Annual Growth Rings Of Trees Research Articles

Tropical Tree Rings and Environmental Change

The photograph on the cover of this issue of Southeastern Geographer is of a South Flor- ida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa; hereafter slash pine) cross-section from the Florida Keys that was prepared for tree- ring analysis. Slash pine is the foundation species and sole canopy tree of the endan- gered pine rockland ecosystem in the United States. This species also is the southern- most native conifer in the United States. As such, the cover photograph represents the equatorward progression of dendrochro- nology into tropical and subtropical re- gions. Dendrochronology is the science of using the annual growth rings in trees, dated to their exact calendar year of forma- tion, to study patterns of processes that oc- cur in the physical, natural, and cultural sciences. During the life of a tree, these bio- logical organisms remain stationary and

Mineral nutrition and elevated [CO2] interact to modify 13C, an index of gas exchange, in Norway spruce

The effects of the past century's increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) have been recorded in the stable carbon isotope composition (δ(13)C) of the annual growth rings of trees. The isotope record frequently shows increases in photosynthetic CO2 uptake relative to stomatal conductance, which estimates the CO2 concentration gradient across the stomata (ca - ci). This variable, which is one control over the net photosynthetic rate, has been suggested as a homeostatic gas-exchange set point that is easy to estimate from δ(13)C and [CO2]. However, in high-latitude conifer forests, the literature is mixed; some studies show increases in (ca - ci) and others show homeostasis. Here we present leaf and tree-ring δ(13)C data from a controlled experiment that tested factorial combinations of elevated [CO2] (365 and 700 ∝mol mol(-1)) and fertilization on mature Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees in northern Sweden. We found first that the leaf carbon pool was contaminated by the current photosynthate in the older leaf cohorts. This is the reverse of the common observation that older photosynthate reserves can be used to produce new tissue; here the older tissue contains recent photosynthate. We found that the tree-ring data lack such contamination and in any case they better integrate over the canopy and the growing season than do leaves. In the second and third years of treatment, elevated [CO2] alone increased (ca - ci) by 38%; when combined with fertilization, it increased (ca - ci) by 60%. The results of this study support the idea that annual rings provide a clearer isotopic signal than do foliage age-classes. The tree-ring data show that inferred (ca - ci) depends not only on [CO2], but also on mineral-nutrient status. The differences in (ca - ci) are sufficiently large to account for the treatment-induced increase in wood-volume production in these stands.

Impacts of long-term snow climate change on a high-elevation cold desert shrubland, California, USA

Ecological responses to 50-year old manipulations of snow depth and melt timing were assessed using snow fences arrayed across 50 km of a shrub–conifer landscape mosaic in eastern California, USA. We compared how increased, decreased, and ambient snow depth affected patterns of vegetation community composition, fire fuel accumulation, and annual tree ring growth. We also tested the effect of snow depth on soil carbon storage based on total C content under the two co-dominant shrub species (Artemisiatridentata and Purshia tridentata) in comparison with open, intershrub sites. Increased snow depth reduced the cover of the N-fixing shrub P. tridentata but not the water-redistributing shrub A. tridentata. Annual ring growth was greater on +snow plots and lower on −snow plots for the conifer Pinus jeffreyi but not for Pinus contorta. Graminoid cover and aboveground biomass indicated higher fire fuel accumulation where snow depth was increased. Dead shrub stem biomass was greater regardless of whether snow depth was increased or decreased. Results demonstrate community shifts, altered tree growth, feedbacks on carbon storage, and altered fire fuel accumulation as a result of changes in snow depth and melt timing for this high-elevation, snow-dominated ecotone under future climate scenarios that envision increased or decreased snow depth.

