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![[Translate to Englisch:] isotope tree1 Schematische Darstellung der Isotopenverteilung in einem Baum.](/typo3conf/ext/wsl_template/Resources/Public/Images/lazyloading-placeholder.png)
We use stable isotope ratios of the light elements hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen as universal tool for studying physical, chemical and biological processes in forests and other ecosystems. Due to natural isotope fractionations, environmental changes leave unique fingerprints in organic matter, like tree rings. It is therefore possible to detect the influence of ongoing climate changes on plant physiology. By applying isotopically labelled substrate, matter fluxes through plants and soil can be traced and better understood.
We have isotope-Ratio mass-spectrometers and dedicated periphery for the analysis of organic matter, gas samples and water samples. With HPLC and GC we apply compound-specific isotope ratio analysis of sugars and organic acids.
Additional isotope mass-spectrometers are operated by the Zentrallabor WSL.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Isotope Bigboy Blick in unser Isotopenlabor: Rechts ist das Massenspektrometer zu sehen, links das Gerät zur Auftrennung der Komponenten.](/typo3conf/ext/wsl_template/Resources/Public/Images/lazyloading-placeholder.png)
New instrument: Laser-Ablation Isotope Ratio Mass-Spectrometer (LA-IRMS)

This instrument enables high-resolution isotope analysis of organic matter like tree rings and is able to provide the necessary temporal information for better understanding the linkage between climate drivers, plant internal processes and tree growth.
The LA-IRMS set-up consists of a UV-laser for ablating small pieces of a wood samples, a Cryoflex for collection of produced CO2 with liquid nitrogen traps and an Isotope-ratio mass-spectrometer to measure stable carbon isotope ratio d13C. The laser shoots on a sample which is in a sealed chamber. The chamber is mounted on a 3D-movable table for precise positioning. The resulting organic dust from the laser ablation is transported with helium through an oven for combustion to CO2. To have enough material, a spot size of 100µm (0.1 mm) is optimal. The laser ablation of this amount of material is sufficient for a reliable analysis. However, higher spatial resolution down to 30 µm is possible when material from several shots are combined.
XiBox – Experimental facility for future forest research
To study how trees respond to the future climate, we have set up a new experimental facility, the XiBox – Experimental Box for high-resolution plant gas-exchange and isotope research under extreme conditions.
The XiBox is currently housed in a wooden, sound-insulated box and is probably unique in the world in its construction and composition. The box is equipped with electrics, water, internet, measurement and calibration gases, air conditioning and an automated valve switching system. Inside the box, a new climate chamber of about 2 square metres enables to grow and treat trees or other plants under very controlled temperature (up to 42°C), humidity, and light conditions, enabling to simulate dry summers and heat waves of the future.
Using state-of-the-art gas exchange equipment, we can study plant physiological processes, such as photosynthesis and transpiration, online and at high resolution. At the same time, two isotope laser spectrometers enable high-resolution analyses of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios of H2O and CO2, which provide even deeper insights into plant functions and enables tracer experiments.
The multifunctional XiBox is located at the large-scale laboratory at WSL Birmensdorf, expanding the infrastructure of WSL for novel forest research.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Publications
Vitali, V.; Peters, R.L.; Lehmann, M.M.; Leuenberger, M.; Treydte, K.; Büntgen, U.; Schuler, P.; Saurer, M., 2023: Tree-ring isotopes from the Swiss Alps reveal non-climatic fingerprints of cyclic insect population outbreaks over the past 700 years. Tree Physiology, doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpad014
Zhang, Y.; Yang, Y.; Saurer, M.; Schaub, M.; Gessler, A.; Lehmann, M.M.; Rigling, A.; Walser, M.; Stierli, B.; Hajjar, N.; Christen, D.; Li, M., 2023: Sugar infusion into trees: a novel method to study tree carbon relations and its regulations. Frontiers in Plant Science, 14: 1142595 (11 pp.). doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1142595
