Investigation of the establishment and dynamics of black pine in the fir zone of Tymphristos mountain under climate change

The establishment and dynamics of black pine in comparison to fir on the Tymphristos mountain, Greece, was investigated based on their growth behavior and the ecological factors governing the area. Specifically, from a black pine stand, derived from reforestations and which presently contains also fir individuals, tree-ring cores were obtained up to the pith from both species. Subsequently, the tree-rings width was measured, followed by the analysis of radial growth in relation to site conditions and vegetation zone. The results show the incapacity of black pine to compete fir due to the local bioclimatic conditions which partly explains the absence of the species in the area. However, this condition may be altered by the transition to a drier bioclimatic type due to the evolution of climate change