Abstract
Ring width chronologies of blue pine (pinus wallichiana) from two mesic sites, Kanasar(2, 400 m) and Gangotri(3, 000 m), in the western Himalayan region. India were developed to understand tree growth-climate relationship and its applicability in proxy climate studies. The resoponse function analyses of the two chronologies show that the site conditions play an important role in modulating the effect of climatic variables on tree growth. Winter temperature, prior to the growth year, has been found to play positive influence on blue pine growth at both sites. Summer temperature also has very similar response except for June and August. June temperature has negative influence at the lower in contrary to at the higher site. Low August temperature favors tree growth to precipitation has been found to vary which could be due to different precipitation regime at the two sites. Winter precipitation is important for tree growth at the higher, whereas summer at the lower sits. The present study suggests that the tree ring materials of blue pine from the temperate Himalayan regions could be used to develop chronologies for the reconstruction of seasonal climatic variables.