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Porter, T.J.; Zharkov, M.S.; Fonti, M.V.; Barinov, V.V.; Taynik, A.V.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Knorre, A.A.; Wegmann, M.; Trushkina, T.V.; Koshurnikova, N.N.; Vaganov, E.A.; Myglan, V.S.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Saurer, M., 2023: Climate impacts on tree-ring stable isotopes across the Northern Hemispheric boreal zone. Science of the Total Environment, 870: 161644 (15 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161644
Tang, Y.; Sahlstedt, E.; Young, G.; Schiestl-Aalto, P.; Saurer, M.; Kolari, P.; Jyske, T.; Bäck, J.; Rinne-Garmston, K.T., 2023: Estimating intraseasonal intrinsic water-use efficiency from high-resolution tree-ring δ13C data in boreal Scots pine forests. New Phytologist, 237, 5: 1606-1619. doi: 10.1111/nph.18649
Saurer, M.; Sahlstedt, E.; Rinne-Garmston, K.T.; Lehmann, M.M.; Oettli, M.; Gessler, A.; Treydte, K., 2023: Progress in high-resolution isotope-ratio analysis of tree rings using laser ablation. Tree Physiology, doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpac141
Tang, Y.; Schiestl-Aalto, P.; Lehmann, M.M.; Saurer, M.; Sahlstedt, E.; Kolari, P.; Leppä, K.; Bäck, J.; Rinne-Garmston, K.T., 2023: Estimating intra-seasonal photosynthetic discrimination and water use efficiency using δ13C of leaf sucrose in Scots pine. Journal of Experimental Botany, 74, 1: 321-335. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac413
Churakova-Sidorova, O.V.; Myglan, V.S.; Fonti, M.V.; Naumova, O.V.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Kalugin, I.A.; Babich, V.V.; Falster, G.M.; Vaganov, E.A.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Saurer, M., 2022: Modern aridity in the Altai-Sayan mountain range derived from multiple millennial proxies. Scientific Reports, 12: 7752 (10 pp.). doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-11299-1
Ryhti, K.; Schiestl-Aalto, P.; Tang, Y.; Rinne-Garmston, K.T.; Ding, Y.; Pumpanen, J.; Biasi, C.; Saurer, M.; Bäck, J.; Kulmala, L., 2022: Effects of variable temperature and moisture conditions on respiration and nonstructural carbohydrate dynamics of tree roots. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 323: 109040 (16 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.109040
Cong, Y.; Saurer, M.; Bai, E.; Siegwolf, R.; Gessler, A.; Liu, K.; Han, H.; Dang, Y.; Xu, W.; He, H.S.; Li, M., 2022: In situ13CO2 labeling reveals that alpine treeline trees allocate less photoassimilates to roots compared to low-elevation trees. Tree Physiology, 42, 10: 1943-1956. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpac048
Murazzi, M.E.; Cherubini, P.; Brunner, I.; Kägi, R.; Saurer, M.; Ballikaya, P.; Hagedorn, F.; Al Sid Cheikh, M.; Onandia, G.; Gessler, A., 2022: Can forest trees take up and transport nanoplastics?. iForest, 15, 2: 128-132. doi: 10.3832/ifor4021-015
Hajek, P.; Link, R.M.; Nock, C.A.; Bauhus, J.; Gebauer, T.; Gessler, A.; Kovach, K.; Messier, C.; Paquette, A.; Saurer, M.; Scherer‐Lorenzen, M.; Rose, L.; Schuldt, B., 2022: Mutually inclusive mechanisms of drought‐induced tree mortality. Global Change Biology, 28, 10: 3365-3378. doi: 10.1111/gcb.16146
Bose, A.K.; Rigling, A.; Gessler, A.; Hagedorn, F.; Brunner, I.; Feichtinger, L.; Bigler, C.; Egli, S.; Etzold, S.; Gossner, M.M.; Guidi, C.; Lévesque, M.; Meusburger, K.; Peter, M.; Saurer, M.; Scherrer, D.; Schleppi, P.; Schönbeck, L.; Vogel, M.E.; ... Schaub, M., 2022: Lessons learned from a long‐term irrigation experiment in a dry Scots pine forest: impacts on traits and functioning. Ecological Monographs, 92, 2: e1507 (18 pp.). doi: 10.1002/ecm.1507
Rehschuh, R.; Rehschuh, S.; Gast, A.; Jakab, A.; Lehmann, M.M.; Saurer, M.; Gessler, A.; Ruehr, N.K., 2022: Tree allocation dynamics beyond heat and hot drought stress reveal changes in carbon storage, belowground translocation and growth. New Phytologist, 233, 2: 687-704. doi: 10.1111/nph.17815
Tang, Y.; Schiestl-Aalto, P.; Saurer, M.; Sahlstedt, E.; Kulmala, L.; Kolari, P.; Ryhti, K.; Salmon, Y.; Jyske, T.; Ding, Y.; Bäck, J.; Rinne-Garmston, K.T., 2022: Tree organ growth and carbon allocation dynamics impact the magnitude andδ13C signal of stem and soil CO2 fluxes. Tree Physiology, 24, 12: 2404-2418. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpac079
