Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T07:25:42.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Declining Trend in the 13C/12C Ratio of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide from Tree Rings of South African Widdringtonia cedarbergensis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Edmund C. February  and
William D. Stock
Edmund C. February
Affiliation:
South African Museum, P.O. Box 61, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
William D. Stock
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Stable carbon isotope chronologies using tree ring wood cellulose have proved useful for developing hypotheses on climate and environment change. However, within both the Southern Hemisphere and Africa there has been very little tree-ring-based isotope research. Here we report the first high-resolution (annual) 13C/12C chronology for both Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. The 77-yr stable carbon isotope chronology was developed from six Widdringtonia cedarbergensis trees from a site in the Cedarberg Mountains, Western Cape Province, South Africa. The results indicate that 13C/12C ratios are not different from 1900 to 1949. After 1949, however, values become significantly more negative to 1977. The isotopic record from the pooled trees at the Die Bos site does not correlate with rainfall. This correlation is not significant even when the Widdringtonia stable carbon isotope record is de-trended for the anthropogenic CO2 contribution. The Widdringtonia record does, however, correlate significantly with atmospheric 13C/12C CO2 values derived from ice core data, tree ring 13C/12C chronologies from the Northern Hemisphere, and recent Southern Hemisphere records.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 52 , Issue 2 , September 1999 , pp. 229 - 236
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bender, M.M. (1968). Mass spectrometric studies in carbon-13 variations in corn and other grasses. Radiocarbon. 10, 468–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bert, D., Leavitt, S.W., Dupouey, J. (1997). Variations of wood δ13C and water-use efficiency of Abies alba during the last century. Ecology. 78, 1588–1596.Google Scholar
Cook, E., Bird, T., Peterson, M., Barbetti, M., Buckley, B., D'Arrigo, R., Francey, R. (1992). Climatic change over the last millennium in Tasmania reconstructed from tree-rings. Holocene. 2, 205–217.Google Scholar
Craig, H. (1953). The geochemistry of the stable carbon isotopes. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 3, 53–92.Google Scholar
Desmarais, D.J., Hayes, J.M. (1976). Tube cracker for opening glass-sealed ampoules under vacuum. Analytical Chemistry. 48, 1651–1652.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Détienne, P. (1989). Appearance and periodicity of growth rings in some tropical woods. IAWA Bulletin. 10, 123–132.Google Scholar
Dunwiddie, P.W., La Marche, V.C. Jr.. (1980). A climatically responsive tree-ring record from Widdringtonia cedarbergensis, Cape Province, South Africa. Nature. 286, 796–797.Google Scholar
Ehleringer, J.R., Cooper, T.A. (1988). Correlations between carbon isotope ratio and microhabitat in desert plants. Oecologia. 76, 562–566.Google Scholar
Epstein, S., Krishnamurthy, R.V. (1990). Environmental information in the isotopic record in trees. Philosophic Transactions of the Royal Society of London A. 330, 427–439.Google Scholar
Farquhar, G.D., O'Leary, M.H., Berry, J.A. (1982). On the relationship between carbon isotope discrimination and the intercellular carbon dioxide concentration in leaves. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology. 9, 121–137.Google Scholar
February, E.C., van der Merwe, N.J. (1992). Stable carbon isotope ratios of wood charcoal during the past 4000 year: anthropogenic and climatic influences. South African Journal of Science. 88, 291–292.Google Scholar
February, E.C., Stock, W.D. (1998). An assessment of the dendrochronological potential of two Podocarpus species. The Holocene. 8, 785–788.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
