Differences and similarities in radial growth of Betula species to climate change

Betula platyphylla and Betula costata are important species in mixed broadleaved-Korean pine(Pinus koraiensis)forests.However,the specific ways in which their growth is affected by warm temperatures and drought remain unclear.To address this issue,60 and 62 tree-ring cores of B.platyphylla and B.costata were collected in Yichun,China.Using dendrochronological methods,the response and adaptation of these species to climate change were examined.A“hysteresis effect”was found in the rings of both species,linked to May–September moisture conditions of the previous year.Radial growth of B.costata was positively correlated with the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index(SPEI),the precipitation from September to October of the previous year,and the relative humidity in October of the previous year.Growth of B.costata is primarily restricted by moisture conditions from September to October.In contrast,B.platyphylla growth is mainly limited by minimum temperatures in May–June of both the previous and current years.After droughts,B.platyphylla had a faster recovery rate compared to B.costata.In the context of rising temperatures since 1980,the correlation between B.platyphylla growth and monthly SPEI became positive and strengthened over time,while the growth of B.costata showed no conspicuous change.Our findings suggest that the growth of B.platyphylla is already affected by warming temperatures,whereas B.costata may become limited if warming continues or intensifies.Climate change could disrupt the succession of these species,possibly accelerating the succession of pioneer species.The results of this research are of great significance for understanding how the growth changes of birch species under warming and drying conditions,and contribute to understanding the structural adaptation of mixed broadleaved-Korean pine(Pinus koraiensis)forests under climate change.

Spectral Insights into Microdynamics of Thermoresponsive Polymers from the Perspective of Two-dimensional Correlation Spectroscopy

Generalized two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy （2DCOS） and its derivate technique, perturbation correlation moving window （PCMW）, have found great potential in studying a series of physico-chemical phenomena in stimuli-responsive polymeric systems. By spreading peaks along a second dimension, 2DCOS can significantly enhance spectral resolution and discern the sequence of group dynamics applicable to various external perturbation-induced spectroscopic changes, especially in infrared （IR）, near-infrared （NIR） and Raman spectroscopy. On the basis of 2DCOS synchronous power spectra changing, PCMW proves to be a powerful tool to monitor complicated spectral variations and to find transition points and ranges. This article reviews the recent work of our research group in the application of 2DCOS and PCMW in thermoresponsive polymers, mainly focused on liquid crystalline polymers and lower critical solution temperature （LCST）-type polymers. Details of group motions and chain conformational changes upon temperature perturbation can thus be elucidated at the molecular level, which contribute to the understanding of their phase transition nature.