The use of stomatal frequency from three Australian evergreen tree species as a proxy indicator of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration

Scarr, Mark J (2011) The use of stomatal frequency from three Australian evergreen tree species as a proxy indicator of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. PhD thesis, Victoria University.

Abstract

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) is the main contributing factor to anthropogenically derived global climate change. The impact of climate change upon terrestrial ecosystems is still uncertain. If information can be obtained on how past fluctuations in [CO2] and temperature has affected terrestrial communities this knowledge can increase our understanding as to how future climate change may impact upon modern-day ecosystems. Foliar stomatal frequency analysis is a proxy-CO2 measure that may provide estimates of atmospheric [CO2] from subfossil or fossil leaf material. Currently, the majority of the research in this field has been conducted on deciduous Northern Hemisphere species including extant and fossil material. Southern Hemisphere fossil species are currently under-represented in the fossil proxy-CO2 database. The rate of climate change in the Southern Hemisphere is less than that experienced in the Northern Hemisphere, so using Northern Hemisphere derived training sets to provide Southern Hemisphere CO2 estimates may introduce confounding errors. Therefore, the use of Southern Hemisphere training sets on Southern Hemisphere fossil material will provide more accurate atmospheric CO2 estimations. This thesis will contribute to the field of knowledge by determining the applicability of three Southern Hemisphere evergreen tree species to be used as potential proxy-CO2 indicator species.

Item type Thesis (PhD thesis)
URI https://vuir.vu.edu.au/id/eprint/16044
Subjects Historical > Faculty/School/Research Centre/Department > Institute for Sustainability and Innovation (ISI)
Historical > FOR Classification > 0502 Environmental Science and Management
Keywords stomatal frequency, stomata, foliar stomatal frequency, stomatal proxy studies, stomatal density, palaeo-stomatal frequency analysis, Australian evergreens, evergreen trees, proxy indicators, atmospheric, carbon dioxide concentration, carbon dioxide, anthropogenic climate change, climate change, climate changes, CO2, CO2 emissions, proxy-CO2 indicator species, greenhouse gases, morphological, subambient CO2 gradients, Australia, Southern Hemisphere, Victoria, Acacia melanoxylon, Eucalyptus oblique, Acmena smithi
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