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 the 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 the radial growth rate of trees with age, the growth process of P. tabuliformis was divided into three stages: the rapid-growth stage (< 7 years), the growth-decline stage (8−27 years), and the growth-plateau stage (> 28 years). By establishing a standardized tree-ring width chronology, the 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 the entire growth cycle, the radial growth of P. tabuliformis was mainly affected by temperature factors in March and June of the current year, as well as the relative humidity in May of the previous year and March of the current year. For P. tabuliformis in the rapid growth stage, its radial growth was mainly affected by precipitation in March of the current year, and the relative humidity in March of the previous year and January of the current year. For those in the growth decline stage, the radial growth of P. tabuliformis was mainly influenced by temperature factors in March, May−July of the previous year and the current year, as well as the minimum temperature in August−September of the previous year and the current year. For P. tabuliformis in the 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 rapid growth stage to the maximum temperature and precipitation decreased, and the sensitivity of P. tabuliformis in growth decline 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 the growth decline stage was significantly affected by precipitation and relative humidity (P < 0.05). After the abrupt change of temperature, the sensitivity of radial growth of P. tabuliformis in the rapid growth stage to precipitation and relative humidity increased. However, the sensitivity of radial growth of P. tabuliformis in the growth 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 early stage, its radial growth is mainly affected by precipitation; in the middle stage, by the maximum temperature; in the late 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.