring-width series of
 <em>Juniperus communis</em> used to calibrate the
 Vaganov-Shashkin model and (ii) outputs of the model important for the
 interpretations made in the above-referenced paper. (i)
 were obtained using standard dendrochronological procedures (including
 field sampling, laboratory processing and ring-width measurement).
 Individual datasets are stored in RWL format which might be uploaded by
 most of dendrochronological softwares. Data represent annual ring widths
 of <em>J. communis</em> shrubs. If multiple discs/radii were
 measured at specific site, they were averaged into the shrub level. One
 RWL file is provided for each site of the network. (ii)
 represent outputs of the Vaganov-Shashkin models' simulations applied
 on each site of the network. <strong>For detailed
 description of each dataset, please, see enclosed ###README.txt
 file.</strong>
description: Site
 codes The data are related to 16 analyzed
 sites spread across the European part of J. communis distribution. For the
 full spatial identification (coordinates), please, see Figure 1 in the
 above-referenced paper. The site codes are used as
 follows: <strong>ARCTIC
 SITES</strong><br> ABI = Abisko (Sweden)<br> FIN = Finse
 (Norway)<br> KEV = Kevo (Finland)<br> KIR = Kirkenes
 (Norway)<br> KOB = Kobbefjord (Denmark, Greenland)
 <strong>URAL SITES</strong><br> PUR = Polar
 Ural<br> NUR = Northern Ural<br> SUR = Southern Ural (all
 Russia) <strong>ALPINE
 SITES</strong><br> CDL = Croda de Lago<br> SEL = Sella
 Nevea<br> RHE = Val di Rheme<br> VEN = Val Ventina (all
 Italy) <strong>MEDITERRANEAN
 SITES</strong><br> ALI = Aliaga (Spain)<br> PEN =
 Penarroya (Spain)<br> POL = Pollino (Italy)<br> VIL =
 Villarroya de los Pinares (Spain) Ring-width series of
 <em>J. communis</em> Folder
 'OBSERVATION' contains raw (non-detrended) ring-width series for
 each sampled shrub. For sites, where multiple radii and/or cross-sections
 were measured, individual raw measurements were averaged to the level of
 individual shrubs. Data are stored in standard format RWL which can be
 loaded by most of dendrochronological programs (including the dplR package
 for R). One RWL file is presented for each site.
 Simulated daily growth rates Daily growth
 rates simulated by the VS-model are stored in 'SIMULATION-Growth
 Rates' subfolders. Simulated integral growth rates and partial growth
 rates to temperature have a format of a semicolon-separated matrix. The
 first row of the matrix represents a header. Each of the 365 rows
 indicates simulated growth rates for specific DOY (starting with DOY 1 in
 the first row and DOY 365 in the last row). Columns indicate individual
 calendar years of simulations (starting with the year 1940 in the first
 column).<br> Because partial growth rates to photoperiod are
 invariant from year to year, the respective matrix is simplified to 365
 rows and 1 column. Simulated number of differentiated
 cells Numbers of differentiated cells since the
 beginning of the calendar year are for each day stored in the
 'SIMULATION-Cell differentiation' folder. Individual files have
 a format of a semicolon-separated matrix. The first row of the matrix
 represents a header. Each of 365 rows indicates the numbers of
 differentiated cells since the beginning of the growing season for each
 DOY (starting with DOY 1 in the first row and DOY 365 in the last row).
 Columns indicate individual calendar years of simulations (starting with
 the year 1940 in the first column). Simulated cambial
 phenology Key dates of simulated cambial phenology are
 stored in the 'SIMULATION-Phenology' folder. Each file contains
 a semicolon-separated table with 3 columns. The first one indicates the
 calendar year, the second one simulated DOY of cambial activity onset and
 the last one simulated DOY of cambial activity cessation.
 Simulated site chronologies Simulated site
 chronologies are stored in the 'SIMULATION-Chronology' folder.
 Each file contains a semicolon-separated table with 2 columns. The first
 one indicates the calendar year, the second one value of the simulated
 chronology.