Quantifications of dendrochronological information from contrasting microdensitometric measuring circumstances of experimental wood samples.

We analyzed how the pretreatment method of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood specimens together with X-ray methodology applied for density analyses affect resulting tree-ring data and derived proxy-based climate information. We also evaluated whether these results from two contrasting laboratory circumstances could be homogenized by applying dendroclimatic statistical methods. For this study, we measured a pair of X-ray based microdensitometry datasets using double samples of subfossil and recent wood specimens. Dendrochronological information of earlywood and latewood series was examined to determine for alterations in the resulting data. We found that the level of overall density, its trend over cambial ages and the growth amplitude altered due to the sample pretreatment/density measuring exercise, which means that comparisons of heterogeneous datasets should be, in general, regarded cautiously. Dendrochronological standardization did, however, even out several potentially biasing influences from the differing overall densities and their trends. The two latewood (maximum) density chronologies yielded paleoclimatic reconstructions which both calibrated and verified satisfactorily with the instrumental warm-season (March-September) mean temperatures. The transfer functions were found to further equalize the differences between the two proxy records. We recommend (if no strictly homogenous data are available) reconciling similar data assemblages through transfer functions with multiple independent variables.

Is tree growth reduction related to direct foliar injuries or soil chemistry modifications?

In the context of intense emissions causing atmospheric pollution, tree growth reductions could be related to soil chemistry modifications or direct foliar injuries. To verify these hypotheses, mineral soils were sampled in an area (Murdochville, Canada) where previous studies had demonstrated that tree growth was impacted by smelter emissions and that forest floor lead concentrations could be used as a proxy for atmospheric pollutant depositions. Samples were analysed for Al, Pb (concentrations and isotope ratios), basic cations (Ca, K, P, and Mg) and Zr. Mass balance calculations were performed on soil profiles to assess vertical migration of elements. Pb concentrations in litter diminished gradually with distance from the smelter. The Pb isotope ratios in these organic soil layers were close to those measured in the Murdochville ores. These patterns were not encountered in mineral soil layers. Pb isotope ratios in these layers were close to those measured in uncontaminated geological materials, and Pb concentrations and basic cation depletions were not related to the proximity of the smelter. Growth reduction was closely associated with litter Pb concentrations, which were used as a proxy for atmospheric deposition, but was not correlated with any elemental concentration or cation depletion measured in mineral soil layers. Our overall results suggest that trees responded mainly to direct atmospheric emissions, which caused foliar damage, rather than to soil chemistry modifications.