Age-Effect on Intra-Annual δ13C-Variability within Scots Pine Tree-Rings from Central Siberia

Marina Fonti,Eugene Vaganov,Natalya Astrakhantseva,Christian Wirth,Еrnst-Detlef Schulze,Alexander Shashkin

doi:10.3390/f9060364

Marina Fonti, Eugene Vaganov + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/f9060364

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Abstract

Intra-annual tree-ring parameters are increasingly used in dendroecology thanks to their high temporal resolution. To better understand the nature of intra-ring proxy signals, we compared old and young trees according to the different ways in which they respond to climate. The study was carried out in central Siberia (Russia, 60°75′ N, 89°38′ E) in two even-aged Pinus sylvestris L. stands of different ages (20 and 220 years). Ring width, cell size, and intra-annual δ¹³С were measured for 4 to 27 tree rings, depending on age group (young vs. old) and tree-ring parameter. Wood formation was monitored to link tree-ring position to its time of formation. Results indicated more distinct intra-annual δ¹³С patterns at both the beginning and end of the ring of young trees compared to old ones. Older trees showed a stronger significant correlation between δ¹³С across the ring border, indicating a stronger carry-over effect of the previous year’s growing conditions on current year wood production. This suggests that tree age/size influences the magnitude of the transfer of mobile carbon reserves across the years.

Highlights

During their lifetime, trees change tremendously in age and size, and their structure and function need to be continuously adjusted to sustain successful interactions with the environment [1].At the same time, while growing, a tree records and archives valuable environmental information within its tree-rings [2]; time-series of tree-ring proxies are often used to reconstruct past climates [3]
young tree rings (YT) chronologies were too short for reliable climate-growth correlation, responses of YT δ13 C (R = 0.53, p < 0.05) occurred slightly earlier in the season, showing a positive response to late-spring temperatures
The results highlighted in this study on Pinus sylvestris trees of different age growing in the temperature limited Siberian taiga suggest that the climatic information encoded within the annual ring of young and old trees differs

Summary

Introduction

Trees change tremendously in age and size, and their structure and function need to be continuously adjusted to sustain successful interactions with the environment [1].At the same time, while growing, a tree records and archives valuable environmental information within its tree-rings [2]; time-series of tree-ring proxies are often used to reconstruct past climates [3]. Trees change tremendously in age and size, and their structure and function need to be continuously adjusted to sustain successful interactions with the environment [1]. The signal encoded can be influenced by changes in tree size [4]. To remove ageor size-related distortions in the tree-ring width signal, dendrochronologists have developed different de-trending procedures [5]. Another way to eliminate age-effects on tree-ring growth responses to climate is to exclude the juvenile period from long-living trees. This procedure has been successfully applied to annually resolved tree-ring proxies, e.g., tree-ring width or maximum latewood density

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