RUI: An Investigation of the Environmental Forcing of Seasonal Stable-Carbon Isotopic Variation in Growth Rings of Trees

树木年轮的稳定同位素分析还存在许多基本问题。尽管这些分析对古气候重建具有很大的潜力，但分离出同位素变化的各种潜在原因是非常困难的。树木年轮的稳定碳同位素组成可能受到许多参数的影响，包括温度变化、生长速率、水分有效性。PI建议通过进行一系列控制生长的实验，并在气象参数持续监测的地点分析实地样本，来分离这些不同的影响。这项研究的重要意义在于，它将提供气候变量与树木年轮碳同位素组成之间的基本关系，并有助于将该方法发展成为古气候重建的新校准工具。该提案已在本科院校研究（RUI）计划下进行了考虑。

Many fundamental problems remain for the stable isotopic analysis of tree rings. Although the analyses have great potential for paleoclimatic reconstructions, separating the various potential causes of isotopic change has been very difficult. Stable-carbon isotopic compositions of tree rings may be affected by many parameters, including temperature changes, growth rate, moisture availability. The PI proposes to separate these various effects by conducting a series of controlled-growth experiments and by analyzing field samples at sites where meteorological parameters are continuously monitored. This research is important because it will provide the fundamental relationships between climatic variables and tree-ring carbon isotopic composition, and it will help to develop this methodology into a new calibrated tool for paleoclimate reconstructions. This proposal has been considered under the Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program.