Dendroclimatological potential of the Australian red cedar

Abstract

Abstract. We examined Toona ciliata M.Roemer (Australian red cedar) for its potential to deliver annually resolved tree-ring proxy data. Such proxies are valuable and sought-after sources for reconstructing climate beyond instrumental records, especially in Australia. T. ciliata was chosen because it is one of the few deciduous tree species in Australia experiencing a seasonally dormant period of the cambium. This was confirmed by a preliminary treering analysis which revealed distinct growth rings. Because of initial uncertainties regarding reliable annual growth rings in the wood of T. ciliata, a dendrometer-band study was conducted in addition to the tree-ring analysis. Stem increments revealed a common period of dormancy during winter and the measurements were found to correlate with both precipitation and temperature, depending on the site. For the first time, our tree-ring analysis demonstrated that samples from different individuals can be cross-dated and the resulting site index from Upper Kangaroo Valley (New South Wales) has the potential to reconstruct early season temperatures and late-season rainfall.

Stem growth rhythms in trees of a tropical rainforest in Southern Brazil

“…The presence of thick-walled and radially flattened latewood fibers versus thin-walled earlywood was the most common growth ring boundary, commonly found in a great number of tropical species (Worbes 1989;Callado et al 2001;Lisi et al 2008). ''False'' rings as observed in some studied species (especially Inga edulis, I. marginata and Myrsine coriacea) are a ring anomaly relatively frequent in species growing in weakly seasonal tropical regions (Heinrich and Banks 2005). They are explained by temporary growth limitation in a stressful period caused, for example, by low temperatures, flooding (Speer 2010), drought stress (Priya and Bhat 1999;Wimmer et al 2000), and by abrupt variation from dry to wet period (Masiokas and Villalba 2004).…”

Trade-offs among establishment success, stem morphology and productivity of underplanted Toona ciliata: Effects of nurse-species and thinning density

“…In northern Argentina, Toona ciliata (Australian red cedar) has been identified as a suitable species for production of high quality and economically valuable timber. Because of its value for veneer and lumber products (Bahadur, 1988;Edmonds, 1995;Heinrich and Banks, 2005), T. ciliata cultivation is expanding rapidly. T. ciliata has similar wood characteristics and uses to those of the highly sought-after north-eastern Argentina native, Cedrela odorata, and its cultivation may reduce the harvesting pressure on C. odorata in native forests (Mangialavori et al, 2003).…”

Mangrove growth rings: fact or fiction?

“…For the three studied species showing distinct growth rings, more research is needed to clarify the annual nature of the observed rings. The study period should include more than 1 year and trees of different sizes should be included in order to be able to assess ontogenetic effects on anatomy and distinctness of growth rings (Brienen and Zuidema 2005;Heinrich and Banks 2005;Esper et al 2008). For now, we advice that tree rings in mangroves should be handled on a caseby-case basis and should only be used for age or growth rate estimations after at least a preliminary investigation of the annual nature of the wood anatomically definable zones that can be seen in the wood.…”