Measurement and research status of stable hydrogen isotopes in tree-ring lignin methoxyl groups

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.202110.004

Abstract

Abstract: The primary hydrogen (H) source for all organic compounds in the biosphere is from water, and then participates in biogeochemical cycles through photosynthesis and plant physiological metabolism. As a new proxy of paleoclimate and paleoenvironment, stable hydrogen isotope ratios in wood lignin methoxyl groups (δ²H_LM) show great advantages in the studies of paleoclimatic change and have been used to reconstruct precipitation stable hydrogen isotope ratios and paleoclimate signals in many regions. Based on the lignin application mechanism and analysis method of δ²H_LM, we evaluated the stability and effectiveness of δ²H_LM-measurement method from lignin content and lignin monomer composition, and expounded the tree lignin methoxyl groups' stable isotope proxies of current research outcomes. In the middle latitudes, the tree-ring δ²H_LM had great potential in recording temperature signals and precipitation stable hydrogen isotope ratios. However, the study of tree-ring δ²H_LM was still in its infancy as evidenced by following reasons: 1) The study area was limited to the middle latitude of the northern hemisphere, and the study subjects were limited to conifer species; 2) To compensate for the limitation of hydrogen isotopic records of nitrocellulose, high resolution tree-ring δ²H_LM would be studied; 3) The potential of tree-ring δ²H_LM utilization in plant physiology and forest ecology remained to be exploited.

Key words: tree ring, δ²H_LM, climate response, GC-IRMS

WANG Ya-bo, LIU Xiao-hong, LU Qiang-qiang, ZENG Xiao-min, ZHANG Ling-nan, WANG Zi-yi. Measurement and research status of stable hydrogen isotopes in tree-ring lignin methoxyl groups[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2021, 32(10): 3753-3760.

