Combining Ring Width, Density and Stable Carbon Isotope Proxies to Enhance the Climate Signal in Tree-Rings: An Example from the Southern French Alps

At present the most powerful tree-ring based climate reconstructions use high numbers of growth proxy series (ring width and density) to produce spatially smoothed estimates, such as average Northern Hemisphere summer temperatures. These single parameter reconstructions might be supplemented with regional climate reconstructions capable of capturing variability in more than one climate variable without lower replication compromising statistical quality, if multiple tree ring proxies were used. Pinus sylvestris and Pinus uncinata latewood density, width and δ¹³C series are presented from two sites in the French subalpine zone, east of Briançon. Where two proxies have the same dominant climate control their combination enhances that signal. Where proxies differ in dominant controlling climate variable, combining series allows access to bi-variable calibrations. Using this approach, multi-proxy reconstructions of both temperature and precipitation would better reflect complex synoptic variability in climate on spatially useful scales.     

Combined tree-ring width and ��13C to reconstruct snowpack depth: a pilot study in the Gongga Mountain, west China

Tree-ring width (TRW) and stable carbon isotope (??¹³C) in tree-ring cellulose of subalpine fir (Abies fabri) were used to develop high-resolution climate proxy data to indicate snow-depth variations in the Gongga Mountain, west China. Tree radial growth- and ??¹³C-climate response analyses demonstrated that the TRW and ??¹³C at the timberline (3,400?m.a.s.l.) are mainly influenced by temperature and precipitation of previous growth seasons and current summer (June to August) under cold and humid conditions. Considering the analogous control factors on both tree growth and carbon isotope discrimination (??¹³C) and snow accumulation, the negative and significant relationships between tree-ring parameters (TRW and ??¹³C) and mean monthly snowpack depth were found. Herein, by combining two tree-ring parameters, a primary snow-depth reconstruction (previous October to current May) over the reliable period A.D. 1880?C2004 was estimated. The reconstruction explains 58.0% of the variance in the instrumental record, and in particular captures the longer-term fluctuations successfully. Except the period with extreme higher snowpack depth around 1990, the snowpack depth seems to fluctuate in a normal way. The reconstruction agrees with the nearby snowpack depth record in Kangding and the mean observed snowpack-depth variations of the stations on the Tibetan Plateau, particularly at long-term scales. The snowpack depth in low-frequency fluctuations, during the past century, agrees quite well with the Eastern India precipitation covering the period of previous October?Ccurrent May. Our results suggest that combing tree-ring width and ??¹³C in certain subalpine tree species growing on the Tibetan Plateau may be an effective way for reconstructing regional snowpack variations.     

Site-aspect influence on climate sensitivity over time of a high-altitude Pinus cembra tree-ring network

Recently a divergence between tree-ring parameters from temperature-limited environments and temperature records has been observed worldwide but comprehensive explanations are still lacking. From a dendroclimatic analysis performed on a high-altitude tree-ring network of Pinus cembra (L.) in the Central Italian Alps we found that site aspect influences non-stationary growth-climate relationships over time. A general increasing divergence between ring width and the summer temperature record (J–A) has been observed especially for chronologies from SW-facing slopes, whereas chronologies from N-facing sites showed stable relationships over time. The monthly analysis revealed that the decrease in sensitivity was mostly accounted for by the changes in the relationships with June temperature (decreasing correlations especially for S- and W-facing site chronologies), whereas trees from N-facing sites showed an increasing sensitivity to July temperatures. Our data suggest that at high altitudes, low temperatures at the beginning of the growing season no longer limit growth. We also found that our temperature-sensitive trees did not linearly respond in radial growth to the extreme heat event of summer 2003, and formed an annual ring of average width, resulting in a strong divergence from the temperature record. Our findings underline the importance of site ecology for tree-ring based climate reconstructions using temperature-sensitive ring-width chronologies, and may help in solving the ‘divergence problem’.     

