Forest growth in Central China: Rapid recovery from short-term drought but persistent suppression after prolonged drought

In the context of global climate warming, drought has become a major threat to forest ecosystems. However, the mechanisms by which different drought durations affect tree radial growth in Central China remain unclear. Accurately understanding the immediate and subsequent impacts of drought on tree growth is key to predicting future forest dynamics. In this study, we compiled a tree ring network of 623 trees from 21 sites across the Qinling Mountains in Central China. Using linear mixed-effects models and multiple linear regression analyses, we systematically quantified tree growth resistance (R_t), recovery (R_c), and resilience (R_s) to droughts of varying durations and to quantify post-drought growth trajectories. We found that drought was the dominant climatic factor limiting tree radial growth. The effects of temperature and precipitation on tree radial growth exhibited significant seasonal variations, consistent with the physiological rhythms of trees. Under short-term drought conditions, trees showed lower resistance but stronger recovery capacity, showing a growth pattern characterized by “short-term overcompensation followed by stabilization”. This process is likely driven jointly by improved post-drought climate conditions and adjustments in tree physiological regulation strategies. In contrast, although trees exhibited higher resistance during prolonged drought, they experienced persistent growth suppression after drought termination. Our findings highlight the importance of comprehensively considering multiple drivers, such as geography, climate, and tree variables, to fully understand how drought duration affects tree resilience, particularly in understudied or vulnerable ecosystems. The results suggest that we should pay attention to the cumulative effect of prolonged drought and its ecological consequences when formulating forest management strategies in the future. Moreover, this study provides new insights into the adaptive mechanisms and recovery potential of forest ecosystems under climate change.