Objective This paper aims to study the response of the annual ring width of Pinus massoniana to climate change in the Jiangle Area of Fujian, eastern China, and provide reference for the study of tree ring ecology in the region and data support for the development of local masson pine production and agroforestry.

Method In this study, 80 Pinus massoniana cores collected by Fujian Jiangle Area were used as objects. The ARSTAN program was used to establish the residual chronology and standard chronology. The radial growth of Pinus massoniana was studied by correlation function, response function and single-year analysis, and the response surface function was used to establish a tree radial growth-climate factor relationship model.

ResultThe results show that the annual ring width sequence of Pinus massoniana is quite sensitive to climate change. The response function model of monthly precipitation and monthly average temperature from May of the previous year to December of the same year can explain 57.43% of the variation of annual ring width. The response of radial growth to temperature has a certain “hysteresis”. The average temperature in June of the previous year promoted the radial growth of Pinus massoniana. The monthly precipitation and the minimum temperature are the climatic limiting factors for the growth of Pinus massoniana. The precipitation and low temperature have a significant positive effect on the annual ring width of Masson pine, and the precipitation and minimum temperature in March of that year were particularly significant for the annual ring width of masson pine. The highest temperature is the climatic limiting factor for the radial growth of Pinus massoniana during the drought, and the temperature in August shows a significant negative effect on the annual ring width of Masson pine.

ConclusionThe growth of Pinus massoniana in this study area has obvious seasonality, and its ring width sequence is quite sensitive to climate change. The R² of the radial growth-climate factor relationship model of Pinus massoniana was established, which was 51.2%, which further verified the influence of the monthly climatic factors on the radial growth of Pinus massoniana. This model can better simulate the growth trend of Pinus massoniana trees in response to climate.