Leppä, K.; Tang, Y.; Ogée, J.; Launiainen, S.; Kahmen, A.; Kolari, P.; Sahlstedt, E.; Saurer, M.; Schiestl-Aalto, P.; Rinne-Garmston, K.T., 2022: Explicitly accounting for needle sugar pool size crucial for predicting intra-seasonal dynamics of needle carbohydrates δ18O and δ13C. New Phytologist, 236, 6: 2044-2060. doi: 10.1111/nph.18227
Diao, H.; Schuler, P.; Goldsmith, G.R.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Saurer, M.; Lehmann, M.M., 2022: Technical note: on uncertainties in plant water isotopic composition following extraction by cryogenic vacuum distillation. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 26, 22: 5835-5847. doi: 10.5194/hess-26-5835-2022
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Fonti, M.V.; Barinov, V.V.; Zharkov, M.S.; Taynik, A.V.; Trushkina, T.V.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Arzac, A.; Saurer, M., 2022: Towards the third millennium changes in Siberian triple tree-ring stable isotopes. Forests, 13, 6: 934 (15 pp.). doi: 10.3390/f13060934
Saurer, M.; Cherubini, P., 2022: Tree physiological responses after biotic and abiotic disturbances revealed by a dual isotope approach. Tree Physiology, 42, 1: 1-4. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpab036
Knorre, A.A.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Saurer, M.; Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Prokushkin, A.S., 2022: Fire as a major factor in dynamics of tree-growth and stable δ13C and δ18O variations in larch in the permafrost zone. Forests, 13, 5: 725 (17 pp.). doi: 10.3390/f13050725
Churakova, O.V.; Porter, T.J.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Myglan, V.S.; Fonti, M.V.; Vaganov, E.A., 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings of boreal forests. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 581-603. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_20
Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Savard, M.M.; Grams, T.E.E.; Voelker, S., 2022: Impact of increasing CO2, and air pollutants (NOx, SO2, O3) on the stable isotope ratios in tree rings. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, J.R.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 675-710. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_24
Saurer, M.; Voelker, S., 2022: Intrinsic water-use efficiency derived from stable carbon isotopes of tree-rings. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 481-498. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_17
Roden, J.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W., 2022: Probing tree physiology using the dual-isotope approach. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Saurer, M.; Roden, J. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 463-479. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_16
Andreu-Hayles, L.; Lévesque, M.; Guerrieri, R.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Körner, C., 2022: Limits and strengths of tree-ring stable isotopes. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 399-428. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_14
Gessler, A.; Ferrio, J.P., 2022: Postphotosynthetic fractionation in leaves, phloem and stem. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 381-396. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_13
Savard, M.M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W., 2022: Nitrogen isotopes in tree rings—Challenges and prospects. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 361-380. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_12
Rathgeber, C.B.K.; Pérez-de-Lis, G.; Fernández-de-Uña, L.; Fonti, P.; Rossi, S.; Treydte, K.; Gessler, A.; Deslauriers, A.; Fonti, M.V.; Ponton, S., 2022: Anatomical, developmental and physiological bases of tree-ring formation in relation to environmental factors. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 61-99. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_3
Frank, D.; Fang, K.; Fonti, P., 2022: Dendrochronology: fundamentals and innovations. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 21-59. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_2
Schuler, P.; Cormier, M.; Werner, R.A.; Buchmann, N.; Gessler, A.; Vitali, V.; Saurer, M.; Lehmann, M.M., 2022: A high temperature water vapor equilibration method to determine non‐exchangeable hydrogen isotope ratios of sugar, starch, and cellulose. Plant, Cell and Environment, 45, 1: 12-22. doi: 10.1111/pce.14193