February, E.C., Stock, W.D. (1998). The relationship between ring width measure and precipitation for Widdringtonia cedarbergensis . South African Journal of Botany. 64, 213–216.Google Scholar
Feng, X., Epstein, S. (1995). Climatic trends from isotopic records of tree rings: The past 100–200 year. Climatic Change. 33, 551–562.Google Scholar
Francey, R.J. (1981). Tasmanian tree rings belie suggested anthropogenic 13C/12C trends. Nature. 290, 232–235.Google Scholar
Francey, R.J., Farquhar, G.D. (1982). An explanation of 13C/12C variations in trees. Nature. 297, 28–31.Google Scholar
Freyer, H.D. (1981). Recent 12C/13C trends in atmospheric CO2 and tree rings. Nature. 293, 679–680.Google Scholar
Freyer, H.D., Belacy, N. (1983). 12C/13C Records in Northern Hemisphere trees during the past 500 year-Anthropogenic impact and climatic superpositions. Journal of Geophysical Research. 88, 6844–6852.Google Scholar
Friedli, H., Lötscher, H., Oeschger, H., Siegenthaler, U., Stauffer, B. (1986). Ice core record of the 13C/12C ratio of atmospheric CO2 in the past two centuries. Nature. 324, 237–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fritts, H.C. (1976). Tree Rings and Climate. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Green, J.W. (1963). Wood cellulose. Whistler, R.L. Methods of Carbohydrate Chemistry. Academic Press, New York., 9–21.Google Scholar
Guy, G. L. (1970). Adansonia digitata and its rate of growth in relation to rainfall in south central Africa. InRhodesia Scientific Association. Proceedings and Transactions, 54, 68–84.Google Scholar
Keeling, C.D., Mook, W.G., Tans, P.P. (1979). Recent trends in the 13C/12C ratio of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Nature. 277, 121–123.Google Scholar
Keeling, C.D., Bacastow, R.B., Tans, P.P. (1980). Predicted shift in the 13C/12C ratio of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Geophysical Research Letters. 7, 505–508.Google Scholar
Leavitt, S., Lara, A. (1994). South American trees show declining δ13C trend. Tellus. 46B, 152–157.Google Scholar
Leavitt, S., Long, A. (1988). Stable carbon isotope chronologies from trees in the south-western United States. Global Biochemical Cycles. 2, 189–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leavitt, S., Long, A. (1989). Drought indicated in Carbon-13/carbon-12 ratios of southwestern tree rings. Water Resources Bulletin. 25, 341–347.Google Scholar
Leavitt, S., Long, A. (1989). The atmospheric δ13C record as derived from 56 pinyon trees at 14 sites in the southwestern United States. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. 2, 469–474.Google Scholar
Leavitt, S.W., Danzer, S.R. (1993). Method for batch processing small wood samples to holocellulose for stable-carbon isotope analysis. Analytical Chemistry. 65, 87–89.Google Scholar
Libby, W.F. (1955). Radiocarbon Dating. Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
Lilly, M. A. (1977). An assessment of the dendrochronological potential of indigenous tree species in South Africa, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies. University of the Witwatersrand, Occasional Paper No. 18.Google Scholar
Lipp, J., Trimborn, P., Graf, W. (1994). Stable isotopes in tree rings-climatic and non climatic implications. Spiecker, H., Kahle, P. Proceedings of the Workshop: Modeling of Tree-Ring Development-Cell Structure and Environment. Universität FreiburgInstitut für Waldwachstum, 24–38.Google Scholar
Livingston, N.J., Spittlehouse, D.L. (1993). Carbon isotope fractionation in tree rings in relation to the growing season water balance. Ehleringer, J.R., Hall, A.E., Farquhar, G.D. Stable Isotopes and Plant Carbon-Water Relations. Academic Press, New York., 141–153.Google Scholar
Livingston, N.J., Spittlehouse, D.L. (1996). Carbon isotope fractionation in tree ring early and late wood in relation to intra-growing season water balance. Plant, Cell and Environment. 19, 768–774.Google Scholar
