Temperature and air pollution affected tree ring δ13C and water-use efficiency of pine and oak trees under rising CO2 in a humid temperate forest

Kwak, Jin‐Hyeob; Lim, Sang-Sun; Lee, Kwang-Seung; Viet, Hung Dinh; Matsushima, Miwa; Lee, Kye-Han; Jung, Kang-Ho; Kim, Han-Yong; Lee, Sang-Mo; Chang, Scott X.; Choi, Woo‐Jung

doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.11.015

Cited by 24 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…orientalis iWUE was significantly and positively correlated with annual temperature. This result agrees with research conducted on other tree species around the world 7 , 37 , 44 . This phenomenon can be explained by plant ecophysiology.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Responses of Intrinsic Water-use Efficiency and Tree Growth to Climate Change in Semi-Arid Areas of North China

WeiWei

Xinxiao

GuoDong

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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Tree-level intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) is derived from the tree-ring 13C isotope composition (δ13C) and is an important indicator of the adaptability for trees to climate change. However, there is still uncertainty regarding the relationship between long-term forest ecosystem carbon sequestration capacity and iWUE. To determine whether elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (Ca) increase iWUE and tree growth (basal area increment, BAI), dendrochronological methods and stable isotope analyses were used to examine annual changes in the tree-ring width and carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of Platycladus orientalis in northern China. The iWUE derived from δ13C has increased significantly (p < 0.01). Long-term iWUE trend was largely and positively driven by the elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and temperature. We observed a general increase in averaged BAI, which had significant positive correlation with iWUE (R2 = 0.3186, p < 0.01). Increases in iWUE indeed translated into enhanced P. orientalis growth in semi-arid areas of northern China. Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration significantly (p < 0.01) stimulated P. orientalis biomass accumulation when Ca was less than approximately 320 ppm in the early phase; however, this effect was not pronounced when Ca exceeded 320 ppm.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Responses of Intrinsic Water-use Efficiency and Tree Growth to Climate Change in Semi-Arid Areas of North China

WeiWei

Xinxiao

GuoDong

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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“…The changes in the red spruce ∆ 13 C chronology, a proxy indicator for photosynthetic physiology, further support recovery of these trees from acid pollution. The decrease in ∆ 13 C in the red spruce tree rings from 1940 to 1989, corresponding to reductions in A and g c , has been shown in many studies examining the effects of acidic sulfur pollution on the C isotope signatures of trees (Boettger, Haupt, Friedrich, & Waterhouse, ; Kwak et al., ; Rinne, Loader, Switsur, Treydte, & Waterhouse, ; Santruckova, Santrucek, Setlik, Svoboda, & Kopacek, ; Savard, Bégin, Parent, Smirnoff, & Marion, ), including species from the eastern United States (Li et al., ; Thomas et al., ). The increase in ∆ 13 C, corresponding to increases in A and g c , that we observed after 1989 as SO 2 emissions declined, has also been found in studies as a function of decreasing pollution (Boettger et al., ; Li et al., ; Thomas et al., ), and is opposite from observations of reduced tree ring ∆ 13 C with increased tree height or as trees get older (Brienen et al., ; McDowell, Bond, Dickman, & Ryan, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Disentangling the effects of acidic air pollution, atmospheric CO₂, and climate change on recent growth of red spruce trees in the Central Appalachian Mountains

