Tree rings of pines from subsection Strobus: Convincing storytellers of disastrous volcanic events?

The response of trees to extreme events, including volcanic eruptions, varies depending on environment, species and tree-ring trait analyzed. We recently reported severe and long-lasting growth suppression and wood-anatomical anomalies in Pinus sibirica Du Tour and to the lesser degree Larix sibirica Ledeb. from the Altai-Sayan mountainous region, likely linked to tropical volcanic eruption in 1695 CE. In this study, we examine a broader range of species and tree-ring markers to climate impacts of volcanic events. We compare tree-ring data of various conifers and environmental proxies obtained from open repositories and test a hypothesis that among them, P. sibirica and similar pine species from Strobus subsection are particularly vulnerable to such events. Comparison of tree-ring, earlywood and latewood width and wood density of several species and a wide range of habitats in continental temperate Asia after the volcanic eruption in 1695 CE supports our hypothesis, and anatomical measurements of sensitive P. sibirica demonstrate this reaction at the cell scale. A similar tree-ring reaction was found in Pinus cembra L. from the European Alps after the Tambora eruption in 1815 CE, and contrasted with a milder reaction in Larix decidua Mill. We found different patterns of wood growth and structure in moisture-limited stands of P. sibirica and Pinus armandii Franch., which highlights the habitat-conditional nature of such tree-ring reactions to volcanic events.