Gessler, A.; Bächli, L.; Freund, E.R.; Treydte, K.; Schaub, M.; Haeni, M.; Weiler, M.; Seeger, S.; Marshall, J.; Hug, C.; Zweifel, R.; Hagedorn, F.; Rigling, A.; Saurer, M.; Meusburger, K., 2022: Drought reduces water uptake in beech from the drying topsoil, but no compensatory uptake occurs from deeper soil layers. New Phytologist, 233, 1: 194-206. doi: 10.1111/nph.17767
Wang, A.; Lehmann, M.M.; Rigling, A.; Gessler, A.; Saurer, M.; Du, Z.; Li, M., 2022: There is no carbon transfer between scots pine and pine mistletoe but the assimilation capacity of the hemiparasite is constrained by host water use under dry conditions. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13: 902705 (11 pp.). doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.902705
Battipaglia, G.; Cherubini, P., 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings of Mediterranean forests. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, J.R.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 605-629. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_21
Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, J.R.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Tree physiology, 8. 773 p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4
Rinne-Garmston, K.T.; Helle, G.; Lehmann, M.M.; Sahlstedt, E.; Schleucher, J.; Waterhouse, J.S., 2022: Newer developments in tree-ring stable isotope methods. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 215-249. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_7
Lehmann, M.M.; Schuler, P.; Cormier, M.; Allen, S.T.; Leuenberger, M.; Voelker, S., 2022: The stable hydrogen isotopic signature: from source water to tree rings. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, R.J.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2022: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 331-359. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_11
Farahat, E.; Cherubini, P.; Saurer, M.; Gärtner, H., 2022: Wood anatomy and tree-ring stable isotopes indicate a recent decline in water-use efficiency in the desert tree Moringa peregrina. International Journal of Biometeorology, 66: 127-137. doi: 10.1007/s00484-021-02198-7
Leonelli, G.; Bollati, I.M.; Cherubini, P.; Saurer, M.; Vergari, F.; Del Monte, M.; Pelfini, M., 2022: Tree-ring stable isotopes indicate mass wasting processes at Radicofani in the upper Orcia Valley (Tuscany, Italy). Science of the Total Environment, 812: 152428 (13 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152428
Vitali, V.; Martínez-Sancho, E.; Treydte, K.; Andreu-Hayles, L.; Dorado-Liñán, I.; Gutierrez, E.; Helle, G.; Leuenberger, M.; Loader, N.; Rinne-Garmston, K.T.; Schleser, G.H.; Allen, S.; Waterhouse, J.S.; Saurer, M.; Lehmann, M.M., 2022: The unknown third - hydrogen isotopes in tree-ring cellulose across Europe. Science of the Total Environment, 813: 152281 (15 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152281
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Fonti, M.V.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Knorre, A.A.; Trushkina, T.V.; Myglan, V.S.; Vaganov, E.A.; Saurer, M., 2021: Response of temperature-limited forests to recent moisture changes derived from tree-ring stable carbon isotopes. Russian Journal of Ecology, 52, 5: 368-375. doi: 10.1134/S1067413621050052
Zharkov, M.S.; Fonti, M.V.; Trushkina, T.V.; Barinov, V.V.; Taynik, A.V.; Porter, T.J.; Saurer, M.; Churakova, O.V., 2021: Mixed temperature-moisture signal in δ18O records of boreal conifers from the permafrost zone. Atmosphere, 12, 11: 1416 (22 pp.). doi: 10.3390/atmos12111416
Churakova Sidorova, O.V.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Fonti, M.V.; Vaganov, E.A.; Saurer, M., 2021: Spring arctic oscillation as a trigger of summer drought in Siberian subarctic over the past 1494 years. Scientific Reports, 11, 1: 19010 (10 pp,). doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-97911-2
Seiler, R.; Hajdas, I.; Saurer, M.; Houlié, N.; D'Arrigo, R.; Kirchner, J.W.; Cherubini, P., 2021: Tree‐ring stable isotopes and radiocarbon reveal pre‐ and post‐eruption effects of volcanic processes on trees on Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy). Ecohydrology, 14, 8: e2340 (15 pp.). doi: 10.1002/eco.2340
Vitali, V.; Klesse, S.; Weigt, R.; Treydte, K.; Frank, D.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W., 2021: High-frequency stable isotope signals in uneven-aged forests as proxy for physiological responses to climate in Central Europe. Tree Physiology, 41, 11: 2046-2062. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpab062
