Data from: Soil nutrients influence growth response of temperate tree species to drought

Soil properties can buffer forest response to global climate change.
However, it is unclear how soil characteristics, water availability and
their interactions can affect drought response of trees. The aim of this
study was to assess the influence of soil nutrients and physical soil
properties on the growth sensitivity of Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp.,
Fraxinus excelsior, Abies alba, Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris to
drought in Central Europe. Yearly growth data from increment cores were
obtained from 539 trees and combined with forest inventory and soil data
at 52 sites covering a large gradient of water availability and C/N ratios
in soil. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the
species-specific growth responses to climate and soil properties for the
period 1957–2006. The growth of the species was further projected across
the full range of C/N and water availability observed at 1029 sites where
soil and species cover-abundance data were available. Temperature, water
and nutrient availability (C/N) were the most important factors for tree
growth. Drought and low nutrient availability significantly reduced the
growth of beech, ash, fir and spruce along the gradient. In contrast, the
growth of pine and oak was little reduced on poor and dry sites, hence
showing their competitive advantage over nutrient-demanding species under
such conditions. The growth of ash and pine was enhanced at sites with
high species abundance whereas an opposite response was found for spruce.
No clear relationships between growth and species abundance were found for
beech, oak and fir. Synthesis. Our results suggest that assessing tree
responses to climate change without considering simultaneously soil
properties and climate may be misleading since soil nutrients can
influence growth response of trees to drought. A detailed analysis of the
influence of the soil characteristics on growth responses of trees is
necessary to understand the sensitivity of tree species to global climate
change.