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The δ13C of tree rings in full-bark and strip-bark bristlecone pine trees in the White Mountains of California
Article first published online: 9 OCT 2008
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2486.1998.00204.x
1365-2486/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=64b309acc854fa96797598d5b35cfcfd1070680f "Global Change Biology")
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How to Cite
Tang, K., Feng, X. and Funkhouser, GarY. (1999), The δ13C of tree rings in full-bark and strip-bark bristlecone pine trees in the White Mountains of California . Global Change Biology, 5: 33–40. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2486.1998.00204.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 9 OCT 2008
- Article first published online: 9 OCT 2008
- Received 19 October 1997;revised versionreceived 21 January andaccepted 26 January 1998
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Keywords:
- biomass;
- carbon;
- fertilization;
- isotope;
- tree ring;
- water use efficiency
Abstract
Dendrochronological work at Sheep Mountain in the White Mountains, CA has demonstrated that bristlecone pine trees in two forms, full-bark and strip-bark, have experienced different cambial growth rates over the past century or longer. The strip-bark trees showed a greater growth increase than the full-bark ones. A calculation of the plant water-use efficiency (W) in response to anthropogenic CO2 released into the atmosphere shows that W of trees in both forms has increased for the past 200 years. However, there is no significant difference between the two tree forms in the rate of increase in W. This implies at least two possibilities with respect to the CO2 fertilization effect. First, the biomass in both tree forms might have increased, but carbon distribution among different parts of a tree was different. Second, the biomass may increase without causing any corresponding change in the plant water-use efficiency.