Summer maximum temperature in northern France over the past century: instrumental data versus multiple proxies (tree-ring isotopes, grape harvest dates and forest fires)

Changes in maximum spring and summer temperature are expected to have impacts on plant phenology and the occurrence of forest fires. Homogenised instrumental records of maximum spring and summer temperature are available in northern France for the past century, as well as documentary records of grape harvest dates and forest fire frequencies. Here we provide a new proxy of seasonal climate obtained by the analysis of latewood tree ring cellulose isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C and δD), from 15 living oak trees (Quercus petraea) sampled in the Fontainebleau forest, near Paris. For the past 30 years, we have conducted a study on the inter-tree (for oxygen isotopes) and inter-station (for oxygen and hydrogen) isotopic variability. Multiple linear regression statistical analyses are used to assess the response function of documentary and tree-ring isotopic records to a variety of climatic and hydrological parameters. This calibration study highlights the correlation between latewood tree-ring δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C, grape harvest dates and numbers of forest fire starts with maximum growing season (April to September) temperature, showing the potential of multiple proxy reconstructions to assess the past fluctuations of this parameter prior to the instrumental period.     

Relative humidity history on the Batang–Litang Plateau of western China since 1755 reconstructed from tree-ring δ18O and δD

We measured the annual variation in the stable isotopes of oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and hydrogen (δD) in tree rings of Abies georgei on the Batang–Litang Plateau of western China. Although correlations between tree-ring δ¹⁸O and δD are relatively weak in semi-arid regions, we found a strong correlation between the δ¹⁸O and δD time series from 1755 to 2009 under the wetter environment. Tree-ring δ¹⁸O and δD time series are both significantly and negatively correlated with moisture conditions from June to August, including relative humidity and total precipitation, respectively, from 1960 to 2009. Considering the difference in low-frequency domain between the two isotopes, the relative humidity histories from June to August, reconstructed separately from the tree-ring δ¹⁸O and δD data with instrumental climate data, reveal a persistent drying trend since 1850s, especially since the early 1970s. There is an obvious offset of reconstructed relative humidity from tree-ring δ¹⁸O and δD in the period 1755–1820, despite the strong similarity in their 21-year moving averages. The decreased relative humidity since the 1850s may be associated with the thermal contrast between the sea surface temperature of the Indian Ocean and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which determines the strength of moisture transfer via the Indian summer monsoon.     

NDVI-based increase in growth of temperate grasslands and its responses to climate changes in China

This study analyzes the temporal change of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for temperate grasslands in China and its correlation with climatic variables over the period of 1982–1999. Average NDVI of the study area increased at rates of 0.5% yr⁻¹ for the growing season (April–October), 0.61% yr⁻¹ for spring (April and May), 0.49% yr⁻¹ for summer (June–August), and 0.6% yr⁻¹ for autumn (September and October) over the study period. The humped-shape pattern between coefficient of correlation (R) of the growing season NDVI to precipitation and growing season precipitation documents various responses of grassland growth to changing precipitation, while the decreased R values of NDVI to temperature with increase of temperature implies that increased temperature declines sensitivity of plant growth to changing temperature. The results also suggest that the NDVI trends induced by climate changes varied between different vegetation types and seasons.     

Six centuries of May–July precipitation in Cyprus from tree rings

A May–July precipitation nested reconstruction for the period AD 1415–2010 was developed from multi-century tree-ring records of Pinus nigra, Pinus brutia, and Cedrus brevifolia for Cyprus. Calibration and verification statistics for the period 1917–2010 show a good level of skill, and split-sample validation over 1917–2010 supports temporal stability of the tree-ring signal for precipitation. Smoothed annual time series of reconstructed precipitation and a tally of drought events in a moving time window indicate that the calibration period is not representative of the full range of drought variability. While convective precipitation in the warm season may be driven strongly by local factors, composite maps of geopotential height anomaly for dry years and wet years support large-scale atmospheric-flow influence related to height anomalies over the broader region of northeast Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. Emerging positive trend in reconstruction residuals may be an early sign of exacerbation of drought stress on trees by recent warming in May–July. Future warming expected from increases in greenhouse gases poses a threat to forest resources in Cyprus and elsewhere in the Mediterranean.     

