Editor’s highlight for TSAF D-17-00396: carbon and oxygen isotopes in tree rings—climate signals and microsite effects

Abstract

Isotopes are important proxies in tree rings but microsite differences are often not taken into account. Esper et al. (Trees 32:1–15, 2018) assessed microsite differences contributing to the understanding of local drivers. Carbon and oxygen isotopes are important proxies in tree ring archives that allow the reconstruction of the past climate as well as to retrospectively assess tree responses towards climatic drivers Esper et al. (Trees 32:1–15, 2018, this issue) took into account potential microsite differences as they not only chose a strong latitudinal gradient in Sweden (Kiruna, north of the polar circle vs. Stockholm) but also collected at both locations tree rings from Pinus sylvestris that grew directly at a lakeshore and trees up to 30 m upslope.