Reduced climate sensitivity of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope ratios in tree-ring cellulose of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) influenced by background SO2 in Franconia (Germany, Central Europe)

Boettger, T.; Haupt, Marika; Friedrich, Michael; Waterhouse, J.

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2013.10.030

Cited by 33 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…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, ). Thus, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that reductions in acidic air pollution and deposition from the historically high totals in the 1970s reached a critical level around 1989 that red spruce trees were better able to tolerate, thereby beginning the recovery of tree growth and photosynthetic physiology of red spruce trees in the Central Appalachian Mountains that has persisted for 25 years as pollution levels continued to decline.…”

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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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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“…A Treydte et al 2007, Loader et al 2013b, Boettger et al 2014, Saurer et al 2014, Frank et al 2015, all of which could potentially obscure the true expression of the global δ 13 C Suess effect in tree rings. Nevertheless, the change in tree ring carbon isotopic values resulting from global industrialisation is far greater than anything observed in the tree ring isotope record during the last 1100 years.…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Anthropocene Series: Where and how to look for potential candidates

Waters

Zalasiewicz

Summerhayes

et al. 2018

Earth-Science Reviews

166

132

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The Anthropocene as a potential new unit of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (which serves as the basis of the Geological Time Scale) is assessed in terms of the stratigraphic markers and approximate boundary levels available to define the base of the unit. The task of assessing and selecting potential Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) candidate sections, a required part of the process in seeking formalisation of the term, is now being actively pursued. Here, we review the suitability of different stratified palaeoenvironmental settings and facies as potential hosts for a candidate GSSP and auxiliary sections, and the relevant stratigraphical markers for correlation. Published examples are evaluated for their strengths and weaknesses in this respect. A marked upturn in abundance of radioisotopes of 239 Pu or 14 C, approximately in 1952 and 1954 CE respectively, broadly coincident with a downturn in δ 13 C values, is applicable across most environments. Principal palaeoenvironments examined include: settings associated with accumulations of anthropogenic material, marine anoxic basins, coral reefs, estuaries and deltas, lakes at various latitudes, peat bogs, snow/ice layers, speleothems and trees.Together, many of these geographically diverse palaeoenvironments offer annual/subannual laminae that can be counted and independently dated radiometrically (e.g. by 210 Pb).Examples of possible sections offer the possibility of correlation with annual/seasonal resolution. From among such examples, a small number of potentially representative sites require the acquisition of more systematic and comprehensive datasets, with correlation established between sections, to allow selection of a candidate GSSP and auxiliary stratotypes. The assessments in this paper will help find the optimal locations for these sections.

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“…sulphur dioxide or ozone, may also influence tree physiological properties such as stomatal conductance and photosynthesis (Fairchild et al, 2009, Rinne et al, 2010. It was observed that long-term exposure of trees to background sulphur dioxide influenced carbon isotope signatures and iWUE of Abies alba Mill remote from industrial areas in western Germany (Boettger et al, 2014). However, through pollution reduction measures and legislation, the influence of nitrogen and especially sulphur is expected to further decrease in the future relative to climate change and CO 2 effect.…”

Section: Other Factors Than Co 2 and Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, more commonly an active response was observed, where c i increased more slowly than c a due to plant adaptation, resulting in higher iWUE (Feng, 1998). Several studies have reported that the response to increasing CO 2 concentrations changed from being active (c i /c a constant) to passive (c a -c i constant) around the 1970s (Gagen et al, 2011, Waterhouse et al, 2004 with an approximate levelling of iWUE, or even a decrease in polluted areas (Boettger et al, 2014). No clear spatial pattern of the iWUE increase has emerged from the published literature, partly due to the unsystematic and still sparse nature of the data collection.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variability and temporal trends in water‐use efficiency of European forests

Saurer

Spahni

Frank

et al. 2014

Global Change Biology

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188

170

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The increasing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration in the atmosphere in combination with climatic changes throughout the last century are likely to have had a profound effect on the physiology of trees: altering the carbon and water fluxes passing through the stomatal pores.However, the magnitude and spatial patterns of such changes in natural forests remain highly uncertain. Here, stable carbon isotope ratios from a network of 35 tree-ring sites located Central Europe, a region where summer soil-water availability decreased over the last century.We were able to demonstrate that the combined effects of increasing CO 2 and climate change leading to soil drying have resulted in an accelerated increase of iWUE. These findings will help to reduce uncertainties in the land surface schemes of global climate models, where vegetation-climate feedbacks are currently still poorly constrained by observational data. 4

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Reduced climate sensitivity of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope ratios in tree-ring cellulose of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) influenced by background SO2 in Franconia (Germany, Central Europe)

Cited by 33 publications

References 58 publications

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

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

Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Anthropocene Series: Where and how to look for potential candidates

Spatial variability and temporal trends in water‐use efficiency of European forests

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Reduced climate sensitivity of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope ratios in tree-ring cellulose of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) influenced by background SO2 in Franconia (Germany, Central Europe)

Cited by 33 publications

References 58 publications

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

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

Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Anthropocene Series: Where and how to look for potential candidates

Spatial variability and temporal trends in water‐use efficiency of European forests

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

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

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