Evaluating the suitability of nine shelterbelt species for dendrochronological purposes in the Canadian Prairies

Shelterbelts have played an important role in prairie agriculture since the late 1800s; however, little is known about how these shelterbelts may be affected by climate change. The objective of this study was to determine if shelterbelt species, which are heavily influenced by human activity, express a common radial-growth signal within and between trees. The study focused on the annual tree-ring growth of the nine most common shelterbelt species of the Canadian Prairies: Salix acutifolia (Acute willow), Caragana arborescens (caragana, or Siberian pea shrub), Picea pungens (Colorado spruce), Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash), Populus sp. (hybrid poplar), Acer negundo (Manitoba maple), Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine), Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm) and Picea glauca (white spruce). Tree core samples were collected near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan using traditional dendrochronological methods. The standardized growth of each species was compared with historical homogenized climate data in order to determine the key monthly climate variables impacting each species. Prior to this analysis, little was known about the suitability of six of these nine species for dendrochronological purposes. It was found that all species crossdate at a significant level, and that the three most significantly correlated climate factors are able to account for up to 37 % of the annual variation in tree-ring growth. The findings of this study suggest that all nine species are suitable, to varying degrees, for future dendrochronological research in the Canadian Prairies as well as having implications for shelterbelt systems elsewhere in the world. The top four species based on four ranking criteria (interseries correlation, mean sensitivity, climate explanatory power, and commonality) were white spruce, acute willow, caragana, and Manitoba maple, and initial results suggest that all species have the potential to be investigated in greater depth.

A North American Perspective of Historical Climatology

Characteristics of the annual growth rings of trees can provide accurately dated proxy climatic information for periods prior to the start of instrumental climate records. To derive information about El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events from tree rings depends upon the trees being located at sites where climate is significantly and consistently influenced by ENSO events and also the trees' ability to faithfully record this influence. Such a tree ring/ENSO linkage is illustrated with tree-ring data from sites in western North America that have been used to develop large-scale climate reconstructions back to 1602. The instrumental surface temperature and precipitation fields in parts of North America show significant teleconnections with ENSO events and these linkages are demonstrated to be preserved in dendroclimatic reconstructions of the same climate variables. A significantly calibrated and verified reconstruction of a Southern Oscillation (SO) index has been developed back to 1601 from the western North American tree-ring data base. The practical significance of this reconstruction is assessed by comparison with an independent record of historical El Niño events. Dendroclimatic techniques are limited in their application to tree species from temperate and sub-polar latitudes due to problems in dating species from tropical regions. Thus, no tree-ring data are presently available from the land areas in the tropics where climate is most strongly influenced by ENSO events. Prospects for deriving more information about past ENSO events from tree-ring data in temperate regions outside of North America are discussed. Ultimately, the most reliable history of climatic phenomena associated with ENSO events for periods prior to instrumental records will be obtained by combining a variety of independent sources of proxy climate information.

Dendroecological indicators of historical responses of pines to water and nutrient availability on a superficial aquifer in south-western Australia

This study investigated the hypothesis that the plantations of Pinus pinaster Ait. growing on the unconfined Gnangara aquifer do so independently of groundwater availability. To test the hypothesis we related annual growth (tree-ring widths and basal area increment (BAI)) with physiological attributes associated with water (water use efficiency (WUE) from δ 13C natural abundance values) and nutrient availability (δ 15N natural abundance values) of trees with shallow (<4 m below ground level (mbgl)) and deep (>20 mbgl) access to ground-water. Annual growth responses were also related to annual climatic variability (growth season rainfall) and silvicultural treatments (thinning, fertilisation and forest floor fuel reduction burning) to assess the relative importance of each on annual tree-ring growth. There is a strong influence of P. pinaster tree age on ring widths and BAI during the establishment phase. Thereafter the effects of the various management treatments (stand thinning, P fertilisation and forest floor burning) all interact to various degrees on ring width and BAI ranges. Stand thinning appears to have the greatest effect on ring growth which is clearly evident for at least 3–4 years after the treatment. The stable isotope composition of the tree rings also showed a clear effect of stand thinning at both the shallow and deep groundwater sites and thinning dominates any small effects on water-use efficiency (WUE) caused by forest floor burning and P fertilisation. Thinning also had a major impact leading to increases in ring δ 15N values of 2‰ or more. Multiple regression models developed for P. pinaster tree-ring width growth and BAI had a high predictive power and they always included rainfall as the main factor. Models developed for ring isotopic indicators were more variable and less predictive than those for the ring growth and BAI with no significant models emerging for the shallow depth to groundwater site. Our results show that by using tree-ring growth responses together with climate proxies, such as ring isotope chemistry, we are able to separate the relative influence of climate and other factors which control growth. The overriding effect of rainfall in the models at both depths to groundwater suggests that the pine plantations growing on the Gnangara aquifer do not rely on the direct use of the groundwater resource for growth but rather that they reduce recharge of the superficial Gnangara aquifer through their efficient use of rainfall derived soil water.

