Abstract
To maximise the potential of the tree-ring isotopic signal for palaeoclimate research it is essential to understand and characterise the natural variability between individual trees. This study explores the nature of inter-tree isotopic variability and evaluates the implications for developing robust palaeoclimate reconstructions. We confirm levels of natural inter-tree variability similar to those reported in previous studies, but demonstrate, using a large data set of isotopic measurements determined from individual rings of 100 trees, that to obtain a representative regional environmental signal and to reduce problems when combining records, higher levels of replication than those typically adopted in isotope dendroclimatology may need to be considered.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