Mathias

Thomas

2018

Global Change Biology

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In the 45 years after legislation of the Clean Air Act, there has been tremendous progress in reducing acidic air pollutants in the eastern United States, yet limited evidence exists that cleaner air has improved forest health. Here, we investigate the influence of recent environmental changes on the growth and physiology of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) trees, a key indicator species of forest health, spanning three locations along a 100 km transect in the Central Appalachian Mountains. We incorporated a multiproxy approach using 75-year tree ring chronologies of basal tree growth, carbon isotope discrimination (∆ C, a proxy for leaf gas exchange), and δ N (a proxy for ecosystem N status) to examine tree and ecosystem level responses to environmental change. Results reveal the two most important factors driving increased tree growth since ca. 1989 are reductions in acidic sulfur pollution and increases in atmospheric CO , while reductions in pollutant emissions of NO and warmer springs played smaller, but significant roles. Tree ring ∆ C signatures increased significantly since 1989, concurrently with significant declines in tree ring δ N signatures. These isotope chronologies provide strong evidence that simultaneous changes in C and N cycling, including greater photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of trees and increases in ecosystem N retention, were related to recent increases in red spruce tree growth and are consequential to ecosystem recovery from acidic pollution. Intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) of the red spruce trees increased by ~51% across the 75-year chronology, and was driven by changes in atmospheric CO and acid pollution, but iWUE was not linked to recent increases in tree growth. This study documents the complex environmental interactions that have contributed to the recovery of red spruce forest ecosystems from pervasive acidic air pollution beginning in 1989, about 15 years after acidic pollutants started to decline in the United States.

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“…The link between an increase of CO 2 , WUE, and productivity, while undoubtedly important with respect to growth and carbon sequestration models, is not fully conclusive [1]. This is likely due to the interaction of the effects of water availability, temperature [10], and tree age [11]. Additionally, air pollutants, namely sulphur, can inhibit growth [12] and influence δ 13 C values [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…This is likely due to the interaction of the effects of water availability, temperature [10], and tree age [11]. Additionally, air pollutants, namely sulphur, can inhibit growth [12] and influence δ 13 C values [10]. While there has been a decrease in, especially sulphur, deposition since the 1970s in most parts of Europe [13], values derived from the intensive forest monitoring still reach values between 8 and 16 kg/ha (mean of the years 2012-2014; [14]) in areas of central Europe.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing Water Use Efficiency Comes at a Cost for Norway Spruce

Sanders

Heinrich

Günther

et al. 2016

Forests

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Intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE i ) in trees is an indication of the ratio of carbon assimilation to the rate of transpiration. It is generally assumed that it is a response to water availability. In agricultural research, the question of drought tolerance by increased WUE i has been well studied. In general, the increase is a trade-off for productivity and is therefore not desired. For forest trees, this question is less clearly understood. Using stable carbon isotopes derived from tree rings combined with productivity as the product of the annual growth increment and annual density measurements, we compared the change in WUE i over a 15 year period. While WUE i increased over this period, the productivity decreased, causing an opposing trend. The gradient of the correlation between WUE i and productivity varies between provenances and sites. Counterintuitively, the populations at the drier site showed low WUE i values at the beginning of the investigation. Slopes vary with the provenance from Poland showing the least decline in productivity. In general, we found that a decline in productivity aligned with an increase in WUE i .

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Temperature and air pollution affected tree ring δ13C and water-use efficiency of pine and oak trees under rising CO2 in a humid temperate forest

Cited by 24 publications

References 65 publications

Responses of Intrinsic Water-use Efficiency and Tree Growth to Climate Change in Semi-Arid Areas of North China

Responses of Intrinsic Water-use Efficiency and Tree Growth to Climate Change in Semi-Arid Areas of North China

Disentangling the effects of acidic air pollution, atmospheric CO₂, and climate change on recent growth of red spruce trees in the Central Appalachian Mountains

Increasing Water Use Efficiency Comes at a Cost for Norway Spruce

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Temperature and air pollution affected tree ring δ13C and water-use efficiency of pine and oak trees under rising CO2 in a humid temperate forest

Cited by 24 publications

References 65 publications

Responses of Intrinsic Water-use Efficiency and Tree Growth to Climate Change in Semi-Arid Areas of North China

Responses of Intrinsic Water-use Efficiency and Tree Growth to Climate Change in Semi-Arid Areas of North China

Disentangling the effects of acidic air pollution, atmospheric CO2, and climate change on recent growth of red spruce trees in the Central Appalachian Mountains

Increasing Water Use Efficiency Comes at a Cost for Norway Spruce

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Disentangling the effects of acidic air pollution, atmospheric CO₂, and climate change on recent growth of red spruce trees in the Central Appalachian Mountains