Extending the Place Glacier mass-balance record to AD 1585, using tree rings and wood density

Recognizing that climate influences both annual tree-ring growth and glacier mass balance, changes in the mass balance of Place Glacier, British Columbia, were documented from increment core records. Annually resolved ring-width (RW), maximum (MXD), and mean density (MD) chronologies were developed from Engelmann spruce and Douglas-fir trees sampled at sites within the surrounding region. A snowpack record dating to AD 1730 was reconstructed using a multivariate regression of spruce MD and fir RW chronologies. Spruce MXD and RW chronologies were used to reconstruct winter mass balance (Bw) for Place Glacier to AD 1585. Summer mass balance (Bs) was reconstructed using the RW chronology from spruce, and net balance was calculated from Bw and Bs. The reconstructions provide insight into the changes that snowpack and mass balance have undergone in the last 400 years, as well as identifying relationships to air temperature and circulation indices in southern British Columbia. These changes are consistent with other regional mass-balance reconstructions and indicate that the persistent weather systems characterizing large scale climate-forcing mechanisms play a significant glaciological role in this region. A comparison to dated moraine surfaces in the surrounding region substantiates that the mass-balance shifts recorded in the proxy data are evident in the response of glaciers throughout the region.

Age-specific responses to climate identified in the growth of Quercus alba

The objective of this research was to determine whether the dendroclimatic responses of young Quercus alba (aged 29–126 years) differ from those of old Q. alba (149–312 years). We collected Q. alba increment cores across a range of size classes from Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve, an oak-hickory forest in southcentral Virginia, USA. Tree cores were crossdated and raw ring widths were detrended to remove the influence of increasing circumference with age, microsite, and local stand dynamics. Standardized ring widths were averaged to develop two master chronologies from the 20 oldest and youngest trees. Ring-width indices were correlated with temperature, precipitation, and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). Annual tree-ring growth in old and young Q. alba was significantly correlated with precipitation from the previous growing season, but was not significantly correlated with temperature. Only the old trees showed a significant correlation between annual ring width and PDSI. These results may indicate that growth in old trees is more sensitive to drought than in young trees. If future climate change includes the predicted increase in mid-growing season droughts, tree-level responses are likely to be age-dependent with older trees experiencing relatively greater reductions in growth.

Controls on sulfur content in tree rings of Norway spruce and European beech at a heavily polluted site

Search for a biogeochemical archive of past sulfur pollution is motivated by the need to predict ecosystem health. Sofar, no indicator of local-scale S pollution has existed, while long-range transport of S can already be studied using polar ice records. One archive of S pollution in temperate climate zones could be annual growth rings of trees. However, S concentration patterns in tree rings of most species have been unknown because of negligible S accumulation in wood. We modified a wet chemistry procedure to increase the recovery of S from tree rings, and report time series of S concentrations in six trees from an acidified, spruce die-back affected area of Central Europe. Beech tree rings, despite 4 times lower atmospheric S inputs, exhibited twice higher S concentration in wood than spruce. The period of peak industrial S pollution of the 1980s did not result in enhanced S accumulation in tree rings of either species. Physiological processes rather than S abundance in the ecosystem regulate S storage in tree rings.

