Growth and Photosynthesis of Pinus Sylvestris at its Altitudinal Limit in Scotland

Abstract

The work examines the growth and photosynthesis of saplings and mature trees of Pinus sylvestris L. along an altitudinal gradient in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. Meristem temperatures of seedlings declined with altitude, but an especially sharp decline was sometimes observed at the tree-line. Growth, measured as shoot length, needle length and needle (fascicle) number, declined with altitude. Extension growth could be related to temperature using regression analysis. However, the number of fascicles formed in a given year was related to the temperature of the previous summer. Substantial losses of first-year needles were observed over the winter (...)