Elemental Variability in Stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.: Whether a Single Core Can Represent All the Stem

In dendrochemical studies, an analysis of wooden cores extracted from tree stems is a widely spread research method. A methodological problem is related to the method: whether a single core per tree can be representative of all the stems. The study aimed to estimate how the elemental contents are va...

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Main Authors: Vladimir L. Gavrikov, Alexey I. Fertikov, Vladimir E. Vidus, Ruslan A. Sharafutdinov, Eugene A. Vaganov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-02-01
Series:Diversity
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/2/281
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author Vladimir L. Gavrikov
Alexey I. Fertikov
Vladimir E. Vidus
Ruslan A. Sharafutdinov
Eugene A. Vaganov
author_facet Vladimir L. Gavrikov
Alexey I. Fertikov
Vladimir E. Vidus
Ruslan A. Sharafutdinov
Eugene A. Vaganov
author_sort Vladimir L. Gavrikov
collection DOAJ
description In dendrochemical studies, an analysis of wooden cores extracted from tree stems is a widely spread research method. A methodological problem is related to the method: whether a single core per tree can be representative of all the stems. The study aimed to estimate how the elemental contents are variable in the tree rings and whether the contents correlate among different cores. The cores were extracted from stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L., four cores per tree, according to the cardinal directions (east, west, north, south). The elemental contents (Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Sr) were estimated through the X-ray fluorescent analysis facility Itrax Multiscanner (COX Analytical Systems). The agreement between the temporal series of different cores was estimated through Spearman’s correlation coefficients. It has been found that the temporal intra-tree series for almost all the studied elements do not correlate with each other. The exclusions are Ca and K which show strong consistent correlations. The source for the correlations is, however, the long-term trends from the pith to the bark. The detrending of the Ca and K series reveals some high-frequency correlations which are not consistent among the trees. At least for Scots pine, a single core is unlikely to be a reliable representative of the whole stem in the respect of elemental content. A few research directions to overcome the uncertainty has been discussed.
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spelling doaj.art-f3989a39a4244301908c3126f12b84a12023-11-16T20:05:38ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182023-02-0115228110.3390/d15020281Elemental Variability in Stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.: Whether a Single Core Can Represent All the StemVladimir L. Gavrikov0Alexey I. Fertikov1Vladimir E. Vidus2Ruslan A. Sharafutdinov3Eugene A. Vaganov4School Ecology and Geography, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk 660041, RussiaSchool Ecology and Geography, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk 660041, RussiaSchool Ecology and Geography, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk 660041, RussiaSchool Ecology and Geography, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk 660041, RussiaSchool Ecology and Geography, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk 660041, RussiaIn dendrochemical studies, an analysis of wooden cores extracted from tree stems is a widely spread research method. A methodological problem is related to the method: whether a single core per tree can be representative of all the stems. The study aimed to estimate how the elemental contents are variable in the tree rings and whether the contents correlate among different cores. The cores were extracted from stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L., four cores per tree, according to the cardinal directions (east, west, north, south). The elemental contents (Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Sr) were estimated through the X-ray fluorescent analysis facility Itrax Multiscanner (COX Analytical Systems). The agreement between the temporal series of different cores was estimated through Spearman’s correlation coefficients. It has been found that the temporal intra-tree series for almost all the studied elements do not correlate with each other. The exclusions are Ca and K which show strong consistent correlations. The source for the correlations is, however, the long-term trends from the pith to the bark. The detrending of the Ca and K series reveals some high-frequency correlations which are not consistent among the trees. At least for Scots pine, a single core is unlikely to be a reliable representative of the whole stem in the respect of elemental content. A few research directions to overcome the uncertainty has been discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/2/281dendrochemistrytree-ringselemental contentX-ray fluorescent analysisScots pine
spellingShingle Vladimir L. Gavrikov
Alexey I. Fertikov
Vladimir E. Vidus
Ruslan A. Sharafutdinov
Eugene A. Vaganov
Elemental Variability in Stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.: Whether a Single Core Can Represent All the Stem
Diversity
dendrochemistry
tree-rings
elemental content
X-ray fluorescent analysis
Scots pine
title Elemental Variability in Stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.: Whether a Single Core Can Represent All the Stem
title_full Elemental Variability in Stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.: Whether a Single Core Can Represent All the Stem
title_fullStr Elemental Variability in Stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.: Whether a Single Core Can Represent All the Stem
title_full_unstemmed Elemental Variability in Stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.: Whether a Single Core Can Represent All the Stem
title_short Elemental Variability in Stems of <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.: Whether a Single Core Can Represent All the Stem
title_sort elemental variability in stems of i pinus sylvestris i l whether a single core can represent all the stem
topic dendrochemistry
tree-rings
elemental content
X-ray fluorescent analysis
Scots pine
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/2/281
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