Climatic trends and different drought adaptive capacity and vulnerability in a mixed Abies pinsapo�CPinus halepensis forest

The projected temperature rise, rainfall decrease and concentration of rainfall in extreme events could induce growth decline and die-off on tree populations located at the geographical distribution limit of the species. Understanding of adaptive capacity and regional vulnerability to climate change in Mediterranean forests is not well developed and requires more focused research efforts. We studied the relationships between spatiotemporal patterns of temperature and precipitation along the southwestern edge of the Betic range (southern Spain) and measured basal area increment (BAI) and carbon isotope (??) in tree ring series of Abies pinsapo and Pinus halepensis, two Mediterranean conifer trees with contrasting drought adaptive capacity. Climatic information was obtained from a network covering a wide range of elevations and distances from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Temperature trends were tested by the Mann?CKendall test, and precipitation was thoroughly analyzed by quantile regression. Climatic data showed a warming trend, enhanced since the 1970s, while quantile regressions revealed that drought events worsened during the course of the twentieth century. Long-term decrease of A. pinsapo BAI was related to regional warming and changing precipitation patterns, suggesting increasing drought stress on this species. Both temperature and precipitation in the summer influenced wood ?? in P. halepensis, whereas negative correlation between wood ?? and current autumn temperature was yielded for A. pinsapo. Increased intrinsic water use efficiency was inferred from wood ?? in both species; however, A. pinsapo showed sudden growth reductions under drier conditions, while pine trees were able to maintain almost constant BAI values and lower water costs under increasing long-term water stress.     

Characterization of precipitation δ 18O variation in Nagqu, central Tibetan Plateau and its climatic controls

The stable isotopic composition of precipitation in different regions reflects climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, moisture sources, and transport process. However, the isotopic variation in the region is usually much complicated due to the combined influences of these factors. A good understanding of climatic controls on the isotopic composition of precipitation can contribute to the study on isotopic tracer for climate and hydrology. To investigate the isotopic variation of precipitation and its climatic controls in the middle of the Tibetan Plateau, a monitoring station for stable isotope in precipitation has been established in Nagqu region, central Tibetan Plateau. We obtained 79 daily samples at Nagqu Meteorological Station in 2000. The observed δ ¹⁸O in precipitation showed a distinctly seasonal pattern with higher values in spring and winter and lower values in summer, despite of individually low values in winter due to extremely low temperature. To further understand this pattern, we evaluated the influence of temperature, precipitation, moisture sources, and moisture transport process on precipitation δ ¹⁸O. A multiple linear regression model represents quantitatively the dependence of precipitation δ ¹⁸O on precipitation and temperature: δ ¹⁸O_ppt?=??0.30P???0.11T???14.8 (R ²?=?0.13, n?=?79, P?=?0.005), which indicates δ ¹⁸O values in precipitation are more dependent on precipitation amount than on temperature. In contrast, when the temperature is low enough (<2°C), δ ¹⁸O values in precipitation are mainly dependent on temperature: δ ¹⁸O_ppt?=?0.53T???10.2 (R ²?=?0.44, n?=?19, P?=?0.002). The variation of δ ¹⁸O in precipitation is also closely related to moisture origins and transport trajectories. A model is set up to trace the trajectories for air masses arriving in the observed region, and the results demonstrated that humid marine air masses from the Indian Ocean generally have significantly lower δ ¹⁸O values than dry continental air masses from the north or local re-evaporation. During monsoon precipitation, the distance and depth of moisture transport as well as convective precipitation all lead to the large variability of δ ¹⁸O in precipitation.     

Impact of recent climatic change on growth of low elevation eastern Mediterranean forest trees

Evidence is presented of how Pinus halepensis Miller from dry habitats at <300 m elevation of four Greek island regions have responded to climatic conditions of the last two centuries. We compared historical periods of low growth due to low precipitation with the recent period of significant precipitation decline. In all cases trees?? growth patterns across the twentieth century were consistent with trends in annual (rather than seasonal) precipitation, with lowest values in both precipitation and radial growth during the last two decades of the twentieth century, the worst conditions for tree growth in more than 200 years. The data are compared with trends across different vegetation belts of the northern Mediterranean basin. Drought related tree mortality in Greece in 2000 and 2007 coincided with the most severe fire outbreaks on record. IPCC WG I (2007) climate scenarios for the Mediterranean suggest a further decline in precipitation, particularly in the eastern regions. Should this occur, growth reduction in trees, tree mortality and damage from forest fires are likely to become more severe.     