PERTUMBUHAN LINGKARAN POHON JATI PADA DUA SISTEM KULTUR BERBEDA DI JAWA TIMUR

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Study dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is defined as the study of chronological sequence of annual growth rings in trees. Teak (Tectona grandis) is one of various tree species that has been identified for the use of tree-ring studies in tropical regions. Teak is found to be suitable for dendrochronology as it is long-lived and develops defined annual growth rings. In Java, teak cans growth naturally or intensively in plantation. The two silviculture conditions will give different sensitivity on climate effect. Therefore, the effect of silviculturer will on natural teak and plantation teak in Saradan, Madiun, and East Java. As a part of the study, ten core samples from natural- growth teak were measured. The samples of growth rings is spanned from 1832 – 2004. Using the COFECHA program, the correlation of the samples (r) was found to be 0.44 point, which is satisfactory to the standard used in dendrochronology. Thus, from this study it can be concluded that natural teak could still be used in dendrochronology, although the sensitivity are not as high as plantation teak. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Ozone air pollution effects on tree-ring growth, 13C, visible foliar injury and leaf gas exchange in three ozone-sensitive woody plant species

We assessed the effects of ambient tropospheric ozone on annual tree-ring growth, delta(13)C in the rings, leaf gas exchange and visible injury in three ozone-sensitive woody plant species in southern Switzerland. Seedlings of Populus nigra L., Viburnum lantana L. and Fraxinus excelsior L. were exposed to charcoal-filtered air (CF) and non-filtered air (NF) in open-top chambers, and to ambient air (AA) in open plots during the 2001 and 2002 growing seasons. Ambient ozone exposures in the region were sufficient to cause visible foliar injury, early leaf senescence and premature leaf loss in all species. Ozone had significant negative effects on net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance in all species in 2002 and in V. lantana and F. excelsior in 2001. Water-use efficiency decreased and intercellular CO(2) concentrations increased in all species in response to ozone in 2002 only. The width and delta(13)C of the 2001 and 2002 growth rings were measured for all species at the end of the 2002 growing season. Compared with CF seedlings, mean ring width in the AA and NF P. nigra seedlings was reduced by 52 and 46%, respectively, in 2002, whereas in V. lantana and F. excelsior, ring width showed no significant reductions in either year. Although delta(13)C was usually more negative in CF seedlings than in AA and NF seedlings, with the exception of F. excelsior in 2001, ozone effects on delta(13)C were significant only for V. lantana and P. nigra in 2001. Among species, P. nigra exhibited the greatest response to ozone for the measured parameters as well as the most severe foliar injury and was the only species to show a significant reduction in ring width in response to ozone exposure, despite significant negative ozone effects on leaf gas exchange and the development of visible foliar injury in V. lantana and F. excelsior. Thus, significant ozone-induced effects at the leaf level did not correspond to reduced tree-ring growth or increased delta(13)C in all species, indicating that the timing of ozone exposure and severity of leaf-level responses may be important in determining the sensitivity of tree productivity to ozone exposure.

Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Variations in Tree-Rings as Records of Perturbations in Regional Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles

Increasing anthropogenic pollution from urban centers and fossil fuel combustion can impact the carbon and nitrogen cycles in forests. To assess the impact of twentieth century anthropogenic pollution on forested system carbon and nitrogen cycles, variations in the carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of tree-rings were measured. Individual annual growth rings in trees from six sites across Ontario and one in New Brunswick, Canada were used to develop site chronologies of tree-ring delta 15N and delta 13C values. Tree-ring 615N values were approximately 0.5% per hundred higher and correlated with contemporaneous foliar samples from the same tree, but not with delta 15N values of soil samples. Temporal trends in carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of these tree-rings are consistent with increasing anthropogenic influence on both the carbon and nitrogen cycles since 1945. Tree-ring delta 13C values and delta 15N values are correlated at both remote and urban-proximal sites, with delta 15N values decreasing since 1945 and converging on 1% per hundred at urban-proximal sites and decreasing but not converging on a single delta 15N value in remote sites. These results indicate that temporal trends in tree-ring nitrogen and carbon isotopic compositions record the regional extent of pollution.

