Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Co-occurring species differ in tree-ring delta(18)O trends.

John D Marshall1, Robert A Monserud

  • 1Department of Forest Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843, USA. jdm@uidaho.edu

Tree Physiology
|May 3, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Tree ring stable oxygen isotope ratios (delta(18)O) reflect water source and leaf function. Ponderosa pine shows increasing delta(18)O, suggesting shifts in water uptake or leaf physiology over time.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

De-Coupled Water and Nitrogen Translocation From Subsoil to Canopy of Temperate Forest Trees.

Plant, cell & environment·2025
Same author

Dynamics of stable isotopes in precipitation, soil water and groundwater at a Norway spruce and a European beech site at Solling, Germany.

Isotopes in environmental and health studies·2025
Same author

Disaggregation of canopy photosynthesis among tree species in a mixed broadleaf forest.

Tree physiology·2024
Same author

Carbon budget at the individual-tree scale: dominant Eucalyptus trees partition less carbon belowground.

The New phytologist·2024
Same author

Components explain, but do eddy fluxes constrain? Carbon budget of a nitrogen-fertilized boreal Scots pine forest.

The New phytologist·2023
Same author

Among-species variation in sap pH affects the xylem CO<sub>2</sub> transport potential in trees.

The New phytologist·2023

Area of Science:

  • Dendrochronology
  • Isotope Geochemistry
  • Plant Physiology

Background:

  • Stable oxygen isotope ratios (delta(18)O) in tree rings are influenced by atmospheric water vapor, humidity, and xylem water.
  • Xylem water delta(18)O is primarily determined by soil water, which varies with depth.
  • Co-occurring trees may exhibit different delta(18)O signals due to variations in water uptake from different soil depths.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the variation in tree-ring delta(18)O over eight decades in the 20th Century among three co-occurring conifer species in the northern Rocky Mountains.
  • To determine the influence of atmospheric conditions and species-specific water uptake strategies on tree-ring delta(18)O.

Main Methods:

  • Sampling of tree rings from Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), and western white pine (Pinus monticola).
  • Analysis of stable oxygen isotope ratios (delta(18)O) in tree-ring cellulose.
  • Correlation analysis between tree-ring delta(18)O and climate data (temperature, precipitation, vapor pressure deficit, solar radiation).

Main Results:

  • Atmospheric conditions influenced annual tree-ring delta(18)O, but correlations with climate data were weak.
  • Ponderosa pine consistently showed higher delta(18)O values compared to Douglas-fir and western white pine, with this difference increasing over time.
  • Douglas-fir exhibited a decreasing trend in delta(18)O, while western white pine showed an intermediate trend.

Conclusions:

  • Differences in tree-ring delta(18)O among species are likely due to variations in the depth of water extraction from the soil or species-specific leaf physiological responses.
  • Ponderosa pine may be increasingly utilizing shallower soil water, while Douglas-fir may be shifting to deeper water sources.
  • Changes in leaf structure and function with tree age and size could also explain the observed delta(18)O trends.

Related Experiment Videos