树轮木质素甲氧基稳定氢同位素比率测定方法研究进展

在森林树木合成的有机化合物中,氢元素(H)主要源于大汽水,经植物光合与生理代谢参与生物地球化学循环。近年来,树轮木质素甲氧基稳定氢同位素比率(δ²H_LM)作为新的古气候和古环境研究的代用指标,重建了多个地区的降水稳定同位素比率及气候变化信息,展现了其特有的优势。本文综述了现有树轮δ²H_LM测定的详细分析方法和基本原理,从树轮木质素含量、单体组成等方面对树轮δ²H_LM测定方法的稳定性和有效性进行评价,阐述了树轮木质素甲氧基稳定同位素指标现有研究成果。中纬度地区森林树轮δ²H_LM在记录气温变化和降水稳定同位素变化等方面有着巨大的潜力。但是树轮δ²H_LM的研究尚处于起步阶段,主要表现为: 1) 研究区局限于北半球中纬度地区,研究对象局限于针叶树种;2) 高分辨率树轮δ²H_LM研究有待开展,以弥补硝化纤维稳定氢同位素记录的局限;3) 树轮δ²H_LM在植物生理和森林生态研究方面的潜力有待开发。

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

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.