Objective Pinus tabuliformis is an important tree species for soil and water conservation on the Loess Plateau of northern China. Studying the response of radial growth of P. tabuliformis to climate factors is beneficial for deeply understanding the adaptability of P. tabuliformis plantations to climate change. Moreover, it can provide a basis for management and response to climate change of existing P. tabuliformis plantations.

Method This study took P. tabuliformis plantations in the Caijiachuan Basin, Jixian County, Shanxi Province of northern China as the research object. Tree-disk samples of 49 P. tabuliformis trees were collected. Based on the characteristics of changes in radial growth rate of trees with age, growth process of P. tabuliformis was divided into three stages: rapid-growth stage (1−7 years), growth rate decline stage (8−27 years), and growth-plateau stage (> 28 years). By establishing a standardized tree-ring width chronology, interannual variation characteristics of radial growth of P. tabuliformis were analyzed, and the response laws of radial growth of P. tabuliformis to climate factors at different growth stages were identified.

Result (1) During entire growth cycle, radial growth of P. tabuliformis was mainly affected by temperature factors in March and June of current year, as well as relative humidity in May of the previous year and March of current year. For P. tabuliformis in rapid growth stage, its radial growth was mainly affected by precipitation in March of current year, and the relative humidity in March of the previous year and January of the current year. For those in growth rate decline stage, the radial growth of P. tabuliformis was mainly influenced by temperature factors in March, May to July of the previous year and the current year, as well as the minimum temperature in August to September of the previous year and current year. For P. tabuliformis in growth plateau stage, there was no significant correlations between its radial growth and various climate factors. The results of sliding correlation analysis showed that the sensitivity of P. tabuliformis in early growth stage to the maximum temperature and precipitation decreased, and the sensitivity of P. tabuliformis in mid-growth stage to the minimum temperature and relative humidity weakened. (2) Before the abrupt change of temperature, the radial growth of P. tabuliformis in the rapid-growth stage and growth rate decline stage was significantly affected by precipitation and relative humidity (P < 0.05). After abrupt change of temperature, the sensitivity of radial growth of P. tabuliformis in rapid-growth stage to precipitation and relative humidity increased. However, the sensitivity of radial growth of P. tabuliformis in growth rate decline stage to precipitation and relative humidity decreased, while the sensitivity to temperature factors increased.

Conclusion The sensitivity of artificially planted P. tabuliformis forests to climate varies at different growth stages. In the rapid-growth stage, its radial growth is mainly affected by precipitation; in the growth rate decline stage, by the maximum temperature; in the growth-plateau stage, the interference of climate factors is relatively small. If the climate continues to warm in the future, the radial growth of P. tabuliformis will be further restricted.