A guideline for sample preparation in modern tree-ring stable isotope research

Schollaen, K, Baschek, H, Heinrich, I, Slotta, F, Pauly, M and Helle, G (2017) 'A guideline for sample preparation in modern tree-ring stable isotope research.' Dendrochronologia, 44. pp. 133-145.

Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dendro.2017.05.002

Abstract

The comprehensive procedure of wood sample preparation, including tree-ring dissection, cellulose extraction, homogenization and packing for stable isotope analysis, is labour intensive and time consuming. Based on a brief compilation of existing methods, we present a methodological approach from pre-analyses considerations to wood sample preparation, semi-automated chemical extraction of cellulose from tree-ring cross-sections, and tree-ring dissection for stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry: the Cross-Section Extraction and Dissection (CSED) guideline. Following the CSED guideline can considerably increase efficiency of tree-ring stable isotope measurement compared to classical methods <ABS-P>We introduce a user-friendly device for cellulose extraction, allowing simultaneous treatment of wood cross-sections of a total length of 180 cm (equivalent to 6 increment cores of 30 cm length) and thickness of 0.6–2.0 mm. After cellulose extraction, tree-ring structures of 10 tree species (coniferous and angiosperm wood) with different wood growth rates and tree-ring boundaries, largely remained well identifiable. Further, we demonstrate that tree rings from cellulose cross-sections can be dissected at annual to intra-seasonal resolution, utilizing simple manual devices as well as sophisticated UV-laser microdissection microscopes in a way that sample homogenization is no longer necessary in most cases. We investigate seasonal precipitation signals in high-resolution intra-annual δ18O cellulose values from African baobab, performed by using UV-laser microdissection microscopes.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	tree rings, stable isotopes, wood cross section, cellulose extraction, homogenization, high-throughput IRMS, UV-laser microdissection, dendrochronology, African baobab (Adansonia spp.), teak (Tectona grandis)
Divisions:	School of Sciences
Date Deposited:	02 Dec 2019 13:38
Last Modified:	15 Aug 2021 09:53
ISSN:	1125-7865
URI / Page ID:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/12910

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