Radial Growth Dynamics and Drought Resilience in Pinus pinea L. Plantations from Central-Western Argentina: Implications for Forestry Development

Forests play a crucial role in ecological stability, carbon sequestration, habitat provision and economy. As climate change intensifies, increasing drought frequency and severity challenge our understanding of forest resilience. Based on this premise, we examined radial growth dynamics and drought response of Pinus pinea L. in Mendoza Province in both mesic and xeric conditions. Using dendrochronological techniques, we assessed the long and short-term effects of soil and atmospheric drought on radial growth trends at two irrigated plantations with contrasting environments. Growth dynamics reflected differences in soil, climate, and irrigation. Growth rates were significantly higher at the mesic stand, which received nearly twice the precipitation and irrigation compared to xeric one. In contrast, growth at the xeric site was strongly limited by early-summer atmospheric drought, while late-growing season soil moisture and climatic conditions affected tree-ring development at the mesic site. Growth resilience to extreme events experienced site dependence, with edaphic drought exerting a stronger negative effect than atmospheric dry spells at the mesic stand. Our results underscore the importance of integrating short- and long-term drought assessment into P. pinea management strategies and support the potential of stone pine plantations in extra-Mediterranean South America for sustainable forestry under changing climatic conditions. Highlights: • First dendrochronological assessment of Pinus pinea in Central-Western Argentina. • Radial growth shows site-specific sensitivity to drought types: limited by early-summer atmospheric drought at the xeric site and by late-season soil moisture deficit at the mesic site. • Irrigation does not fully decouple tree growth from climate, underscoring the need for precise water management in future plantations under semi-arid climates. • Full resilience to extreme drought is low (≤50%), with edaphic drought exerting a stronger negative impact than atmospheric drought, particularly at the mesic stand. • pinea demonstrates high potential for forestry diversification in semi-arid regions of South America, offering an alternative for sustainable nut and wood production.