Abstract
Published measurements in tree rings1–10 suggest a persistent decrease with time of the ratio 13C/12C, particularly in the period 1860–1940, and the release of C13-deficient CO2 from both fossil fuel combustion and forest clearing have often been invoked to explain the decreases. Freyer11 concludes that “the existing measurements leave no doubt that the 13C content in the cellulose fraction of modern wood was indeed decreased significantly”. Data presented here for two tree species from sites with contrasting ecologies on the remote and exposed Tasmanian west coast do not, however, support claims that these trends, which have been observed in (mostly) Northern Hemisphere trees, are the global response of the atmosphere to agricultural and industrial activities.
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Francey, R. Tasmanian tree rings belie suggested anthropogenic 13C/12C trends. Nature 290, 232–235 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/290232a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/290232a0
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