Contribution of Russian dendroanatomical studies to the dendrochronology since the mid-20th century

Abstract

Russia, the country with the most forested area, significantly influences global climate, carbon, and water dynamics. In addition, a considerable part of the Russian forests is in remote regions with a low direct anthropogenic disturbance, but at the same time, recently experiencing unprecedented warming. This combination of factors makes Russia a hotspot for dendrochronological and dendroanatomical studies, providing a valuable perspective on the consequences of climate change in a global context. Dendroanatomy is a powerful dendrochronological tool that provides a robust insight into xylem traits, their relation to climate conditions during tree-rings formation, and the cell structure-function relationship over time (tree life span). Although dendroanatomy in Russia has been gaining momentum lately, there is a long tradition of characterizing and modeling wood anatomical traits, including the development of novel methodologies, hardware and software since the mid-20th century. Unfortunately, in many cases, these advances have been hidden from the international readership because most of them were published in Russian. This descriptive inventory presents an overview of dendroanatomical studies carried out in Russia since the mid-20th century. It focuses on different periods and topics to facilitate its accessibility and highlight its contribution to the global dendrochronological community.