Synchronous variability changes in Alpine temperature and tree-ring data over the past two centuries

The understanding of extremes and their temporal distribution is useful in characterizing the behaviour of the climate system, and necessary for understanding their social and economic costs and risks. This task is analogous to the study of pointer years in dendrochronological investigations. Commonly used dendroclimatological methods, however, tend to result in an equalization of variance throughout the record by normalizing variability within moving windows. Here, we analyse a larger network of high-elevation temperature-sensitive tree sites from the European Alps processed to preserve the relative frequency and magnitude of extreme events. In so doing, temporal changes in year-to-year tree-ring width variability were found. These decadal length periods of increased or decreased likelihood of extremes coincide with variability measures from a long-instrumental summer temperature record representative of high-elevation conditions in the Alps. Intervention analysis, using an F-test to identify shifts in variance, on both the tree-ring and instrumental series, resulted in the identification of common transitional years. Based on a well-replicated network of sites reflecting common climatic variation, our study demonstrates that the annual growth rings of trees can be utilized to quantify past frequency and amplitude changes in extreme variability. Furthermore, the approach outlined is suited to address questions about the role of external forcing, ocean—atmosphere interactions, or synoptic scale changes in determining patterns of observed extremes prior to the instrumental period.

A.E. DOUGLASS AND THE INSTRUMENTS OF DENDROCHRONOLOGY

SUMMARY This paper discusses the instruments developed by the American astronomer A.E. Douglass (1867-1962) in his research on dendrochronology (the dating of past events through the study of annual growth rings in trees). Douglass improved upon the work of British physicist Arthur Schuster by creating a series of increasingly complex instruments that enabled him to interpret the vast quantities of data generated by climatic phenomena. His most elaborate device was the Merriam Cycloscope of 1936. This generated images that were shown with a scale giving cycle lengths and permitted Douglass rapidly to see non-permanent or intermittent cycles within whole curves.

RECONSTRUCTING SALMON ABUNDANCE IN RIVERS: AN INITIAL DENDROCHRONOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Decision-makers concerned with salmon or their stream habitats are faced with many persistent, difficult questions including: how large and variable were these populations before European settlement? Here, we examine the feasibility of reconstructing salmon abundance using links between marine nutrients carried upstream by Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and growth of dominant riparian trees in two Alaskan systems. We employ standard dendrochronology methods and regression models to quantify relationships between annual tree-ring growth, salmon escapement, and the climate pattern that affects oceanic production of Northeast Pacific salmon stocks, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). We find that known, annual salmon escapement is significantly related to tree-ring growth at two sites in the Pacific coastal rainforest (PCRF) (r2 = 0.23, P < 0.05 at each site), but not at two sites in the boreal forest. We then use relationships established at PCRF sites to reconstruct preliminary salmon spawning abundances to 1820 A.D. The PDO was not correlated with local 19-yr salmon escapement records and could not be used in re- constructions. Reconstructions compare favorably to southeastern Alaska fisheries catch data from 1924 to 1994 (Pearson correlation = 0.301 (P = 0.02) and 0.401 (P < 0.01)). This study demonstrates the promise and utility of dendrochronology for reconstructing salmon returns to streams.

Synchrotron x‐ray fluorescence and secondary ion mass spectrometry in tree ring microanalysis: applications to dendroanalysis

AbstractMining operations in the Sudbury district of northern Ontario have resulted in environmental damage caused by acid rain and heavy metal pollution. Remedial liming (Ca/MgCO3) has been used in an attempt to restore the pH of the lake water and soil to natural levels. The spatial and temporal variation of metal concentrations in the annual growth rings of trees may be a useful indicator of the effects of the pollutants and the liming operation. We used synchrotron radiation‐induced x‐ray emission (SRIXE) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to examine the distribution of selected metals in the annual growth rings of red pine (Pinus resinosa) from an area damaged by acid rain and heavy metal pollution which had been subjected to remedial liming (Ca/MgCO3). The results show a non‐uniform distribution of metals in the stemwood, including seasonal variations and changes in the Ca/Mn ratio consistent with the increased soil pH following liming. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

THE EFFECTS OF CHANGING WEATHER BETWEEN 1967 AND 1997 ON THE GROWTH OF CORSICAN PINE

Summary Climate is an important factor influencing the growth of trees, yet effects are often difficult to detect. Here we correlated 16 weather variables derived from a 32-year run from Ness Botanic Gardens with the annual tree ring growth increments for Pinus nigra (Arnold), growing nearby. Various temperature variables and water vapour pressure increased over the 32 years and were correlated with increased tree growth. Temperatures in spring, winter and autumn were more important than those in summer, and there was no relationship with rainfall. This may be because Pinus nigra was originally from the Mediterranean area and may be adapted to dry, warm climates. It may be possible to use dendrochronology of species such as P. nigra to track climatic change on a local scale.

