Context-dependent effects of drought severity and climate sensitivity on growth resilience of Pinus yunnanensis in Yunnan, SW China

A thorough understanding of tree growth responses to drought across temperature and moisture gradients is crucial for assessing forest health and growth dynamics under ongoing climate change. This study investigated the growth-climate responses of Pinus yunnanensis and its resilience to drought with varying intensities across four distinct climate zones (hot-dry, warm, cold-dry, and humid) on the Yunnan Plateau, southwestern China. The radial growth of P. yunnanensis exhibited stronger moisture limitations and greater drought susceptibility in hot-dry and warm regions compared to cold-dry and humid regions. Severe drought during the main growing season diminished growth resistance and resilience, particularly in hot-dry regions. In contrast, drought during the early growing season had a positive effect on tree recovery and resilience in warmer regions. Post-drought growth recovery varied across climate zones, with a longer recovery time in drier regions compared to wetter regions. The sensitivity of growth to seasonal climate affects growth resilience, particularly in xeric areas. With increased moisture restrictions, the effects of seasonal temperature sensitivity on growth resilience were gradually being replaced by the early growing season moisture sensitivity. These findings improve our understanding of the habitat-specific growth resilience of P. yunnanensis to extreme drought events and provide quantitative guidance for implementing forest management strategies in the context of regional climate change.