Our data, collected in the extreme east of Europe, show that a significant biological effect of climate change has been experienced even in territories where temperature increase has been the lowest. This study documents the climatic response of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) growing near its north-eastern limits in Europe. It demonstrates the potential of oak trees in old-growth forest to act as proxy climate indicators. Many factors may influence the temporal stability of the growth-climate, acorn crop-climate and first leafing-climate relationships. Climate data, climatic fluctuations, reproduction, genetics and tree-age may relate to this instability. Our results stress that an increase in climate variability or climatic warming resulting from warmer winters or summers could affect the oak population in eastern Europe in a similar way to that in western Europe. These findings, from remnants of oak forest in the middle Volga region of Russia, allow a further understanding of how species could be affected by future climates.
Melina Miaja ÁvilaRocío Romero RetesElena Ibáñez GuerraJosé Soriano PastorAna García-Conde
Francisco Manuel Morales RodríguezMaría Victoria Trianes TorresMaría J. BlancaJesús Miranda PáezMilagros Escobar EspejoFrancisco Javier Fernández Baena
María Teresa Monjarás Rodríguez
Emilia Lucio Gómez MaqueoConsuelo Durán PatiñoBlanca Estela Barcelata EguiarteEdith Romero GodínezBlanca E. Barcelata EguiarteUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoEdith Romero GodínezUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Juanita GempelerFelipe Botero‐RodríguezSergio Mario CastroMaritza Rodríguez