Potential of Thuja plicata and Chamaecyparis lawsoniana in the context of global climate change in the Czech Republic

The introduction ofnon-native tree species isconsidered apotential adaptation strategy toglobal climate change (GCC) inthe forestry sector. Assome ofthe most widespread native species are undergoing stand disintegration due toboth abiotic and biotic stressors, the search for alternative species becomes essential. These species can overwhelm native species with both production potential and adaptation toachanging climate. The research focused onclimate-growth relationships oftwo introduced species ofthe Cupressaceae family, western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) and Lawson's cypress [Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murray) Parl.], incomparison with the native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) inthe northeast part ofthe Czech Republic. The constructed tree ring chronologies were used asabasis for dendroclimatological analyses: basal area increment (BAI), linear growth trends, Pearson's correlations between climate variables and growth, resilience indices and others. Among the analysed species, Thuja plicata revealed the highest BAI and the most positive growth trend inthe last 35 years, with values 2–3 times higher. TheChamaecyparis lawsoniana exhibited the highest negative correlation with mean summer temperatures. Ingeneral, Pinus sylvestris showed the highest correlations with precipitation. Noclear pattern inresilience indices has been observed. Among the two introduced tree species examined, Thuja plicata emerges as a particularly promising candidate for future application in Central European conditions under ongoing GCC.