Long-term effect of temperature and precipitation on radial growth in a threatened thermo-Mediterranean tree population

Key message Based on the first dendroclimatological analyses of the thermo-Mediterranean tree Pyrus bourgaeana , the positive relationship between the growth and climate (i.e., precipitation) has strengthened in recent decades. The combined effect of climate change and habitat destruction and fragmentation threatens many plant populations and even entire communities in Mediterranean ecosystems. The Iberian pear, Pyrus bourgaeana Decne, a characteristic species of Mediterranean ecosystems, is threatened by both habitat and climate changes. We ask whether and how the growth of mature P. bourgaeana in the thermo-Mediterranean zone (i.e., altitude