References

[1] McCarroll D, Loader NJ. Stable isotopes in tree rings. Quaternary Science Reviews, 2004, 23: 771-801
[2] Liu XH, Zhang XW, Zhao LG, et al. Tree ring δ¹⁸O reveals no long-term change of atmospheric water demand since 1800 in the northern Great Hinggan Mountains, China. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2017, 122: 6697-6712
[3] Nakatsuka T, Sano M, Li Z, et al. A 2600-year summer climate reconstruction in central Japan by integrating tree-ring stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes. Climate of the Past, 2020, 16: 2153-2172
[4] 路伟伟, 余新晓, 贾国栋, 等. 基于树轮δ¹³C的北京山区侧柏水分利用效率. 应用生态学报, 2017, 28(7): 2128-2134 [Lu W-W, Yu X-X, Jia G-D, et al. Tree-ring δ¹³C and water use efficiency of Platycladus orientalis in mountains of Beijing. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2017, 28(7): 2128-2134]
[5] 孙守家, 李春友, 何春霞, 等. 基于树轮稳定碳同位素的张北杨树防护林退化原因解析. 应用生态学报, 2017, 28(7): 2119-2127 [Sun S-J, Li C-Y, He C-X, et al. Retrospective analysis of the poplar plantation degradation based on stable carbon isotope of tree rings in Zhangbei County, Hebei, China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2017, 28(7): 2119-2127]
[6] Roden JS, Lin GH, Ehleringer JR. A mechanistic model for interpretation of hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios in tree-ring cellulose. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2000, 64: 21-35
[7] 刘晓宏, 徐国保, 曾小敏, 等. 树轮稳定同位素记录: 进展、问题及展望. 第四纪研究, 2015, 35(5): 1245-1260 [Liu X-H, Xu G-B, Zeng X-M, et al. Tree ring stable isotope records: Progress, problems and prospects. Quaternary Research, 2015, 35(5): 1245-1260]
[8] 王行, 闫鹏飞, 展鹏飞, 等. 植物质量、模拟增温及生境对凋落物分解的相对贡献. 应用生态学报, 2018, 29(2): 474-482 [Wang H, Yan P-F, Zhan P-F, et al. The relative contributions of plant quality, simulated rising temperature, and habitat to litter decomposition. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2018, 29(2): 474-482]
[9] Anhäuser T, Sehls B, Thomas W, et al. Annually resolved δ²H tree-ring chronology of the lignin methoxyl groups from Germany reflects averaged Western Euro-pean surface air temperature changes. Climate of the Past Discussions, 2019: doi: 10.5194/cp-2019-8
[10] Keppler F, Harper DB, Kalin RM, et al. Stable hydrogen isotope ratios of lignin methoxyl groups as a paleoclimate proxy and constraint of the geographical origin of wood. New Phytologist, 2007, 176: 600-609
[11] Schweingruber FH. Tree Rings and Environment: Dendroecology. Berne, Germany: Paul Haupt Publisher, 1996
[12] 李颖俊, 王尚义, 牛俊杰, 等. 芦芽山华北落叶松(Larix principis-rupprechtii)树轮宽度年表对气候因子的响应. 生态学报, 2016, 36(6): 1608-1618 [Li Y-J, Wang S-Y, Niu J-J, et al. Climate response of chronology of ring width of larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii) in North China, Luya Mountain. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2016, 36(6): 1608-1618]
[13] Keppler F, Kalin RM, Harper DB, et al. Carbon isotope anomaly in the major plant C1 pool and its global biogeo-chemical implications. Biogeosciences, 2004, 1: 123-131
[14] Keppler F, Hamilton JT, Brass M, et al. Methane emissions from terrestrial plants under aerobic conditions. Nature, 2006, 439: 187-191
[15] Greule M, Mosandl A, Hamilton JT, et al. A simple rapid method to precisely determine ¹³C/¹²C ratios of plant methoxyl groups. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2009, 23: 1710-1714
[16] Greule M, Mosandl A, Hamilton JT, et al. A rapid and precise method for determination of D/H ratios of plant methoxyl groups. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2008, 22: 3983-3988
[17] Lu QQ, Liu XH, Anhäuser T, et al. Tree-ring lignin proxies in Larix gmelinii forest growing in a permafrost area of northeastern China: Temporal variation and potential for climate reconstructions. Ecological Indicators, 2020, 118: 106750
[18] Wang YB, Liu XH, Anhäuser T, et al. Temperature signal recorded in δ²H and δ¹³C values of wood lignin methoxyl groups from a permafrost forest in northeastern China. Science of the Total Environmenet, 2020, 727: 138558
[19] Lee H, Feng XJ, Mastalerz M, et al. Characterizing lignin: Combining lignin phenol, methoxy quantification, and dual stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic techniques. Organic Geochemistry, 2019, 136: 103894
[20] Greule M, Moossen H, Geilmann H, et al. Methyl sulfates as methoxy isotopic reference materials for δ¹³C and δ²H measurements. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2019, 33: 343-350
[21] Greule M, Moossen H, Lloyd MK, et al. Three wood isotopic reference materials for δ²H and δ¹³C measurements of plant methoxy groups. Chemical Geology, 2019, 533: 119428
[22] Hatfield R, Fukushima RS. Can lignin be accurately measured? Crop Science, 2005, 45: 832-839
[23] Vanholme R, Meester BD, Ralph J, et al. Lignin biosynthesis and its integration into metabolism. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 2019, 56: 230-239
[24] Boerjan W, Ralph J, Baucher M. Lignin biosynthesis. Annual Review Plant Biology, 2003, 54: 519-546
[25] Anhäuser T, Sehls B, Thomas W, et al. Tree-ring δ²H values from lignin methoxyl groups indicate sensitivity to European-scale temperature changes. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2020, 546: 109665
[26] Bowen GJ, Cai Z, Fiorella RP, et al. Isotopes in the water cycle: Regional- to global-scale patterns and applications. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 2019, 47: 453-479
[27] An WL, Liu XH, Leavitt SW, et al. Relative humidity history on the Batang-Litang Plateau of western China since 1755 reconstructed from tree-ring δ¹⁸O and δD. Climate Dynamics, 2013, 42: 2639-2654
[28] Yapp CJ, Epstein S. Climatic significance of the hydrogen isotope ratios in tree cellulose. Nature, 1982, 297: 636-639
[29] Feng XH, Epstein S. Climatic temperature records in δD data from tree rings. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1995, 59: 3029-3037
[30] Aucour AM, Tao FX, Sheppard SMF, et al. Climatic and monsoon isotopic signals (δD, δ¹³C) of northeas-tern China tree rings. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2002, 107: 1-8
[31] Liu XH, An WL, Treydte K, et al. Pooled versus separate tree-ring δD measurements, and implications for reconstruction of the Arctic Oscillation in northwestern China. Science of the Total Environment, 2015, 511: 584-594
[32] Anhäuser T, Greule M, Polag D, et al. Mean annual temperatures of mid-latitude regions derived from δ²H values of wood lignin methoxyl groups and its implications for paleoclimate studies. Science of the Total Environment, 2017, 574: 1276-1282
[33] Anhäuser T, Hook BA, Halfar J, et al. Earliest Eocene cold period and polar amplification: Insight from δ²H values of lignin methoxyl groups of mummified wood. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2018, 505: 326-336
[34] Anhäuser T, Greule M, Keppler F. Stable hydrogen isotope values of lignin methoxyl groups of four tree species across Germany and their implication for temperature reconstruction. Science of the Total Environment, 2017, 579: 263-271
[35] Tang K, Feng X. The effect of soil hydrology on the oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of plants' source water. Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 2001, 185: 355-367
[36] Gori Y, Wehrens R, Greule M, et al. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios of whole wood, cellulose and lignin methoxyl groups of Picea abies as climate proxies. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2013, 27: 265-275
[37] Anhäuser T, Greule M, Zech M, et al. Stable hydrogen and carbon isotope ratios of methoxyl groups during plant litter degradation. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, 2015, 51: 143-154
[38] Evans MN. Toward forward modeling for paleoclimatic proxy signal calibration: A case study with oxygen isotopic composition of tropical woods. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 2007, 8: Q07008, doi: 10.1029/2006GC001406
[39] Lehmann MM, Vitali V, Schuler P, et al. More than climate: Hydrogen isotope ratios in tree rings as novel plant physiological indicator for stress conditions. Dendrochronologia, 2021, 65: 125788