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Table II

Characteristics of Pinus cembra trees selected for dendrometer measurements (n = 3 trees/site) and sampling micro-cores (n = 5 trees/site) throughout the treeline ecotone. Mean values ± standard deviation are given for age and ring width (RW).

Dendrometer Micro-coring

Site Altitude Tree height Crown Stem Age3 RW (mm) Age3 (y) RW (mm)
(m a.s.l.) (m) diameter1 (m) diameter2 (cm) (y) (y)


2004–2006 2007 2004–2006 2007
Timberline 1950 10–14 4–5 30–50 60 ± 7 2.34 ± 0.69 2.39 ± 0.42 80 ± 11 1.98 ± 0.65 1.84 ± 0.72
Treeline 2110 3–5 2.5–3.0 15–20 49 ± 6 2.65 ± 0.83 3.14 ± 1.11 70 ± 15 2.20 ± 0.74 2.07 ± 0.92
Krummholz 2180 0.5–1.0 0.35–0.60 5–7 16 ± 2 1.44 ± 0.44 1.49 ± 0.55 22 ± 5 2.00 ± 0.77 2.17 ± 0.63
1

Range of maximum crown diameter.

2

Range of tree diameter measured at sampling height (see Material and Methods).

3

Approximate age of selected trees was calculated by adding 15, 10 and 5 y to mean number of measured tree rings of increment cores taken at c. 1.3 m (timberline), c. 50 cm (treeline) and c. 15 cm stem height (krummholz-site), respectively.