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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2013, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (7): 10-15.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20130702

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Relationships of Stable Carbon Isotope of Abies faxoniana Tree-Rings to Climate in the Sub-Alpine Forest in Western Sichuan

Jin Xiang1, Xu Qing1, Liu Shirong1, Jiang Chunqian2   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of State Forestry Administration Research Institute of Forestry Ecology, Environment and Protection, CAF Beijing 100091;
    2. Research Institute of Forestry, CAF Beijing 100091
  • Received:2013-01-07 Revised:2013-05-30 Online:2013-07-25 Published:2013-07-23

Abstract:

The tree-ring stable isotope technique is an important means to reconstruct climate chronology and to determine tree responses to environmental factors. In this study, the tree-ring samples of Abies faxoniana, collected in 2010 in a sub-alpine forest of Wolong Sichuan, were used to develop the tree-ring width chronology and the stable carbon isotope was extracted based on the standard dendrochronology methods. This new approach can be used to establish the detrend series (DS) of stable carbon isotope of tree rings to eliminate effect of the 13C originated from atmospheric CO2. Results showed that the stable carbon isotope series (1904—2009) varied in a range of-23.33‰—-26.31‰ with the average value of-24.91‰ and the coefficient of variation of-0.025. Correlation analysis revealed that the tree-ring DS values were significantly positively correlated to the mean monthly temperature of the last January, and the February and November of the current year (P ≤0.01), and was also correlated to the mean monthly temperature of the last November and the January of the current year (P ≤0.05). The DS values were positively correlated to the January monthly precipitation of the current year (P ≤0.05), but displayed no significant correlation with monthly relative humidity. The most sensitive variable to influence the DS values was the winter temperature. It is concluded the stable carbon isotope of tree rings would provide crucial information for dendroclimate reconstruction in the warm and humid areas, and rational explanations about responses of tree rings to climate change in the subalpine dark forest in China.

Key words: Abies faxoniana, tree-ring, stable carbon isotope (δ13C), climate response, sub-alpine forest

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