Climate Response of Oxygen Isotopic Compositions in Tree-Ring Cellulose in Java: Evaluation Using a Proxy System Model

Tree-ring cellulose oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O) is controlled by several hydrological factors such as precipitation, relative humidity, and temperature. A proxy system model can reveal how these factors affect tree-ring cellulose δ18O. In this study, to identify a key control on tree-ring cellulose δ18O variations, we performed model calculation of year-to year variation of tree-ring cellulose δ18O of Javanese teak in Indonesia from 1960 to 1998. Our model results reasonably reproduce the observed δ18O values and their temporal variations (r = 0.6; p < 0.001). Moreover, the sensitivity test shows that the cellulose δ18O values are sensitive to the teak growing period. The simulation result with earlier or later shifts of the growing period captured the amplitude of observed δ18O variations over 39 years. These results indicate that the tree-ring cellulose δ18O of Javanese teak might be influenced by a subtle shift of the intra-annual growing period.