Wood Anatomical Traits Respond to Climate but More Individualistically as Compared to Radial Growth: Analyze Trees, Not Means

Wood encodes environmental information that can be recovered through the study of tree-ring width and wood anatomical variables such as lumen area or cell-wall thickness. Anatomical often provide a stronger hydroclimate signal than width, but they show low tree-to-tree coherence. We investigate sources variation in area, thickness three pine species inhabiting sites with contrasting climate conditions: Pinus lumholtzii wet-summer northern Mexico, halepensis sylvestris dry-summer north-eastern Spain. quantified amount variance these explained by spring summer water balance how it varied among trees. accounted for larger inter-individual variability data. traits responded to more individualistically width. This individualistic response represents an important issue long-term studies on characteristics. emphasized degree individuals same population, which has far-reaching implications understanding tree species’ responses change. Dendroclimatic should focus trees rather mean population series.