Article
Environmental Sciences
Dominick M. Ciruzzi, Steven P. Loheide II
Summary: Tree ring patterns can be used to reconstruct long-term groundwater and lake level histories, providing important insights into the influence of groundwater on tree growth. This research helps improve understanding of climate-induced tree mortality and reduce uncertainty in forest productivity models.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jin Wang, Yeliang Huang, Jingzi Beiyuan, Xudong Wei, Jianying Qi, Lulu Wang, Fa Fang, Juan Liu, Jielong Cao, Tangfu Xiao
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of toxic elements, including thallium (Tl), in pine tree needles, tree rings, and soils in a large pyrite mining area in Yunfu, China. The results showed an enrichment of Tl in tree rings, with a negative correlation between Tl content and distance from the mining area. The Tl levels in tree rings also exhibited similar distribution patterns to the annual production intensity of pyrite mining activities. These findings suggest that the metal(loid)s in pine tree rings, particularly Tl, can be used as proxies to approximate the chronological change of atmospheric environmental pollution caused by pyrite mining and smelting activities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Benjamin R. Lockwood, Justin T. Maxwell, Scott M. Robeson, Tsun Fung Au
Summary: Research suggests that simply summing tree-ring widths to estimate diameter can lead to underestimations of tree diameter, resulting in inaccurate estimates of forest productivity metrics BAI and biomass. To reduce this bias, researchers developed a regression model to adjust diameter for more accurate estimations of BAI and biomass, providing more reliable productivity estimates.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jan Gacnik, Mae Sexauer Gustin
Summary: Tree rings can serve as historical archives of atmospheric mercury (Hg), but there are limitations in current research. Foliar uptake of Hg is found to be the most important route in tree-ring Hg accumulation, while the root and bark route is negligible. Spruce and larch show great potential for Hg dendrochemistry. Combining tree-ring Hg archives with other co-located archives, such as lake sediments, peat, and ice, enhances the viability of observed historical Hg trends.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
T. Scharnweber, E. Rocha, A. Gonzalez Arrojo, S. Ahlgrimm, B. E. Gunnarson, S. Holzkamper, M. Wilmking
Summary: In micro-densitometry of wood, extraction of resin and soluble compounds is common practice before X-ray analysis to eliminate their influence on wood density. However, studies using X-ray fluorescence analysis on dendrochemicals are often conducted without prior extraction, which can influence element profiles. This study tested the effect of different solvents and extraction times on elemental time series of three tree species, finding that extraction did not significantly change the trends for most elements but did affect the levels and trends of certain elements, with water extraction being the most effective. The results contribute to the interpretation and evaluation of element profiles in dendro-environmental research.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Forestry
Chloe M. Canning, Colin P. Laroque, David Muir
Summary: Dendrochemistry is a discipline that studies the elements found within tree rings, providing insights into environmental changes. However, its results are influenced by environmental and species-specific processes. This literature review discusses the history of dendrochemistry, highlights the need for a greater understanding of specific processes, and recommends measures to enhance research in this field.
Article
Forestry
Paul R. Sheppard, Mark L. Witten
Summary: The study used dendrochemistry to investigate temporal changes in element concentrations in tree rings in an area in south-central North Carolina, USA. It found that several elements had higher concentrations in the most recent decade compared to previous decades, suggesting a possible environmental change.
Article
Forestry
Itallo Romany Nunes Menezes, Jose Roberto Vieira Aragao, Mariana Alves Pagotto, Claudio Sergio Lisi
Summary: This study demonstrates the influence of edaphoclimatic variables and ocean teleconnections on the growth of Cedrela odorata trees in the Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests (SDTF) of northeastern Brazil. The results show that precipitation has a positive effect on tree growth, while air temperature and soil water deficit have negative effects. Extremely dry years can lead to missing rings, indicating a lack of growth due to water stress. Oceanic variables, except for TSA, have a negative impact on the radial growth of C. odorata. The findings provide valuable information on the hydrological seasonality responses of C. odorata and the fluctuations in oceanic teleconnections that influence rainfall dynamics in northeastern Brazil.
Article
Forestry
Rafael P. Albuquerque, Arno F. N. Brandes, Leonardo B. Nascimento, Jeronimo B. B. Sansevero, Andrea Sanchez-Tapia, Warlen S. Costa, Claudia F. Barros
Summary: Fire-resistant species, such as Moquiniastrum polymorphum, play a crucial role in the natural regeneration of degraded landscapes. Through dendrochronology, this study analyzed the growth trajectories of M. polymorphum in a fire-disturbed area and examined the relationship between post-fire effects and climate. The results showed that M. polymorphum maintains its growth even after fire events and exhibits a positive correlation with precipitation and a negative correlation with temperature.
Review
Forestry
Arno Fritz das Neves Brandes, Yana Campos Rizzieri, Neusa Tamaio, Marcelo Rodrigo Pace, Claudia Franca Barros
Summary: Lianas play a critical role in ecosystem dynamics, and reliable methods for measuring their growth and age are needed. This study provides a comprehensive list of lianas with distinct growth ring markers, including species from both the north and southern hemispheres and different types of lianas. Thick-walled and/or radially flattened latewood fibers, semi-ring-porosity, marginal parenchyma, and ring-porosity were the main anatomical markers delimiting growth rings in lianas.
Article
Agronomy
Ben R. Lockwood, Justin T. Maxwell, Sander O. Denham, Scott M. Robeson, David C. LeBlanc, Neil Pederson, Kimberly A. Novick, Tsun Fung Au
Summary: Quercus is undergoing a decrease in abundance and dominance in North American forests. Eastern white oak has experienced a greater decline in dominance compared to northern red oak. Understanding the growth-climate relationships of these species is important for comprehending the changes in Quercus demographics under shifting climatic regimes.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Adolfo Quesada-Roman, Juan Antonio Ballesteros-Canovas, Scott St George, Markus Stoffel
Summary: Tropical and subtropical forests cover only 7% of the Earth's land surface, but they are home to nearly half of global tree density and store a significant amount of carbon. The study of tree growth in the tropics has gained momentum in the last four decades and has been applied in various disciplines such as climatology, ecology, geomorphology, and archaeology. However, there is still a need for further research in this understudied environment.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wagmare Balraju, Keshav Kumar Upadhyay, S. K. Tripathi
Summary: Tree rings can provide valuable information about past climates and their impact on tree growth. This study used Magnolia champaca tree rings to examine the concentration of toxic elements at a dumping site in Northeast India. The findings showed an increasing pattern of element concentrations with tree age, and some elements exceeded the acceptable thresholds set by international standards.
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
N. K. Davi, M. P. Rao, R. Wilson, L. Andreu-Hayles, R. Oelkers, R. D'Arrigo, B. Nachin, B. Buckley, N. Pederson, C. Leland, B. Suran
Summary: Climate warming in Central Asia has been accelerating over the past three decades and is expected to continue intensifying through the end of this century. Research shows a significant cooling response in the year following major volcanic events and up to five years post-eruption. Future projections suggest further warming in summer temperatures by the end of the century.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Tim Rademacher, Bijan Seyednasrollah, David J. Basler, Jian Cheng, Tessa Mandra, Elise Miller, Zuid Lin, David A. Orwig, Neil Pederson, Hanspeter Pfister, Donglai Wei, Li Yao, Andrew D. Richardson
Summary: Ecological data collection and sharing are accelerating, but often in inconsistent and untraceable forms, while wood images contain valuable information. WIAD is an open-source application that provides user-friendly tools for visual analysis and archiving of wood samples, aiming to enhance transparency and reproducibility in ecological studies utilizing visual characteristics of wood.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)