Seasonal precipitation reconstruction and teleconnections with ENSO based on tree ring analysis of Pinus cooperi

Tendencies of climatic variability indicate that northern Mexico will soon suffer from severe drought. Modeling the influence of climate and ecological processes would help researchers better understand the future implication of climatic variations. Here, we reconstructed historical seasonal precipitation using dendrochronological indices of Pinus cooperi and El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO). Correlation analysis was conducted to establish the precipitation response period; then a reconstruction model using independent variables was constructed using regression procedures. Available data were calibrated and verified to strengthen and validate the modeled reconstruction. Precipitation from the previous winter was best correlated with tree growth. Regression procedures showed that the residual chronology associated in a linear model with El Niño 3.4 explained 47 % of seasonal precipitation variability. This study contributes to a better understanding of historical variations in precipitation and the influence of ENSO in common tree species of northern Mexico to help land managers improve local forest management in a climate change scenario.     

Selective drought-induced decline of pine species in southeastern Spain

The negative impacts of severe drought on the growth and vigor of tree species and their relationship with forest decline have not been properly evaluated taking into account the differential responses to such stress of trees, sites and species. We evaluated these responses by quantifying the changes in radial growth of plantations of four pine species (Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra, Pinus pinaster, Pinus halepensis) which showed distinct decline and defoliation levels in southeastern Spain. We used dendrochronological methods, defoliation records, linear mixed models of basal area increment and dynamic factor analysis to quantify the responses of trees at the species and individual scales to site conditions and drought stress. In the region a temperature rise and a decrease in spring precipitation have led to drier conditions during the late twentieth century characterized by severe droughts in the 1990s and 2000s. As expected, the defoliation levels and the reductions in basal area increment were higher in those species more vulnerable to drought-induced xylem embolism (P. sylvestris) than in those more resistant (P. halepensis). Species adapted to xeric conditions but with high growth rates, such as P. pinaster, were also vulnerable to drought-induced decline. The reduction in basal area increment and the defoliation events occurred after consecutive severe droughts. A decrease in spring precipitation, which is the main driver of radial growth, is the most plausible cause of recent forest decline. The sharp growth reduction and widespread defoliation of the most affected pine plantations of Scots pine make their future persistence in drought-prone sites unlikely under the forecasted warmer and drier conditions.     

Precipitation variability during the past 400?years in the Xiaolong Mountain (central China) inferred from tree rings

We developed the first tree-ring chronology, based on 73 cores from 29 Pinus tabulaeformis trees, for the Xiaolong Mountain area of central China, a region at the boundary of the Asian summer monsoon. This chronology exhibits significant (at 0.01 level) positive correlations with precipitation in May and June, and negative correlations with temperature in May, June and July. Highest linear correlation is observed between tree growth and the seasonalized (April–July) precipitation, suggesting that tree rings tend to integrate the monthly precipitation signals. Accordingly, the April–July total precipitation was reconstructed back to 1629 using these tree rings, explaining 44.7?% of the instrumental variance. A severe drought occurred in the area during the 1630s–1640s, which may be related to the weakened Asian summer monsoon caused by a low land-sea thermal gradient. The dry epoch during the 1920s–1930s and since the late 1970s may be explained by the strengthened Hadley circulation in a warmer climate. The dry (wet) epochs of the 1920s–1930s (the 1750s and 1950s) occurred during the warm (cold) phases of the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation that are often associated with weakened (strengthened) East Asian summer monsoon. These relationships indicate significant teleconnections operating over the past centuries in central China related to large-scale synoptic features.     

