Peatland trees record strong and temporally stable hydroclimate information in tree-ring δ13C and δ18O
(2025) In Climate of the Past 21(10). p.1679-1697- Abstract
Peatland trees are valuable archives of paleoclimatic information; however, gaps persist in understanding the relationships between tree growth, peatland hydrology, and hydroclimate variables. While previous research in peatlands has mainly focused on tree-ring widths (TRW), yielding inconclusive results, the potential of stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes in tree rings remains unexplored. In this study, we develop TRW, δ13C, and δ18O chronologies of Scots pine trees located in a Swedish peatland and a reference site on bedrock with a mineral soil layer. We assess their responses to hydroclimate conditions and evaluate their potential for reconstructing hydroclimate variations.... (More)
Peatland trees are valuable archives of paleoclimatic information; however, gaps persist in understanding the relationships between tree growth, peatland hydrology, and hydroclimate variables. While previous research in peatlands has mainly focused on tree-ring widths (TRW), yielding inconclusive results, the potential of stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes in tree rings remains unexplored. In this study, we develop TRW, δ13C, and δ18O chronologies of Scots pine trees located in a Swedish peatland and a reference site on bedrock with a mineral soil layer. We assess their responses to hydroclimate conditions and evaluate their potential for reconstructing hydroclimate variations. Our findings show significant differences in mean TRW and δ13C values between the peatland and reference sites. Moreover, while TRWs do not exhibit distinct common patterns between sites, both δ13C and δ18O site chronologies show uniform year-to-year variations across all sites. Some discrepancies for TRW and δ13C site chronologies emerge, however, regarding multi-decadal trends. While the climate sensitivity of TRW is weak and non-homogenous, the δ13C and δ18O peatland and reference chronologies contain robust and consistent signals, with a maximum sensitivity to water table, precipitation, and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) variations during summer. Both δ13C and δ18O chronologies show stable relationships with three key hydroclimate variables over time. In conclusion, while TRWs from living peatland pines at our sites have limited potential to record high-frequency hydroclimate information, δ13C and δ18O chronologies can serve as excellent proxies for the reconstruction of past hydroclimate changes.
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- author
- Janecka, Karolina ; Treydte, Kerstin ; Piccinelli, Silvia ; Francon, Loïc ; Ninot, Marçal Argelich ; Edvardsson, Johannes LU ; Corona, Christophe ; Lehsten, Veiko LU and Stoffel, Markus
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-10
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Climate of the Past
- volume
- 21
- issue
- 10
- pages
- 19 pages
- publisher
- Copernicus GmbH
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105017818028
- ISSN
- 1814-9324
- DOI
- 10.5194/cp-21-1679-2025
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 100427b1-0b20-44ce-acbc-c92c2cf40a27
- date added to LUP
- 2025-11-25 12:26:14
- date last changed
- 2025-11-26 16:52:35
@article{100427b1-0b20-44ce-acbc-c92c2cf40a27,
abstract = {{<p>Peatland trees are valuable archives of paleoclimatic information; however, gaps persist in understanding the relationships between tree growth, peatland hydrology, and hydroclimate variables. While previous research in peatlands has mainly focused on tree-ring widths (TRW), yielding inconclusive results, the potential of stable carbon (δ<sup>13</sup>C) and oxygen (δ<sup>18</sup>O) isotopes in tree rings remains unexplored. In this study, we develop TRW, δ<sup>13</sup>C, and δ<sup>18</sup>O chronologies of Scots pine trees located in a Swedish peatland and a reference site on bedrock with a mineral soil layer. We assess their responses to hydroclimate conditions and evaluate their potential for reconstructing hydroclimate variations. Our findings show significant differences in mean TRW and δ<sup>13</sup>C values between the peatland and reference sites. Moreover, while TRWs do not exhibit distinct common patterns between sites, both δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O site chronologies show uniform year-to-year variations across all sites. Some discrepancies for TRW and δ<sup>13</sup>C site chronologies emerge, however, regarding multi-decadal trends. While the climate sensitivity of TRW is weak and non-homogenous, the δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O peatland and reference chronologies contain robust and consistent signals, with a maximum sensitivity to water table, precipitation, and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) variations during summer. Both δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O chronologies show stable relationships with three key hydroclimate variables over time. In conclusion, while TRWs from living peatland pines at our sites have limited potential to record high-frequency hydroclimate information, δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O chronologies can serve as excellent proxies for the reconstruction of past hydroclimate changes.</p>}},
author = {{Janecka, Karolina and Treydte, Kerstin and Piccinelli, Silvia and Francon, Loïc and Ninot, Marçal Argelich and Edvardsson, Johannes and Corona, Christophe and Lehsten, Veiko and Stoffel, Markus}},
issn = {{1814-9324}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{10}},
pages = {{1679--1697}},
publisher = {{Copernicus GmbH}},
series = {{Climate of the Past}},
title = {{Peatland trees record strong and temporally stable hydroclimate information in tree-ring δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>18</sup>O}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1679-2025}},
doi = {{10.5194/cp-21-1679-2025}},
volume = {{21}},
year = {{2025}},
}