Abstract: Climate warming, rising atmospheric CO₂ concentration (C_a), and nitrogen (N) availability are exerting profound impacts on global forest ecosystems, particularly in high-altitude mountains. This study investigated the tree-growth dynamics of timberline Larix chinensis in the Taibai Mountain, central China, and explored its ecophysiological responses to environmental stresses by combining tree growth and stable isotopes. The results showed that the growth rate of L. chinensis has significantly increased since the 1960s, and that tree growth in this timberline was particularly sensitive to temperature in spring. Moreover, the continuously rising intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE), linked to higher C_a and warmer environment, promoted the growth of L. chinensis. Before the 1960s, tree-ring δ¹⁵N gradually increased, then shifted to an insignificant decline with the acceleration of tree growth, and broke the preexisting carbon-nitrogen balance. Meanwhile, climate warming and increased iWUE have replaced N as the principal drivers of tree growth since the 1960s. It is believed that L. chinensis may gradually suffer a decline in N availability as it continues to grow rapidly. The insightful understanding of the biochemical mechanisms of plant responses to growth-related environmental conditions will improve our ability to predict the evolution of high-elevation mountain ecosystems in the future.

Key words: tree rings, stable isotopes, alpine forest, climate warming, CO₂ fertilization, Taibai Mountain