›› 2012, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (2): 328-334.

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Response of Stable Carbon Isotope of Larix sibirica Ledeb. Tree rings  to Climate Change

ZHANG  Rui-Bo, YUAN  Yu-Jiang, WEI  Wen-Shou, SHANG  Hua-Ming, YU  Shu-Long, ZHANG  Tong-Wen, CHEN  Feng, FAN  Zi-Ang, QIN  Li   

  1. Response of Stable Carbon Isotope of Larix sibirica Ledeb. Tree rings  to Climate Change
  • Received:2011-03-07 Revised:2011-03-28 Online:2012-03-15 Published:2012-04-10

Abstract: Stable isotopes in tree rings are the important approaches in climate reconstruction and in studies on tree response to environmental factors in the past, such as the maximum latewood density, tree ring width and other tree ring parameters. In this paper, the tree ring samples of Larix sibirica Ledeb. collected in south slope of the Altay Mountains in 2009 were used to develop the treering width chronology and stable carbon isotope series based on the standard Dendrochronology methods and stable carbon isotope research achievements. It can establish the detrend series (DS) of stable carbon isotope of tree rings to eliminate atmospheric CO2 effect from original δ13C. The stable carbon isotope series values of L. sibirica tree rings varied in a range of -22.8‰--25.4‰, The average value was -24.0‰, and the coefficient of variation was -0.017. Width chronology and stable carbon isotope detrend series were compared with monthly climatic factors (mean temperature, mean maximum temperature, mean minimum temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and sunshine duration) at Fuyun Meteorological Station. Correlation analysis revealed that there was a strong positive correlation between the stable carbon isotope detrend series and the mean temperature and mean maximum temperature but a negative one between it and the relative humidity in growing season. The correlation coefficient between the detrend series of stable carbon isotope and the monthly maximum temperature in June and July was as high as 0.611 (P<0.000 001), that between it and the monthly relative humidity in June and July was -0.493 (P<0.001), and that between it and monthly precipitation in July was -0.459 (P<0.01). The response of stable carbon isotope of L. sibirica tree rings to temperature and relative humidity in growing season was the most sensitive. The main factor affecting stable carbon isotope of L. sibiricawas the monthly maximum temperature in June and July.

Key words: Larix sibiricaLedeb, tree ring, stable carbon isotope (δ13C), climate response, Altay Mountains