Evaluating Dendroclimatic Relationships of Plantation-grown Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) in Thrissur, Kerala, India

Dendroclimatology, a specialized branch of dendrochronology, offers critical insights into forest plantation management under climate change impacts, enabling historical climate reconstruction, growth forecasting, adaptive strategies, and carbon sequestration assessments through tree ring analysis. This study explored the climatic influences on teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) growth in selected plantation sites within the Thrissur district, Kerala. Tree samples spanning 1959–2009 were collected from three randomly chosen plantation sites. Tree ring widths were measured and cross-dated using the LINTAB-6 and TSAP-Win software. At the same time, the ARSTAN program was employed for standardization to isolate climate-related signals by eliminating non-climatic noise. The derived ring width indices (RWI) were subjected to correlation analysis. PAST software analysed the relationship between RWI values and climate parameters, specifically monthly rainfall and temperature, based on CRU TS V.3.21 dataset data. Results revealed a positive correlation between rainfall and tree growth, whereas temperature exhibited a negative correlation. Statistical metrics, including the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and expressed population signal (EPS), validated the dendroclimatic reliability of the study site. These findings underscore the potential of dendroclimatology in understanding climate-growth dynamics and its application in sustainable forest management. The observed climate-growth relationships can aid in developing climate adaptation strategies for teak plantations by guiding site selection, optimizing plantation management practices, and predicting future growth responses under changing climatic conditions. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and forest managers aiming to enhance climate resilience in plantation forestry.