Old Pinus massoniana forests benefit more from recent rapid warming in humid subtropical areas of central-southern China

Trees progress through various growth stages, each marked by specific responses and adaptation strategies to environmental conditions. Despite the importance of age-related growth responses on overall forest health and management policies, limited knowledge exists regarding age-related effects on dendroclimatic relationships in key subtropical tree species. In this study, we employed a dendrochronological method to examine the impact of rapid warming on growth dynamics and climatic sensitivity of young (40–60 years) and old (100–180 years) Pinus massoniana forests across six sites in central-southern China. The normalized log basal area increment of trees in both age groups increased significantly following rapid warming in 1984. Trees in young forests further showed a distinct growth decline during a prolonged severe drought (2004–2013), whereas those in old forests maintained growth increases. Tree growth was more strongly influenced by temperature than by moisture, particularly in old forests. Spring temperatures strongly and positively impacted the growth of old trees but had a weaker effect on young ones. Old forests had a significantly lower resistance to extreme drought but faster recovery compared to young forests. The “divergence problem” was more pronounced in younger forests due to their heightened sensitivity to warming-induced drought and heat stress. With ongoing warming, young forests also may initially experience a growth decline due to their heightened sensitivity to winter drought. Our findings underscore the importance of considering age-dependent changes in forest/tree growth response to warming in subtropical forest management, particularly in the context of achieving “Carbon Peak Carbon Neutrality” goals in China.