Büntgen, U.; Urban, O.; Krusic, P.J.; Rybníček, M.; Kolář, T.; Kyncl, T.; Ač, A.; Koňasová, E.; Čáslavský, J.; Esper, J.; Wagner, S.; Saurer, M.; Tegel, W.; Dobrovolný, P.; Cherubini, P.; Reinig, F.; Trnka, M., 2021: Recent European drought extremes beyond Common Era background variability. Nature Geoscience, 14, 4: 190-196. doi: 10.1038/s41561-021-00698-0
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Myglan, V.S.; Fonti, M.V.; Saurer, M., 2021: Isotopic responses to dry and wet episodes as captured in tree rings of southern Altai relict forests. European Journal of Forest Research, 140: 527-535. doi: 10.1007/s10342-020-01338-9
Ouyang, S.; Gessler, A.; Saurer, M.; Hagedorn, F.; Gao, D.; Wang, X.; Schaub, M.; Li, M.; Shen, W.; Schönbeck, L., 2021: Root carbon and nutrient homeostasis determines downy oak sapling survival and recovery from drought. Tree Physiology, 41, 8: 1400-1412. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpab019
Walthert, L.; Ganthaler, A.; Mayr, S.; Saurer, M.; Waldner, P.; Walser, M.; Zweifel, R.; Von Arx, G., 2021: From the comfort zone to crown dieback: sequence of physiological stress thresholds in mature European beech trees across progressive drought. Science of the Total Environment, 753: 141792 (14 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141792
Gagen, M.; Battipaglia, G.; Daux, V.; Duffy, J.; Dorado-Liñán, I.; Andreu Hayles, L.; Martínez-Sancho, E.; McCarroll, D.; Shestakova, T.A.; Treydte, K., 2021: Climate signals in stable isotope tree-ring records. In: Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Brooks, J.R.; Roden, J.; Saurer, M. (eds), 2021: Stable isotopes in tree rings. Inferring physiological, climatic and environmental responses. Cham, Springer. 537-579. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-92698-4_19
Miranda, J.C.; Lehmann, M.M.; Saurer, M.; Altman, J.; Treydte, K., 2021: Insight into Canary Island pine physiology provided by stable isotope patterns of water and plant tissues along an altitudinal gradient. Tree Physiology, 41, 9: 1611-1626. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpab046
Altman, J.; Saurer, M.; Dolezal, J.; Maredova, N.; Song, J.; Ho, C.; Treydte, K., 2021: Large volcanic eruptions reduce landfalling tropical cyclone activity: evidence from tree rings. Science of the Total Environment, 775: 145899 (8 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145899
Wang, A.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Joseph, J.; Thomas, F.M.; Werner, W.; Gessler, A.; Rigling, A.; Schaub, M.; Saurer, M.; Li, M.; Lehmann, M.M., 2021: Effects of soil moisture, needle age and leaf morphology on carbon and oxygen uptake, incorporation and allocation: a dual labeling approach with 13CO2 and H218O in foliage of a coniferous forest. Tree Physiology, 41, 1: 50-62. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa114
Lehmann, M.M.; Vitali, V.; Schuler, P.; Leuenberger, M.; Saurer, M., 2021: More than climate: Hydrogen isotope ratios in tree rings as novel plant physiological indicator for stress conditions. Dendrochronologia, 65: 125788 (5 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.dendro.2020.125788
Timofeeva, G.; Treydte, K.; Bugmann, H.; Salmon, Y.; Rigling, A.; Schaub, M.; Vollenweider, P.; Siegwolf, R.; Saurer, M., 2020: How does varying water supply affect oxygen isotope variations in needles and tree rings of Scots pine?. Tree Physiology, 40, 10: 1366-1380. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa082
Peters, R.L.; Miranda, J.C.; Schönbeck, L.; Nievergelt, D.; Fonti, M.V.; Saurer, M.; Stritih, A.; Fonti, P.; Wermelinger, B.; Von Arx, G.; Lehmann, M.M., 2020: Tree physiological monitoring of the 2018 larch budmoth outbreak: preference for leaf recovery and carbon storage over stem wood formation in Larix decidua. Tree Physiology, 40: 1697-1711. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa087
Miranda, J.C.; Rodríguez-Calcerrada, J.; Pita, P.; Saurer, M.; Oleksyn, J.; Gil, L., 2020: Carbohydrate dynamics in a resprouting species after severe aboveground perturbations. European Journal of Forest Research, 139: 841-852. doi: 10.1007/s10342-020-01288-2
Lehmann, M.M.; Goldsmith, G.R.; Mirande‐Ney, C.; Weigt, R.B.; Schönbeck, L.; Kahmen, A.; Gessler, A.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Saurer, M., 2020: The 18O‐signal transfer from water vapour to leaf water and assimilates varies among plant species and growth forms. Plant, Cell and Environment, 43, 2: 510-523. doi: 10.1111/pce.13682
Kirdyanov, A.V.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.; Knorre, A.A.; Prokushkin, A.S.; Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Fonti, M.V.; Büntgen, U., 2020: Long-term ecological consequences of forest fires in the continuous permafrost zone of Siberia. Environmental Research Letters, 15, 3: 034061 (11 pp.). doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ab7469
Joseph, J.; Gao, D.; Backes, B.; Bloch, C.; Brunner, I.; Gleixner, G.; Haeni, M.; Hartmann, H.; Hoch, G.; Hug, C.; Kahmen, A.; Lehmann, M.M.; Li, M.; Luster, J.; Peter, M.; Poll, C.; Rigling, A.; Rissanen, K.A.; Ruehr, N.K.; ... Gessler, A., 2020: Rhizosphere activity in an old-growth forest reacts rapidly to changes in soil moisture and shapes whole-tree carbon allocation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America PNAS, 117, 40: 24885-24892. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2014084117
Churakova-Sidorova, O.V.; Lienert, S.; Timofeeva, G.; Siegwolf, R.; Roden, J.; Joos, F.; Saurer, M., 2020: Measured and modelled source water δ18O based on tree-ring cellulose of larch and pine trees from the permafrost zone. iForest, 13, 3: 224-229. doi: 10.3832/ifor3212-013
Churakova Sidorova, O.V.; Corona, C.; Fonti, M.V.; Guillet, S.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Stoffel, M.; Vaganov, E.A., 2020: Recent atmospheric drying in Siberia is not unprecedented over the last 1,500 years. Scientific Reports, 10: 15024 (8 pp.). doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-71656-w
Battipaglia, G.; Awada, T.; Aus Der Au, R.; Innangi, M.; Saurer, M.; Cherubini, P., 2020: Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations outweighs effects of stand density in determining growth and water use efficiency in Pinus ponderosa of the semi-arid grasslands of Nebraska (U.S.A.). Global Ecology and Conservation, 24: e01274 (11 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01274
Sabella, E.; Moretti, S.; Gärtner, H.; Luvisi, A.; De Bellis, L.; Vergine, M.; Saurer, M.; Cherubini, P., 2020: Increase in ring width, vessel number and δ18O in olive trees infected with Xylella fastidiosa. Tree Physiology, 40, 11: 1583-1594. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa095
Churakova, O.V.; Fonti, M.V.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Saurer, M.; Myglan, V.S., 2020: Impact of recent climate change on water-use efficiency strategies of Larix sibirica in the Altai-Sayan mountain range. Forests, 11, 10: 1103 (11 pp.). doi: 10.3390/f11101103
Lehmann, M.M.; Egli, M.; Brinkmann, N.; Werner, R.A.; Saurer, M.; Kahmen, A., 2020: Improving the extraction and purification of leaf and phloem sugars for oxygen isotope analyses. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 34, 19: e8854 (10 pp.). doi: 10.1002/rcm.8854
Pandey, S.; Cherubini, P.; Saurer, M.; Carrer, M.; Petit, G., 2020: Effects of climate change on treeline trees in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest, Central Himalaya). Journal of Vegetation Science, 31, 6: 1146-1155. doi: 10.1111/jvs.12921
Bose, A.K.; Gessler, A.; Bolte, A.; Bottero, A.; Buras, A.; Cailleret, M.; Camarero, J.J.; Haeni, M.; Hereş, A.; Hevia, A.; Lévesque, M.; Linares, J.C.; Martinez-Vilalta, J.; Matías, L.; Menzel, A.; Sánchez-Salguero, R.; Saurer, M.; Vennetier, M.; Ziche, D.; Rigling, A., 2020: Growth and resilience responses of Scots pine to extreme droughts across Europe depend on predrought growth conditions. Global Change Biology, 26, 8: 4521-4537. doi: 10.1111/gcb.15153
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Fonti, M.V.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Myglan, V.S.; Barinov, V.V.; Sviderskaya, I.V.; Naumova, O.V.; Ovchinnikov, D.V.; Shashkin, A.V.; Saurer, M.; Guillet, S.; Corona, C.; Fonti, P.; Panyushkina, I.P.; Büntgen, U.; Hughes, M.K.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Stoffel, M.; Vaganov, E.A., 2020: Eco-physiological response of conifers from high-latitude and -altitude Eurasian regions to stratospheric volcanic eruptions. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Biology, 13, 1: 5-24. doi: 10.17516/1997-1389-0313
Leonelli, G.; Battipaglia, G.; Cherubini, P.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Maugeri, M.; Stenni, B.; Fumagalli, M.L.; Pelfini, M.; Maggi, V., 2019: Tree-ring δ18O from an Alpine catchment reveals changes in glacier stream water inputs between 1980 and 2010. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 51, 1: 250-264. doi: 10.1080/15230430.2019.1623607
