Historical growth response of Quercus variabilis, which is the most important deciduous timber species in Korea, was investigated using the width and C isotope ratio ($^{13}C/^{12}C$ denoted as ${delta}^{13}C$) of the annual ring from 1975 to 2007. Tree disks were collected from three Q. variabilis trees with different growth statuses from a site in the Mt. Naejang area, and analyzed for annual ring width and ${delta}^{13}C$. Basal area increment (BAI) of the annual ring was calculated from the width data, and carbon isotope discrimination (${Delta}$) was calculated using ${delta}^{13}C$. The intercorrelations among BAI, ${Delta}$, and environmental variables were explored. The BAI was positively (p <0.001) correlated with atmospheric $CO_2$ concentration ([$CO_2$]), reflecting increased net photosynthesis with [$CO_2$], whereas the negative correlations of BAI with either $NO_2$ (p <0.05) or $O_3$ (p <0.05) concentrations suggested that atmospheric pollution might have restricted tree growth to some degree. The ${Delta}$ was positively correlated with both temperature (p <0.05) and [$CO_2$] (p <0.001), and BAI was also positively correlated with ${Delta}$ (p <0.001). However, precipitation was correlated with neither BAI nor ${Delta}$, indicating that the precipitation amount is sufficient for tree growth in the study site. Such relationships suggest that stomatal rather than non-stomatal control is the predominant mechanism of photosynthetic acclimation of Q. variabilis under changing environmental conditions in the study site where water availability is not limited.