Although tree-ring-width chronologies have been widely used for temperature reconstructions, there are many sites around the world at which there is little evidence of a clear climate signal in the ring-width chronologies. This is the case with the long-lived conifer Huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook. F.) Quinn), endemic to Tasmania, Australia, when the species grows at low elevation. In this study, we developed chronologies of several wood properties (e.g., tracheid radial diameter, microfibril angle) from Huon pine growing at a low-elevation site. We found that despite the absence of a climate signal in the ring-width chronologies, there were significant correlations between wood density, tracheid radial diameter and microfibril angle and temperature, stream flow and a drought index, enabling the development of robust chronologies. This novel finding suggests that chronologies based on these wood properties may have important potential for climate reconstructions from sites and species that have not yet been realized. In particular, a relatively extensive resource of ancient, low-elevation Huon pine in western Tasmania, in which climate signals have not been found using ring widths, may now be useful as part of the broader effort to reconstruct Southern Hemisphere climate.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	dendroclimatology, Huon pine, microfibril angle, SilviScan, southern hemisphere, Tasmania, xylem
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Plant biology
Research Field:	Plant physiology
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences
UTAS Author:	Allen, K (Dr Kathy Allen)
UTAS Author:	Downes, GM (Dr Geoff Downes)
UTAS Author:	Battaglia, M (Dr Michael Battaglia)
ID Code:	116657
Year Published:	2013
Web of Science® Times Cited:	71
Deposited By:	Plant Science
Deposited On:	2017-05-16
Last Modified:	2021-05-04
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