Phenology, growth, and drought: how species interactions shape intra-annual tree dynamics in Mediterranean Forests

Phenology, growth, and drought: how species interactions shape intra-annual tree dynamics in Mediterranean Forests | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Phenology, growth, and drought: how species interactions shape intra-annual tree dynamics in Mediterranean Forests Przemysław A. Jankowski, Marta Pardos, Torben Hilmers, Guillermo Madrigal, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7049303/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 15 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in European Journal of Forest Research → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In Mediterranean forests, where seasonal drought imposes severe physiological constraints, the timing and dynamics of tree growth are shaped not only by climate but also by interspecific interactions. However, how these factors influence intra-annual growth phenology remains poorly understood. Here, we used biweekly band dendrometer data from 154 trees across seven pure and mixed sample plots in the Spanish Northern Plateau to investigate how stand composition and interspecific competition affect phenological events, seasonal growth rates, and tree water deficit (TWD) in four tree species: Pinus pinea , Pinus pinaster , Quercus ilex and Juniperus thurifera . We found that the identity of surrounding species significantly altered the timing and magnitude of growth, particularly in spring and early summer. Species mixing tended to advance spring onset in J. thurifera , but delayed it in Q. ilex and P. pinaster . Under strong interspecific competition most species showed increased growth rates during dry springs, consistent with the stress-gradient hypothesis. In contrast, Q. ilex exhibited the opposite pattern under wetter conditions, suffering increased TWD and reduced growth in mixtures. These divergent responses were driven by species-specific water-use strategies and seasonal asynchrony in root activity. Our findings demonstrate that interspecific interactions can either buffer or amplify climatic stress, depending on species identity and season. By linking cambial phenology, growth dynamics, and water deficit under varying competition contexts, this study provides new insight into the mechanisms of climate buffering in Mediterranean forests – and underscores the importance of species composition in supporting forest resilience under climate change. Intra-annual growth Interspecific competition Mediterranean forests Tree water deficit Mixed stands Band dendrometers Stress-gradient hypothesis Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformationPhenologygrowthanddroughtJankowskietal.v.01.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 15 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in European Journal of Forest Research → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 12 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 29 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 16 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Jul, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 08 Jul, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 05 Jul, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 05 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 04 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7049303","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":482894651,"identity":"1122f2f6-7f4b-4928-a60c-9393cb6ecec3","order_by":0,"name":"Przemysław A. 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However, how these factors influence intra-annual growth phenology remains poorly understood. Here, we used biweekly band dendrometer data from 154 trees across seven pure and mixed sample plots in the Spanish Northern Plateau to investigate how stand composition and interspecific competition affect phenological events, seasonal growth rates, and tree water deficit (TWD) in four tree species: \u003cem\u003ePinus pinea\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePinus pinaster\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eQuercus ilex\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eJuniperus thurifera\u003c/em\u003e. We found that the identity of surrounding species significantly altered the timing and magnitude of growth, particularly in spring and early summer. Species mixing tended to advance spring onset in \u003cem\u003eJ. thurifera\u003c/em\u003e, but delayed it in \u003cem\u003eQ. ilex\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eP. pinaster\u003c/em\u003e. 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