Elevation-layered dendroclimatic signal in eastern Mediterranean tree rings
Publisher
IOP PUBLISHING LTDCitation
Elevation-layered dendroclimatic signal in eastern Mediterranean tree rings 2016, 11 (4):044020 Environmental Research LettersJournal
Environmental Research LettersRights
© 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd. Original content from thiswork may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
Networks of tree-ring data are commonly applied in statistical reconstruction of spatial fields of climate variables. The importance of elevation to the climatic interpretation of tree-ring networks is addressed using 281 station precipitation records, and a network of 79 tree-ring chronologies from different species and a range of elevations in the eastern Mediterranean. Cluster analysis of chronologies identifies 6 tree-ring groups, delineated principally by site elevation. Correlation analysis suggests several of the clusters are linked to homogenous elevational moisture regimes. Results imply that climate stations close to the elevations of the tree-ring sites are essential for assessing the seasonal climatic signal in tree-ring chronologies from this region. A broader implication is that the elevations of stations contributing to gridded climate networks should be considered in the design and interpretation of field reconstructions of climate from tree rings. Finally, results suggest elevation-stratified tree-ring networks as a strategy for seasonal climate reconstruction.Note
Open access.ISSN
1748-9326Version
Final published versionSponsors
The authors wish to thank the Forestry Departments in Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, and Syria for their great help and support in making this study possible. We would like to thank the Cyprus Meteorological Service for providing us with climate data. We thank Professor Alexandros P Dimitrakopoulos, of the Laboratory of Forest Protection, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, for his help and support. We thank Christopher Baisan, Russell Biggs, and Gurudas C Bock for their valuable assistance in the field. We also thank Russell Biggs, Victoria L Frazier, Alicia Stout, Gurudas C Bock, Jessica L Little, and Anthony P Trujillo for their assistance in sample preparation and measurement. We wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions on the manuscript. Funding was provided by the US National Science Foundation under Grant Earth System History (Grant No. 0075956), ATM-GEO/ATM-Paleoclimate Program 0758486, and Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change (Award No. 1103314). V. Shishov (software development and data analysis) was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Grant # 14-14-00219). The tree-ring data will be available at the International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB) web site (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/19016).Additional Links
http://stacks.iop.org/1748-9326/11/i=4/a=044020?key=crossref.8ee0f7b9e9e05ae11cbe5962a3ed69beScopus Count
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd. Original content from thiswork may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence.