Canadian Science Publishing, Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 10(33), p. 1905-1914
DOI: 10.1139/x03-109
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We reconstructed air temperature for two periods in the growth season from cell dimension and cell number variability in cross-dated tree rings of Larix cajanderi Mayr. from northeastern Siberia. Thirteen tree-ring chronologies based on cell size, cell wall thickness, and cell number were developed for AD 16421993. No clear evidence was found of an age-related trend in cell dimensions in the sampled materials, but cell numbers were correlated with cambial age. The chronologies contain strong temperature signals associated with the timing of xylem growth. We obtained reliable reconstructions of mean June temperature from the total cell number and JulySeptember temperature from the cell wall thickness of latewood. June temperature and JulySeptember temperature covaried for most of the period from AD 1642 to AD 1978. After that time, June temperature became cooler relative to JulySeptember temperature. This difference caused disproportional changes in earlywood tracheids because of the late start of growth and cool conditions in June followed by warming during the rest of the season. The identification of this unusual recent change has shown that intraseasonal resolution may be achieved by cell dimension and cell number chronologies.