吉尔吉斯斯坦西天山上下林线树轮对气候的响应差异

利用2012年10月采自吉尔吉斯斯坦西天山chon-kyzyl-suu附近的森林上线和下线两个采样点的雪岭云杉树轮样本,建立了上下线树轮宽度年表,结合近百年CRU（0.5?.5）气温和降水资料,分析该地区森林上下线树轮对气候响应的异同。研究表明,森林上下线树轮年表一致性较好,尤其是窄轮出现年份基本相同;对气温响应方面,森林上线树轮年表与春季尤其是4-5月份平均温度显著负相关;而森林下线树轮年表与夏季尤其是6-7月平均气温显著相关。降水方面,树轮年表与上年7月到当年6月降水相关最好,森林下线年表与上年7月到当年6月的降水量相关系数超过0.61;上线也达到了0.49。与中国境内雪岭云杉对气候响应基本相同,位于吉尔吉斯斯坦的西天山北坡树轮宽度同样对降水的响应更为敏感,尤其在森林下线;降水可能是该地区树木生长的主要限制性因子,降水对森林下线树轮径向生长起决定性作用。空间相关分析表明,树轮年表能较好的代表西天山大部分区域上年7月到当年6月的降水量,尤其是西天山北坡吉尔吉斯斯坦境内。     

20th century seasonal moisture balance in Southeast Asian montane forests from tree cellulose δ18O

The seasonally varying moisture balance in a montane forest of Southeast Asia is reconstructed for the 20th century from the oxygen isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O) of subannual tree cellulose samples of Pinus kesiya growing at 1,500?m elevation on Doi Chiang Dao in northern Thailand. The cellulose δ¹⁸O values exhibit a distinctive annual cycle with amplitude of up to 12?‰, which we interpret to represent primarily the seasonal cycle of precipitation δ¹⁸O. The annual mean δ¹⁸O values correlate significantly with the amount of summer monsoon precipitation, and suggest a temporal weakening relationship between the South Asian monsoon and El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation over the late 20th century. The cellulose δ¹⁸O annual maxima values, which reflect the dry season moisture status, have declined progressively over the 20th century by about 3.5?‰. We interpret this to indicate a change in the contribution of the isotopically distinct fog water to the dry season soil moisture in response to rising temperature as well as deforestation.     

A millennial long March–July precipitation reconstruction for southern-central England

We present a millennial long dendroclimatic reconstruction of spring/summer precipitation for southern-central England. Previous research identified a significant moisture stress signal in ring-width data measured from oak trees growing in southern England. In this study, we build upon this earlier work, specifically targeting south-central England, to derive a well replicated oak ring-width composite chronology using both living and historical material. The data-set includes 352 living trees (AD 1629–2009) and 1540 individual historical series (AD 663–1925). The period expressed by at least 50 trees in any year is AD 980–2009. Calibration experiments identify the optimal seasonal predictand target as March–July precipitation (1901–2007: r² = 0.33). However, comparison with the long Kew Gardens precipitation record indicates a weakening in tree-growth/climate response from ~1800 to 1920 which we speculate may be related to smoke and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions at that time which may have also contributed to a decrease in tree productivity. The time-series derived using the regional curve standardisation method to capture lower frequency information shows a mediaeval period with alternating multi-decade-long dry and wet periods, with AD 1153–1172 being the wettest reconstructed 20-year period in the whole record. Drier conditions are prevalent from ~1300 to the early sixteenth century followed by a period of increasing precipitation levels. The most recent four centuries of the record appear similar to the mediaeval period with multiple decade-long dry and wet periods. The late twentieth century is the second reconstructed wettest period. These centennial hydroclimatic trends are in broad agreement with independent regional scale hydroclimatic reconstructions from tree-ring (East Anglia), historical, speleothem and peat water level proxy archives in the United Kingdom and appear coupled with reconstructed sea surface temperature changes in the North Atlantic which in turn influence the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and westerly airflow across the UK.     

The application of tree-rings and stable isotopes for reconstructions of climate conditions in the Russian Altai

We present new tree-ring width, δ¹³C, and δ¹⁸O chronologies from the Koksu site (49°N, 86° E, 2,200 m asl), situated in the Russian Altai. A strong temperature signal is recorded in the tree-ring width (June-July) and stable isotope (July-August) chronologies, a July precipitation signal captured by the stable isotope data. To investigate the nature of common climatic patterns, our new chronologies are compared with previously published tree-ring and stable isotope data from other sites in the Altai region. The temperature signal preserved in the conifer trees is strongly expressed at local and regional scales for all studied sites, resulting in even stronger temperature and precipitation signals in combined average chronologies compared to separate chronologies. This enables the reconstruction of June-July and July-August temperatures for the last 200 years using tree-ring and stable carbon isotopes. A July precipitation reconstruction based on oxygen isotopic variability recorded in tree-rings can potentially improve the understanding of hydrological changes and the occurrence of extreme events in the Russian Altai.     