Shestakova, T.A.; Voltas, J.; Saurer, M.; Berninger, F.; Esper, J.; Andreu‐Hayles, L.; Daux, V.; Helle, G.; Leuenberger, M.; Loader, N.J.; Masson‐Delmotte, V.; Saracino, A.; Waterhouse, J.S.; Schleser, G.H.; Bednarz, Z.; Boettger, T.; Dorado‐Liñán, I.; Filot, M.; Frank, D.; ... Gutiérrez, E., 2019: Spatio‐temporal patterns of tree growth as related to carbon isotope fractionation in European forests under changing climate. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 28, 9: 1295-1309. doi: 10.1111/geb.12933
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Lehmann, M.M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Saurer, M.; Fonti, M.V.; Schmid, L.; Timofeeva, G.; Rinne-Garmston, K.T.; Bigler, C., 2019: Compound-specific carbon isotope patterns in needles of conifer tree species from the Swiss National Park under recent climate change. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 139: 264-272. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2019.03.016
Lehmann, M.M.; Ghiasi, S.; George, G.M.; Cormier, M.; Gessler, A.; Saurer, M.; Werner, R.A., 2019: Influence of starch deficiency on photosynthetic and post-photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionations. Journal of Experimental Botany, 70, 6: 1829-1841. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erz045
Zalloni, E.; Battipaglia, G.; Cherubini, P.; Saurer, M.; De Micco, V., 2019: Wood growth in pure and mixed Quercus ilex L. forests: drought influence depends on site conditions. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10: 397 (14 pp.). doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00397
Awada, T.; Skolaut, K.; Battipaglia, G.; Saurer, M.; Riveros-Iregui, D.A.; Schapaugh, A.; Huddle, J.; Zhou, X.; Martin, D.; Cherubini, P., 2019: Tree-ring stable isotopes show different ecophysiological strategies in native and invasive woody species of a semiarid riparian ecosystem in the Great Plains of the United States. Ecohydrology, 12, 3: e2074 (13 pp.). doi: 10.1002/eco.2074
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Fonti, M.V.; Saurer, M.; Guillet, S.; Corona, C.; Fonti, P.; Myglan, V.S.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Naumova, O.V.; Ovchinnikov, D.V.; Shashkin, A.V.; Panyushkina, I.P.; Büntgen, U.; Hughes, M.K.; Vaganov, E.A.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Stoffel, M., 2019: Siberian tree-ring and stable isotope proxies as indicators of temperature and moisture changes after major stratospheric volcanic eruptions. Climate of the Past, 15, 2: 685-700. doi: 10.5194/cp-15-685-2019
Aus der Au, R.; Awada, T.; Hiller, J.; Battipaglia, G.; Saurer, M.; Cherubini, P., 2018: Tree rings of Pinus ponderosa and Juniperus virginiana show different responses to stand density and water availability in the Nebraska grasslands. American Midland Naturalist, 180, 1: 18-36. doi: 10.1674/0003-0031-180.1.18
Lehmann, M.M.; Goldsmith, G.T.; Schmid, L.; Gessler, A.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W., 2018: The effect of 18O-labelled water vapour on the oxygen isotope ratio of water and assimilates in plants at high humidity. New Phytologist, 217, 1: 105-116. doi: 10.1111/nph.14788
Klesse, S.; Weigt, R.; Treydte, F.; Saurer, M.; Schmid, L.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Frank, D.C., 2018: Oxygen isotopes in tree rings are less sensitive to changes in tree size and relative canopy position than carbon isotopes. Plant, Cell and Environment, 41, 12: 2899-2914. doi: 10.1111/pce.13424
Gessler, A.; Cailleret, M.; Joseph, J.; Schönbeck, L.; Schaub, M.; Lehmann, M.; Treydte, K.; Rigling, A.; Timofeeva, G.; Saurer, M., 2018: Drought induced tree mortality - a tree-ring isotope based conceptual model to assess mechanisms and predispositions. New Phytologist, 219, 2: 485-490. doi: 10.1111/nph.15154
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Guillet, S.; Saurer, M.; Corona, Ch.; Siegwolf, R.; Fonti, M.; Myglan, V.; Vaganov, E.; Stoffel, M., 2018: Exploring stable carbon isotopes in Siberian tree-rings as a potential indicator of precipitation changes after major volcanic eruptions. In: Sviderskaya, I.; Helle, G.; Gärtner, H. (eds), 2018: TRACE. Tree Rings in Archaeology, Climatology and Ecology. Volume 16. Proceedings of the dendrosymposium 2017. May 16th - 21st, 2017 in Svetlogorsk, Russia. 16. TRACE conference "Tree Rings in Archaeology, Climatology and Ecology", Svetlogorsk, Russia. 40-45.
