X‐ray; tomography; wood density; Bristlecone pine; Pinus longaeva; Southwest America
Abstract :
[en] Abstract Bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) (PILO) trees exhibit exceptional longevity. Their tree‐ring width (TRW) series offer valuable insights into climatic variability. Maximum latewood density (MXD) typically correlates better with temperature variations than TRW, yet PILO MXD records are non‐existent due to methodological challenges related to tree‐ring structure. Here, we used an X‐ray Computed Tomography (X‐ray CT) toolchain on 51 PILO cores from the California White Mountains to build a chronology that correlates significantly (r = 0.66, p < 0.01) with warm‐season (March‐September) temperature over a large spatial extent. This led to the first X‐ray CT‐based temperature reconstruction (1625–2005 CE). Good reconstruction skill (RE = 0.51, CE = 0.32) shows that extending MXD records across the full length of the PILO archive could yield a robust warm‐season temperature proxy for the American Southwest over millennia. This breakthrough opens avenues for measuring MXD in other challenging conifers, increasing our understanding of past climate further, particularly in lower latitudes.
De Mil, Tom ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Gestion des ressources forestières
Matskovsky, V. ; UGent‐Woodlab Laboratory of Wood Technology Department of Environment Ghent University Ghent Belgium ; UGent Centre for X‐ray Tomography (UGCT) Ghent Belgium
Salzer, M.; Laboratory of Tree‐Ring Research University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
Corluy, L.; UGent‐Woodlab Laboratory of Wood Technology Department of Environment Ghent University Ghent Belgium ; UGent Centre for X‐ray Tomography (UGCT) Ghent Belgium
Verschuren, L. ; UGent‐Woodlab Laboratory of Wood Technology Department of Environment Ghent University Ghent Belgium ; UGent Centre for X‐ray Tomography (UGCT) Ghent Belgium ; Forest & Nature Lab Department of Environment Ghent University Melle Belgium
Pearson, C. ; Laboratory of Tree‐Ring Research University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
Van Hoorebeke, L. ; UGent Centre for X‐ray Tomography (UGCT) Ghent Belgium ; UGent‐Radiation Physics Department of Physics and Astronomy Ghent University Ghent Belgium
Trouet, V. ; Laboratory of Tree‐Ring Research University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA ; Belgian Climate Centre Uccle Belgium
Van den Bulcke, J. ; UGent‐Woodlab Laboratory of Wood Technology Department of Environment Ghent University Ghent Belgium ; UGent Centre for X‐ray Tomography (UGCT) Ghent Belgium
Language :
English
Title :
Bristlecone Pine Maximum Latewood Density as a Superior Proxy for Millennium‐Length Temperature Reconstructions
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