Comparison of dendroclimatic relationships using multiple tree-ring indicators (tree-ring width and δ13C) from Masson pine

This study addressed the effects of climate drivers on the tree-ring width (TRW) parameters (total ring width (TR), earlywood width (EW) and latewood width (LW)) and the total ring δ13C series of different wood components (whole wood, α-cellulose and holocelluose) from Masson pine in subtropical China. Pairwise correlation coefficients between three ring width parameters were statistically significant. EW and LW did not reveal much stronger climate sensitivity rather than TR. This indicated that the use of intra-annual ring width has little benefit in extracting more climate information. The mean δ13C series of the three components of the total ring had the strongest climate response to the July–September relative humidity (r = −0.792 (whole wood), −0.758 (holocellulose) and −0.769 (α-cellulose)). There are no significant differences in the dendroclimatic relationships of the δ13C series of different wood components. Through both stationary temporal and spatial-statistical perspectives, the moisture drivers (summer/autumn) had a significant impact on three ring width parameters and three components of Masson pine. Overall, the radial growth and the δ13C series showed different responses to the same climate drivers during the same period. Moreover, the R-squared values of the strongest climate-proxy correlation coefficients were smaller than 50% for TRW. Consequently, the δ13C series of Masson pine may be a more representative climate proxy than TRW parameters for dendroclimatology in subtropical China.