A holocene CO₂ record from the stomatal index of subfossil Salix herbacea L. leaves from northern Sweden

Summary, in English

A stomatal-based method of palaeo-CO₂ estimation has been applied to a temporally detailed sequence of leaves from a high-latitude lake (68°N) in northern Sweden spanning the last 9000 years. The resulting atmospheric CO₂ reconstruction documents the onset of a gradual increase c. 5000 years before present indicating that the carbon cycle has not been in steady state over this time. Stable carbon isotope (δ¹³C) measurements of the subfossil leaves constrain the interpretation of the inferred changes in the operation of the global carbon cycle. The δ¹³C data reveal no marked or systematic shifts towards more negative values indicating that the CO₂ addition to the atmosphere 5000-1000 yr BP may have been predominantly of oceanic origin.

• Author: Mats Rundgren; David Beerling
• Publishing year: 1999-01-01
• Language: English
• Pages: 509-513
• Publication/Series: Holocene
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 5
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/095968399677717287
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Topic: Climate Research; Environmental Sciences; Geology
• Keywords: Carbon isotopes; CO reconstruction; Holocene; Stomata
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0959-6836