What is it about?

Stable isotopes from tree rings are increasingly used in tropical regions to understand the response of forests to high frequency climate variability. We measured stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in anatomically distinct, annual growth rings of Pericopsis elata trees fromthe Congo Basin, to assess their sensitivity to recorded changes in precipitation over the last 50 y.

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Why is it important?

This study highlights the potential for understanding the causes of growth variation in Pericopsis elata as well as past hydroclimatic changes, in a climatically complex region characterized by seasonal distribution in precipitation.

Perspectives

Climate reconstructions from the Congo Basin, one of three major convective regions on the planet, are urgently needed to improve our understanding about synoptic climate systems delivering rainfall to the African rain forest.

Dr Daniele Colombaroli
Berner Fachhochschule

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This page is a summary of: Stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in tree rings show physiological responses of Pericopsis elata to precipitation in the Congo Basin, Journal of Tropical Ecology, April 2016, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0266467416000134.
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