RECONSTRUCTING MIDDLE-TIBET CLIMATE DURING THE LAST 600 YEARS BY DENDROCLIMATOLOGICAL METHOD*

Based on four tree-ring chronologies which was analyscd with appropriate collection and accurate dating in the middle Tibetan Plateau,an essential procedure on reconstruction of past climate has been pointed out in this paper.First,the response function of each dendrochronology has been built and used to estimate how ring-width growth responds to variations in monthly climatic change.Second,the climate factors which could be produced with different tree-ring series have been selected.Then,the transfer function equation,including a new set of orthogonal variables,can be used to reconstruct local past temperature or precipitation.It should be emphasized that prior growth has been considered in the relationship between climate factor and tree-ring chronology,Besides,some different periods for calibration and verification have been divided.And some statistics and other kinds of proxy data have been adopted as test approaches.As a result,the variations of air temperature during the last 600 years and precipitation during the last 340 years were reconstructed by combining the same types of tree-ring series in the middle Tibet.     

Climatic drivers of tree growth at tree line in Southwest Yukon change over time and vary between landscapes

Growth of trees at their altitudinal and latitudinal range limits is expected to increase as climate warms, but trees often exhibit unexplained spatial and temporal variation in climate-growth responses, particularly in alpine regions. Until this variability is explained, predictions of future tree growth are unlikely to be accurate. We sampled Picea glauca (white spruce) growing at forest and tree line on north and south aspects in two mountain ranges of southwest Yukon to determine how and why ring-width patterns vary between topographic settings, and over time. We used multivariate statistical analysis to characterize variation in ring-width patterns between topographic factors and time periods, and calculated correlations between ring-width indices and climate variables to explain this variation. Ring-width patterns varied more between mountain ranges than elevations or aspects, particularly in recent decades when ring-widths increased in one mountain range but not the other. Growth responses to summer temperature were notably weaker during warmer time periods, but growth was not positively correlated to summer precipitation, suggesting trees may not be suffering from temperature-induced drought stress. Rather, ring-width indices began responding positively to spring snow depth after 1976. We conclude that tree growth is unlikely to increase in synchrony with rising air temperatures across subarctic tree lines in southwest Yukon. Instead, they may decline in areas that are prone to thin snowpacks or rapid spring runoff due to the negative influence warming springs will have on snow depth and, consequently, early growing season soil moisture.     

Growth rate and climate responses of Pinus pinea L. in Italian coastal stands over the last century

Sensitivity to climate change and anthropogenic disturbance is a typical feature of Mediterranean forests, which grow under dynamic and manipulated environmental conditions. In this study, we examine stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) along the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy to analyse the tree-growth variability on a temporal scale and to evaluate the radial growth response to climate trends over the last century. The analysis of tree ring widths at the decadal and multidecadal scale, which were standardised to remove the age trend, showed primarily significant downward trends and time periods with lower growth rates. Characterised by a clear decline in tree ring widths, the two periods of 20 years from the mid-1920s and the early 1970s appeared to be the least favourables for tree growth. Precipitation was the main factor driving growth, and the effect was cumulative over consecutive years because of the increase in soil water content. Including the current year of ring formation, correlations between decline in precipitation and tree growth were greatest with 3-year precipitation sums. The shifting influence of winter rainfall on tree ring growth toward not significant values during the last decades, together with the lack of significant correlation between the current year’s precipitation and growth decline from the 1970s, might suggest an increasingly dependence on long periods of water supply to utilise the water content stored due to the previous rainy years. The negative effect on tree-growth decline of summer and early-fall temperatures appeared as a forcing influence related to long-term changes in climate rather than high-frequency climate fluctuations.