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Combined tree-ring width and δ13C to reconstruct snowpack depth: a pilot study in the Gongga Mountain, west China

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Abstract

Tree-ring width (TRW) and stable carbon isotope (δ13C) in tree-ring cellulose of subalpine fir (Abies fabri) were used to develop high-resolution climate proxy data to indicate snow-depth variations in the Gongga Mountain, west China. Tree radial growth- and δ13C-climate response analyses demonstrated that the TRW and δ13C at the timberline (3,400 m.a.s.l.) are mainly influenced by temperature and precipitation of previous growth seasons and current summer (June to August) under cold and humid conditions. Considering the analogous control factors on both tree growth and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) and snow accumulation, the negative and significant relationships between tree-ring parameters (TRW and Δ13C) and mean monthly snowpack depth were found. Herein, by combining two tree-ring parameters, a primary snow-depth reconstruction (previous October to current May) over the reliable period A.D. 1880–2004 was estimated. The reconstruction explains 58.0% of the variance in the instrumental record, and in particular captures the longer-term fluctuations successfully. Except the period with extreme higher snowpack depth around 1990, the snowpack depth seems to fluctuate in a normal way. The reconstruction agrees with the nearby snowpack depth record in Kangding and the mean observed snowpack-depth variations of the stations on the Tibetan Plateau, particularly at long-term scales. The snowpack depth in low-frequency fluctuations, during the past century, agrees quite well with the Eastern India precipitation covering the period of previous October–current May. Our results suggest that combing tree-ring width and δ13C in certain subalpine tree species growing on the Tibetan Plateau may be an effective way for reconstructing regional snowpack variations.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program; 2007CB411506) and the Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-QN308), the Self-determination Project of State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences (SKLCS09-03) and the National Natural Science Foundations of China (40890051, 40871002). We thank Dr. Xiaojun Ma and Dr. Jianhui Wang for help with the fieldwork, and the Ecological System and Environment Research Station, Chengdu Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ma Lijuan who kindly provided the snowpack depth data on the Gongga Mountain and the Tibetan Plateau. We also thank the Prof. Leavitt SW, Peterson D and the anonymous reviewers, and the editor whose comments and suggestions were helpful in the improvement of the quality of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road No 320, Lanzhou, 730000, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaohong Liu, Tuo Chen, Shugui Hou, Dahe Qin & Wenling An

  2. Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology and Integrated River Basin Science, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Liangju Zhao

  3. Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, People’s Republic of China

    Xuemei Shao

  4. Chengdu Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Qiao Liu

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  1. Xiaohong Liu
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Correspondence to Xiaohong Liu.

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Liu, X., Zhao, L., Chen, T. et al. Combined tree-ring width and δ13C to reconstruct snowpack depth: a pilot study in the Gongga Mountain, west China. Theor Appl Climatol 103, 133–144 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-010-0291-x

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