Paleoastrophysics: Progress and prospects

Results of highly accurate measurements of the radiocarbon concentration in the annual growth rings of trees over the last 400 years are presented. The temporal behavior of the intensity of galactic cosmic rays is reconstructed for the first time for the periods before, during, and after a deep and extended solar activity minimum — the Maunder minimum (1645–1715). It was established that even during the epoch of a deep solar minimum, the intensity of the galactic cosmic rays experienced solar modulation. The time profile of the generation of high-energy gamma radiation from the supernova explosion of 1006 is established. It is shown that processes of particle acceleration and generation of high-energy gamma rays take place with a three-year delay relative to the onset of the optical flare. The time profile of the generation of solar cosmic rays was obtained for the first time over the last thirty cycles of solar activity by precision measurements of the nitrate content in the polar ice cap. It is shown that solar flares accompanied by the generation of cosmic rays occur during the growth and decay phase of solar activity (measured by the Wolf numbers). Research prospects in the field of experimental paleoastrophysics are discussed.

Influence of storm-related sediment storage on the sediment delivery from tributary catchments in the upper Waipaoa River, New Zealand

Although much is known about overall sediment delivery ratios for catchments as components of sediment production and sediment yield, little is known about the component of temporary sediment storage. Sediment delivery ratios focused on the influence of storm-related sediment storage are measured at Matakonekone and Oil Springs tributaries of the Waipaoa River basin, east coast of New Zealand. The terrace deposits of both tributaries show abundant evidence of storm-related sedimentation, especially sediment delivered from Cyclone Bola, a 50 year return rainfall event which occurred in 1988. The sediment delivery ratio is calculated by dividing the volume of sediment transported from a tributary to the main stream by the volume of sediment generated at erosion sites in the tributary catchment. Because the sediment delivery volume is unknown, it can be calculated as the difference between sediment generation volume and sediment storage volume in the channel reach of the tributary. The volume of sediment generated from erosion sites in each tributary catchment was calculated from measurements made on aerial photographs dating from 1960 (1:44 000) and 1988 (1:27 000). The volume of sediment stored in the tributary can be calculated from measurements of cross-sections located along the tributary channel, which are accompanied by terrace deposits dated by counting annual growth rings of trees on terrace surfaces. Sediment delivery ratios are 0·93 for both Matakonekone catchment and Oil Springs catchment. Results indicate that Oil Springs catchment has contributed more than twice the volume of sediment to the Waipaoa River than the Matakonekone catchment (2·75 × 106 m3 vs 1·22 × 106 m3). Although large volumes of sediment are initially deposited during floods, subsequent smaller flows scour away much of these deposits. The sediment scouring rate from storage is 1·25 × 104 m3 a−1 for Matakonekone stream and 0·83 × 104 m3 a−1 for Oil Springs stream. Matakonekone and Oil Springs channels respond to extreme storms by instantaneously aggrading, then gradually excavating the temporarily stored sediment. Results from Matakonekone and Oil Springs streams suggest a mechanism by which event recurrence interval can strongly influence the magnitude of a geomorphic change. Matakonekone stream with its higher stream power is expected to excavate sediment deposits more rapidly and allow more rapid re-establishment of storage capacity. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tree-ring growth in a chronically gamma-irradiated forest

Annual tree-ring growth was measured in populations of trees exposed to chronic gamma radiation at a field site in the Canadian boreal forest. Cores from balsam fir, black spruce, jack pine and white birch were collected and ring widths measured during the pre-irradiation period, the irradiation period from 1973 to 1986 and the post-irradiation period until 1992. Cores were collected from various sites with dose rates ranging from background control levels to a maximum of 7.1 mGy h −1. Intercomparisons among different irradiation treatments and among different periods showed some statistical differences, but these could not be consistently attributed to an impact caused by the irradiation. Dose rates less than 2 mGy h −1 did not cause an impact on tree-ring growth for any of the tree species.