Comparison between d13C of alpha-cellulose and bulk wood in the mangrove tree Rhizophora mucronata: implications for dendrochemistry
Verheyden, A.; Roggeman, M.; Bouillon, S.; Elskens, M.; Beeckman, H.; Koedam, N. (2005). Comparison between d13C of alpha-cellulose and bulk wood in the mangrove tree Rhizophora mucronata: implications for dendrochemistry. Chem. Geol. 219(1-4): 275-282. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2005.02.015
In: Chemical Geology. Elsevier: New York; London; Amsterdam. ISSN 0009-2541; e-ISSN 1872-6836, more
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| Keywords |
Marine/Coastal; Brackish water |
| Author keywords |
bivariate least square regression; dendrochronology; East Africa; Jayme-Wise; Kenya; tree rings |
| Abstract |
Stable carbon isotope analysis of tree rings has become a widely used proxy in environmental and palaeoclimatological studies. In those studies, a-cellulose has often been the preferred material because of its singular composition and its immobility in wood. However, cellulose extraction is a time-consuming procedure and since the development of on-line isotope ratio mass spectrometers has become the time-limiting step in the isotopic analysis of wood samples for dendrochemical purposes. In this study we evaluate the necessity of cellulose extraction for isotopic analysis of tree rings in a tropical mangrove tree, Rhizophora mucronata Lam. Comparison between the d13C of extracted a-cellulose and bulk wood material revealed a highly significant linear relationship (d13Cbulk wood = 0.92 (± 0.08) * d13Ca-cellulose - 2.91 (± 2.04); p < 0.001) for a-cellulose values between -24‰ and -27‰. However a-cellulose was on average 0.97 ± 0.03‰ enriched in 13C as compared to bulk wood. The slope of the regression was not significantly different from one (p < 0.05). Furthermore, no significant difference was found between either the d13Cbulk wood - d13Ca-cellulose slopes for earlywood and latewood or between the slopes for samples from trees growing in contrasting environmental conditions. These results indicate that bulk wood can be used instead of a-cellulose when measuring stable carbon isotopes in the sapwood of R. mucronata in the context of a dendrochronological investigation. |
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