Abstract
Following Urey's suggestion1 that the 13C abundance (usually expressed as a relative ratio: 13C/12C or δ13C) fixed in plant carbon may be temperature dependent, several authors have investigated the relationship between δ13C and climate. These workers searched for a coefficient relating δ13C variations to temperature variations2–7. The results, obtained on field collected samples, failed to yield agreement about the extent of a climatic effect or even its existence. Growth chamber experiments, performed on different plant species in controlled conditions to eliminate environmental factors other than temperature, showed no clear relationship between δ13C and temperature8,9. These various contradictory results suggest that factors other than temperature contribute to determining δ13C in plants. We now present evidence that the variations of the relative abundance of stable isotopes of carbon in tree rings indicate past climate changes. Thus carbon isotope composition appears to be a proxy indicator that may help to extend the meteorological data base into pre-instrument times.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Urey, H. C. J. chem. Soc. 562–581 (1947).
Craig, H. Science 119, 141–143 (1954).
Smith, B. N. & Epstein, S. Pl. Physiol. 47, 380–384 (1970).
Lerman, J. C. Coll. Int. CNRS 219, 163–181 (1974).
Libby, L. M. et al. Nature 261, 284–288 (1976).
Pearman, G. I., Francey, R. J. & Fraser, P. J. B. Nature 260, 771–773 (1976).
Wilson, A. T. & Grinsted, M. J. Nature 265, 133–135 (1977).
Troughton, J. Yb. Carnegie Inst. Wash. 73, 780–783 (1974).
Smith, B. N., Oliver, J. & McMillan, C. Bot. Gaz. 137, 99–104 (1976).
Dean, J. S. & Robinson, W. J. Expanded Tree-Ring Chronologies for the Southwestern United States, 39 (Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, 1978).
Robinson, W. J., Harrill, B. G. & Warren, R. Tree-Ring Dates from New Mexico, B 16–24 (Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, 1974).
Bannister, B. in Science in Archaeology (eds Brothwell, D. & Higgs, E.) 191–205 (Thames and Hudson, London, 1969).
Stokes, M. A. & Smiley, T. A. An Introduction to Tree-Ring Dating (University of Chicago, 1968).
Fritts, H. C. Tree Rings and Climate (Academic, London, 1976).
Fritts, H. C. Ecol. Monogr. 44, 411–440 (1974).
LaMarche, V. C. Jr Science 183, 1043–1048 (1975).
Fritts, H. C., Lofgren, R. G. & Gordon, G. A. Quat. Res. 12, 18–46 (1979).
Browning, B. L. Methods of Wood Chemistry (Interstate, New York, 1967).
Freyer, H. D. & Wiesberg, L. in Isotope Ratios as Pollutant Source and Behavior Indicators, 49–62 (IAEA, Vienna, 1975).
Tans, P. P. thesis, Univ. Gröningen (1978).
Wigley, T. M. L., Gray, B. M. & Kelly, P. M. Nature 271, 92–93 (1978).
Lerman, J. C. & Long, A. in Short Papers of the Fourth Int. Conf. Geochron. Cosmochron., Isotope Geol. (ed Zartman, R. E.) 248–250 (USGS, 1978); in Int. Meeting on Stable Isotopes in Tree-Ring Research, Proc., New Paltz, New York, 22–25 May 1979 (in the press).
Keeling, C. S. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 23, 322–334 (1960); 24, 277–298 (1961).
Lerman, J. C. in Environmental and Biological Control of Photosynthesis (ed. Marcelle, R.) 323–335 (Jung, The Hague, 1975).
Lerman, J. C. & Raynal, C.r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris Ser. D 215, 1391–1394 (1974).
Arnold, L. D. thesis, Univ. Arizona (1979).
Preston, R. J. Jr Rocky Mountain Trees, 1963 (Dover, New York, 1948).
Mazany, T. in Short Papers of the Fourth Int. Conf. Geochron. Cosmochron., Isotope Geol. (ed. Zartman, R. E.) 280–282 (US Geological Society, 1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mazany, T., Lerman, J. & Long, A. Carbon-13 in tree-ring cellulose as an indicator of past climates. Nature 287, 432–435 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/287432a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/287432a0
This article is cited by
-
Climate-Sensitivity Comparisons for Whole Wood, Holocellulose, and α-Cellulose Carbon Isotope Series in Masson Pine
Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering (2021)
-
Age determination of coarse woody debris with radiocarbon analysis and dendrochronological cross-dating
European Journal of Forest Research (2014)
-
Controlling for anthropogenically induced atmospheric variation in stable carbon isotope studies
Oecologia (2005)
-
Drought responses of conifers in ecotone forests of northern Arizona: tree ring growth and leaf δ13C
Oecologia (2004)
-
Tree-ring precipitation records from Baiyinaobao, Inner Mongolia since A.D. 1838
Chinese Science Bulletin (2003)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.