The Tibetan Plateau, located in subtropical latitudes and having a very special topography, is very sensitive to climate changes. In the research, a new tree-ring chronology of Tibetan juniper (Sabina tibetica) spanning the period of 1375-2008, was established in the Rikaze region on southern Tibetan Plateau. Correlation and response analysis was applied for relation between ring-width index and climate factors. Results showed that positive correlation was found between the tree-ring width and the monthly temperature preceding growth seasons, whereas negative correlation was found between the tree-ring width and the summer temperature of the current year. There was a correlation coefficient of 0.66 (P<0.01) between annual precipitation (prior July to current June) and the ring-width index, indicating that annual precipitation could be the controlling factor for tree growth on southern Tibetan Plateau. The tree-ring chronology in Nanmulin region can be regarded as an indicator of annual precipitation and can reflect the wet-dry fluctuations over the period of 1560-2008 A.D. Abrupt changes around 1627 and 1829 were detected using the methods of Mann-Kendall and moving t-test at multi-decadal scale. Power spectrum analysis revealed significant cycles of 150 a, 100 a, 75 a, 60 a, 50 a, 3.7 a and 3.06 a over the past 499 years.

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