Preliminary Analysis of Wood Characters in a Tropical Area and Applications to Climate Reconstruction

热带气候的冰期-间冰期历史是 争议热带海洋沉积物的记录 表明大气层几乎没有变化， 这些地区的气温。 另一方面，气候 热带高地的记录表明雪线冰川 在过去的一段时间里， 冰川作用 这些海拔变化转化为5至6度 冰川热带地区地表温度较低。 的 差异可以用更好的古气候代用指标来解决 用于低地热带地区。 不幸的是， 因为一些传统的古气候 索引，如树 环，并不是简单地与热带气候有关。 这 建议提出了一种替代方法， 以木材解剖学为基础的古气候记录。 的基础 该方法是木材孔隙率将作为以下函数而变化： 气候 该提案要求支持在一项研究中测试该理论 哥斯达黎加西海岸的沿着地区。 虽然是 高风险建议，这是重要的，因为它可能提供一个新的， 重建热带地区气候的可靠方法。

The glacial-interglacial history of tropical climate is controversial. The record from marine sediments in the tropics suggests that there has been little change in atmospheric temperature in these regions. On the other hand the climate record from tropical highlands documents that snowlines, glaciers and treelines were all at lower elevation during the last glaciation. These elevation changes translate into 5 to 6 degree lower surface temperatures in the glacial tropics. The discrepancies may be resolved with better paleoclimate proxies for lowland tropical locations. Unfortunately it is difficult to work on tropical samples because some traditional paleoclimate indices, like tree rings, are not related to tropical climate in a simple way. This proposal suggests an alternative methodology which may provide paleoclimate records on the basis of wood anatomy. The basis for the methodology is that wood porosity will vary as a function of climate. The proposal requests support to test the theory in a study area along the western coast of Costa Rica. Although it is a high risk proposal, it is important because it may provide a new, reliable method for reconstructing climate in tropical locales.