Despite a long history of discussion of ‘non‐stationarity’ in dendrochronology, researchers and modellers in diverse fields commonly rely on the implicit assumption that tree growth responds to climate drivers in the same way at any given time. Synthesising recent work on drought legacies and other climate‐related phenomena, we show tree growth responses to climate are temporally variable, and that abrupt variability is commonly observed in response to diverse events. Thus, we put forth a ‘growth‐climate sensitivity’ framework for understanding temporal variability (including non‐stationarity) in the sensitivity of tree growth to climate. We argue that temporal variability is ubiquitous, illustrating limits to the ways in which tree growth is often conceptualised. We present two conceptual hypotheses (homoeostatic sensitivity and dynamic sensitivity) for how tree growth sensitivity to climate varies, and evaluate the evidence for each. In doing so, we hope to motivate increased investigation of the temporal variability in tree growth through innovative disturbance or drought experiments, particularly via the inclusion of recovery treatments. Focusing on growth‐climate sensitivity and its temporal variability can improve prediction of the future states and functioning of trees under climate change, and has the potential to be incorporable into predictive dynamic vegetation models.

中文翻译：

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树木对气候的敏感性随时间变化

尽管对树轮年代学中“非平稳性”的讨论已有很长的历史，但不同领域的研究人员和建模者通常还是基于隐含的假设，即树木生长在任何给定时间以相同的方式响应气候驱动因素。综合最近关于干旱遗留和其他与气候有关的现象的工作，我们发现树木生长对气候的反应在时间上是可变的，并且通常观察到突变对各种事件的反应。因此，我们提出了一个“生长-气候敏感性”框架，用于理解树木生长对气候的敏感性中的时间变异性（包括非平稳性）。我们认为时间变异性无处不在，这说明了树木生长通常被概念化的方式的局限性。对于树木生长对气候的敏感性如何变化，我们提出了两个概念性假设（恒静敏感性和动态敏感性），并针对每种假设评估了证据。在此过程中，我们希望通过创新性的干扰或干旱试验，尤其是通过采用恢复措施，来激发对树木生长时间变异性的更多研究。关注生长气候敏感性及其时间变异性可以改善对气候变化下树木的未来状态和功能的预测，并有可能被纳入动态植被预测模型中。我们希望通过创新性的干扰或干旱实验，尤其是通过采用恢复措施，来激发对树木生长时间变异性的更多研究。关注生长气候敏感性及其时间变异性可以改善对气候变化下树木的未来状态和功能的预测，并有可能被纳入动态植被预测模型中。我们希望通过创新性的干扰或干旱实验，尤其是通过采用恢复措施，来激发对树木生长时间变异性的更多研究。关注生长气候敏感性及其时间变异性可以改善对气候变化下树木的未来状态和功能的预测，并有可能被纳入动态植被预测模型中。