Temperature-driven shifts in spatiotemporal stability of climate-growth responses of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) from the southern Baltic Sea regionKlisz, Marcin Miroslav (Avtor) Puchałka, Radosław (Avtor) Gławenda, Mariusz (Avtor) Koprowski, M. (Avtor) Matisons, Roberts (Avtor) Metslaid, Sandra (Avtor) Potapov, Aleksei (Avtor) Scharnweber, Tobias (Avtor) Thurm, Eric Andreas (Avtor) Verbylaite, Rita (Avtor) Vitas, Adomas (Avtor) Wilmking, Martin (Avtor) Jevšenak, Jernej (Avtor) climate warmingclimate–growth relationshipsdendroecologyEuropetree growthThe southern Baltic region spans a significant part of the European continent with its forests under significant pressure due to climate changes. The implications of these changes are crucial for both native and non-native tree species. Under future climate scenarios, most native conifer populations might lose their climatic optima in the region. In contrast, for non-native Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), climatic conditions are expected to become optimal in the Baltic Sea region. Therefore, understanding the acclimatisation trajectory of Douglas-fir over the last century is essential to assess its potential to supplement retreating species and reduce pressure on local habitats. To study the region-wide acclimatisation in the secondary distribution, we established a network of 27 Douglas-fir tree-ring chronologies along the south Baltic Sea. We determined the spatio-temporal stability of the climate signal in tree rings and the potential coastal effect on the plasticity of the growth response. We found a region-wide trend of climate-growth relationships, with a dominant effect of the early-growth season temperatures being more pronounced for mature than young stands. Sites with higher mean annual temperatures exhibit a stronger positive temperature–growth correlation, demonstrating the sensitivity of Douglas-fir to climate warming. Douglas-fir could serve as a more heat-tolerant alternative to the declining European species of the Pinaceae family and contribute to the preservation of functionally comparable coniferous forest communities. However, forest practitioners should be aware that Douglas-fir may alter habitat conditions affecting microclimate and influencing species diversity.20252025-07-09 15:15:37Znanstveno delo22939UDK: 630*1ISSN pri članku: 1873-2240DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110628COBISS_ID: 236652803sl