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Blue intensity in Pinus sylvestris tree-rings: developing a new palaeoclimate proxy

Department of Geography, Swansea University, School of Environment and Society, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK, r.d.campbell{at}swansea.ac.uk

Danny McCarroll

Department of Geography, Swansea University, School of Environment and Society, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK

Neil J. Loader

Department of Geography, Swansea University, School of Environment and Society, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK

Håkan Grudd

Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden, Abisko Scientific Research Station, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-98107 Abisko, Sweden

Iain Robertson

Department of Geography, Swansea University, School of Environment and Society, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK

Risto Jalkanen

Finnish Forest Research Institute, Rovaniemi Research Unit, PO Box 16, FI-96301 Rovaniemi, Finland

Minimum blue intensity measurements of resin-extracted Pinus sylvestris (L.) samples, conducted using a flat-bed scanner and commercially available software, are shown to provide a robust and reliable surrogate for maximum latewood density. Blue intensity data from 15 trees, from three stands, are reported relative to a standard blue-scale in a manner similar to grey-scale calibration in x-ray densitometry. The resulting time series are highly correlated with x-ray densitometry data generated from the same samples and preserve the same high level of signal strength. Sensitivity to summer climate variables is similar to that identified in the relative density record, demonstrating that minimum blue intensity can also be used for the study of climate change. While not a replacement for the powerful range of x-ray densitometry techniques, blue intensity provides an inexpensive and accessible alternative for accessing palaeoclimatic information.

Key Words: Reflected light image analysis • blue intensity • dendrochronology • dendroclimatology • Scots pine • relative density • tree line • palaeoclimate.

The Holocene, Vol. 17, No. 6, 821-828 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0959683607080523


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