d18O (WEB1d361c0a): interpretation1_variable: 'd18O' has been replaced by 'precipitationIsotope'
d18O (WEB1d361c0a): interpretation2_seasonality: 'MJJAS' has been replaced by 'May-Sep'
d18O (WEB1d361c0a): interpretation2_variable: 'ET' has been replaced by 'evaporation'

d18O (WEB1d361c0a): paleoData_longName: '' has been replaced by 'AD'
year (WEB3a4587ec): paleoData_units: 'AD' has been replaced by 'yr AD'
year (WEB3a4587ec): paleoData_longName: '' has been replaced by 'AD'

GrieSSinger, J., Braeuning, A., Helle, G., Hochreuther, P. and Schleser, G.: Late Holocene relative humidity history on the southeastern Tibetan plateau inferred from a tree-ring δ 18 O record: Recent decrease and conditions during the last 1500 years, Quaternary International, 430, 52–59, doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2016.02.011, 2017.

Late Holocene relative humidity history on the southeastern Tibetan plateau inferred from a tree-ring δ 18 O record: Recent decrease and conditions during the last 1500 years

<jats:p>Tree-rings are recorders of environmental signals and are therefore often used to reconstruct past environmental conditions. In this paper, we present four annually resolved, multi-centennial tree-ring isotope series from the southeastern Tibetan plateau. The investigation site, where juniper and spruce trees jointly occur, is one of the highest known tree-stands in the world. Tree ring cellulose oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotopes were analyzed for a common period of 1685–2007 AD to investigate climate–isotope relationships. Therefore, various climate parameters from a local meteorological station and from the CRU 4.02 dataset were used. Tree-ring δ18O of both species revealed highly significant sensitivities with a high degree of coherence to hydroclimate variables during the growing season. The obtained δ18O–climate relationships can even be retained using a species mean. In contrast, the individual δ13C series indicated a weaker and non-uniform response to the tested variables. Underlying species-specific responses and adaptations to the long-term trend in atmospheric CO2 bias even after a trend correction identified dominant environmental factors triggering the tree-ring δ13C at our site. However, analysis of individual intrinsic water-use efficiency in juniper and spruce trees indicated a species-specific adaptation strategy to climate change.</jats:p>