Are there approaches to change or manipulate the stable isotope ratio of (large dead) wood (e.g. a cut tree trunk or tree branch) to allow tracing of xylophagus organism?
Hi Johannes, this is an interesting question. I am no expert on this and I guess it will be difficult ( + time consuming + expensive), though not impossible. it seems that detectable 13C labelling has already been done see here for an example http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.12266/abstract
Anyhow, I wonder if that signal will be strong (and long-lasting) enough to track trophic interactions.
Best
Gregor
Dear Dr. Radinger,
you confined your question to stable isotopes. The radio-carbon system is therefore excluded from this issue by definition. Which sort of isotopes do you think about ? And what is the scope of this study ?
Best regards
Harald G. Dill
O18 cellulose extracted from wood is the most used to study climate variations (paleoclimate). Tree rings Such parameters as tree ring width and wood density-have long-been used as climate proxies By Many investigators. In the last Decades, Numerous studies-have Demonstrated the potential of carbon stable isotope ratios in tree rings as proxy indicators of past climatic condition.But Anyhow, I wonder if that signal will be strong (and long-lasting) enough to track trophic interactions.
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