Environmental constraints on tree growth

Seasonal variation in environmental constraints (vapor pressure deficit – VPD, air temperature, and soil moisture) on tree growth for the potential distribution range of seven widespread Central European tree species. We simulated environmental constraints on growth fusing 3-PG model or the species’ potential distribution range within the forested area of Switzerland on a 1×1 km grid for seven dominant tree species: _Larix decidua_, _Picea abies_, _Abies alba_, _Fagus sylvatica_, _Acer pseudoplatanus_, _Pinus sylvestris_, and _Quercus robur_. For this purpose, we simulated the growth of these tree species in monocultures with the average climate observed during 1961–1990 or 1991-2018. The stands were initialized as 2-year-old plantations with an initial density of 2,500 trees ha-1 and simulated until the age of 30 years. For each simulated month, we obtained the relative contribution of environmental constraints (VPD, temperature, and soil water) on tree growth.