Objectives
Tree rings provide an important chemical archive that may record information
about nutrient cycling and ecosystem function prior to the onset of acidification.
However, some basic assumptions concerning the validity of using dendrochemical
analyses to track environmental perturbations remain to be tested. This study
will examine:
1. The variation in foliar, bole wood, branch, and root chemistry within an
individual, including the extent to which Ca in sap exchanges with Ca in older
growth increments. And, whether the changes in chemistry through time of different
organs follow a similar trend.
2. Natural variation in chemistry within species and variation in chemistry
among species growing on similar soils but having different physiological demands
and constraints.
3. Whether or not Ca/Sr ratios are modified during uptake by trees using the
W1 calcium addition experiment.