May Temperature Drives Cambial Resumption in the Boreal Black Spruce

The timings of the onset and ending of xylogenesis define the time window when environmental conditions are suitable for xylem formation. The relationship between the occurrence of xylem phenological events and the related climatic factors is critical to revealing how xylem formation responds to the changing climate. Given that temperature is the most important factor influencing growth in the boreal forest, we monitored air temperature and xylem phenology at five permanent plots of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) along a latitudinal gradient of the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. Microcores were collected weekly or biweekly from five to ten trees per site during the growing seasons from 2002 to 2019. We compared the relationships between air temperature and timings of the onset and termination of xylogenesis, testing the hypothesis that spring temperatures trigger the initiation of cambial activity. The onset of xylogenesis occurred from late May (DOY 149) to mid-June (DOY 163), and it terminated between late August (DOY 240) and late September (DOY 270). The spring phases of xylem phenology showed similar inter-annual variation among sites, while the variation in autumnal phases was less correlated among sites. The onset of xylogenesis was negatively correlated with the mean May temperature, and the correlations were consistent among sites, with r ranging from −0.61 to −0.77. The warmer May temperatures would advance cambial resumption, allowing the initial hypothesis that spring temperatures are a driving factor of xylogenesis to be accepted. With an increase of 1 °C in the mean May temperature, cambial resumption could be advanced by 2.7 days. Yet, no relationship between the termination of xylem phenology and monthly temperature was established, suggesting that other factors, possibly endogenous, could have affected the xylem phenology in autumn. Under warming conditions, we expect an advancement in the onset of xylogenesis, which may lengthen the growing season and potentially enhance cell production in black spruce.