Loader, N.J., Switsur, V.R., Field, E.M. (1995). High-resolution stable isotope analysis of tree rings: Implications of ‘microdendroclimatology’ for palaeoenvironmental research. The Holocene. 5, 457–460.Google Scholar
Marino, B.D., McElroy, M.B. (1991). Isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 inferred from carbon in C4 plant cellulose. Nature. 349, 127–131.Google Scholar
Martin, D.M., Moss, J.M.S. (1997). Age determination of Acacia tortilis (Forsk.) Hayne from northern Kenya. African Journal of Ecology. 35, 266–277.Google Scholar
McNulty, S.G., Swank, W.T. (1995). Wood δ13C as a measure of annual basal area growth and soil water stress in a Pinus strobus forest. Ecology. 76, 1581–1586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moll, E.J., Bossi, L. (1984). Assessment of the extent of the natural vegetation of the Fynbos Biome of South Africa. South African Journal of Science. 80, 355–358.Google Scholar
Moll, E.J., Jaarman, M.L. (1984). Clarification of the term Fynbos. South African Journal of Science. 80, 351–352.Google Scholar
Norton, D.A., Briffa, K.R., Salinger, M.J. (1989). Reconstruction of New Zealand summer temperatures to 1730 A.D. using dendroclimatic techniques. International Journal of Climatology. 9, 633–644.Google Scholar
Park, R., Epstein, S. (1961). Metabolic fractionation of 13C and 12C in plants. Plant Physiology. 36, 133–138.Google Scholar
Ramesh, R., Bhattacharya, S.K., Gopalan, K. (1986). Climatic correlations in the stable isotope records of silver fir (Abies pindrow) trees from Kashmir Valley, India. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 79, 66–74.Google Scholar
Richards, M.B., Stock, W.D., Cowling, R.M. (1995). Water relations of seedlings and adults of two fynbos Protea species in relation to their distribution patterns. Functional Ecology. 9, 575–583.Google Scholar
Schleser, G.H. (1994). Causes of carbon isotope behaviour within tree rings. Spiecker, H., Kahle, P. Proceedings of the Workshop: Modelling of Tree-Ring Development-Cell Structure and Environment. Universität FreiburgInstitut für Waldwachstum, 12–23.Google Scholar
Sealy, J.C. (1986). Stable Carbon Isotopes and Prehistoric Diets in the South-Western Cape Province, South Africa.Google Scholar
Sheu, D.D., Chiu, C.H. (1995). Evaluation of cellulose extraction procedures for stable carbon isotope measurement in tree ring research. International Journal of Environmental and Analytical Chemistry. 59, 59–67.Google Scholar
Sofer, Z. (1980). Preparation of carbon dioxide for stable carbon isotope analyses of petroleum fractions. Analytical Chemistry. 52, 1389–1391.Google Scholar
Stock, W.D., van der Heyden, F., Lewis, O.A.M. (1992). Plant structure and function. Cowling, R.M. The Ecology of Fynbos: Nutrients, Fire and Diversity. Oxford University Press, Cape Town., 226–240.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M. (1978). Atmospheric carbon dioxide and carbon reservoir changes. Science. 199, 253–258.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., Braziunas, T.F. (1987). Tree cellulose 13C/12C isotope ratios and climatic change. Nature. 328, 58–60.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., Burk, R.L., Quay, P.D. (1984). 13C/12C ratios in tree rings and the transfer of biospheric carbon to the atmosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research. 89, 11731–11748.Google Scholar
van der Merwe, N.J. (1982). Carbon isotopes, photosynthesis and archaeology. American Scientist. 70, 596–606.Google Scholar
Wigley, T.M.L. (1982). Oxygen-18, Carbon-13, and carbon-14 in tree rings. Hughes, M.K., Kelly, P.M., La Marche, V.C. Jr., Climate from Tree Rings. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge., 18–21.Google Scholar
Wilson, A.T. (1978). Pioneer agricultural explosion and CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Nature. 273, 40–41.Google Scholar
Zelitch, I. (1979). Photosynthesis and plant productivity. Chemical and Engineering News. 57, 28–48.Google Scholar
Zucchini, W., Hiemstra, L.V.A. (1983). A note on the relationship between annual rainfall and tree ring indices for one site in South Africa. Water SA.. 9, 153–154.Google Scholar