Join us for a seminar with Dr. Hannah Dion-Kirschner on Wednesday, April 8th from 3:00–4:00 PM in the Goldthwait Polar Library.
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Jason Cervenec at 614-688-0080.
Dr. Dion-Kirschner will present on Reconstructing Biosphere–Climate Coupling from Tree-Ring Stable Isotopes.
Abstract: Tree-ring archives are a cornerstone of paleoclimate research, providing annually resolved records of key climate variables. However, conventional tree-ring stable isotope analyses face a fundamental limitation: the measured values convolve the effects of environmental forcing with tree physiological processes. As a result, isotope reconstructions cannot distinguish how trees respond to ongoing change, limiting their value for constraining central uncertainties in carbon cycle models. I present a new position-specific isotope analysis (PSIA) method that enables simultaneous reconstruction of environmental forcing and plant metabolic fluxes from individual tree rings. I will describe the analytical approach, demonstrate validation through climate chamber experiments, and present preliminary results from northern European tree-ring records showing how precipitation and cloud-cover variability affect growth. Finally, I’ll explore how this approach expands the utility of tree-ring archives to address longstanding uncertainties about the land carbon sink.
All are welcome to attend.