Weigt, R.B.; Streit, K.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W., 2018: The influence of increasing temperature and CO2 concentration on recent growth of old-growth larch: contrasting responses at leaf and stem processes derived from tree-ring width and stable isotopes. Tree Physiology, 38, 5: 706-720. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpx148
Zalloni, E.; Battipaglia, G.; Cherubini, P.; Saurer, M.; De Micco, V., 2018: Contrasting physiological responses to Mediterranean climate variability are revealed by intra-annual density fluctuations in tree rings of Quercus ilex L. and Pinus pinea L.. Tree Physiology, 38, 8: 1213-1224. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpy061
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Lehmann, M.M.; Saurer, M.; Fonti, M.V.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Bigler, C., 2018: Compound-specific carbon isotopes and concentrations of carbohydrates and organic acids as indicators of tree decline in mountain pine. Forests, 9, 6: 363 (12 pp.). doi: 10.3390/f9060363
Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Saurer, M.; Bryukhanova, M.; Siegwolf, R.; Bigler, C., 2018: Water-use strategies of conifer trees from the Swiss National Park to recent climatic changes. In: Bauch, K. (eds), 2018: Conference volume, 6th symposium for research in protected areas. 6th symposium for research in protected areas, Salzburg, Austria. 107-110.
Lehmann, M.M.; Gamarra, B.; Kahmen, A.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Saurer, M., 2017: Oxygen isotope fractionations across individual leaf carbohydrates in grass and tree species. Plant, Cell and Environment, 40, 8: 1658-1670. doi: 10.1111/pce.12974
Keller, K.M.; Lienert, S.; Bozbiyik, A.; Stocker, T.F.; Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Frank, D.C.; Klesse, S.; Koven, C.D.; Leuenberger, M.; Riley, W.J.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.; Weigt, R.B.; Joos, F., 2017: 20th century changes in carbon isotopes and water-use efficiency: tree-ring-based evaluation of the CLM4.5 and LPX-Bern models. Biogeosciences, 14, 10: 2641-2673. doi: 10.5194/bg-14-2641-2017
Blees, J.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Ulevicius, V.; Prevôt, A.S.H.; Dommen, J.; Lehmann, M.M., 2017: Oxygen isotope analysis of levoglucosan, a tracer of wood burning, in experimental and ambient aerosol samples. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 31, 24: 2101-2108. doi: 10.1002/rcm.8005
Shestakova, T.A.; Voltas, J.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Kirdyanov, A.V., 2017: Warming effects on Pinus sylvestris in the cold-dry Siberian forest-steppe: positive or negative balance of trade?. Forests, 8, 12: 490 (21 pp.). doi: 10.3390/f8120490
Timofeeva, G.; Treydte, K.; Bugmann, H.; Rigling, A.; Schaub, M.; Siegwolf, R.; Saurer, M., 2017: Long-term effects of drought on tree-ring growth and carbon isotope variability in Scots pine in a dry environment. Tree Physiology, 37, 8: 1028-1041. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpx041
Galiano, L.; Timofeeva, G.; Saurer, M.; Siegwolf, R.; Martínez-Vilalta, J.; Hommel, R.; Gessler, A., 2017: The fate of recently fixed carbon after drought release: towards unravelling C storage regulation in Tilia platyphyllos and Pinus sylvestris. Plant, Cell and Environment, 40, 9: 1711-1724. doi: 10.1111/pce.12972
Petrucco, L.; Nardini, A.; Von Arx, G.; Saurer, M.; Cherubini, P., 2017: Isotope signals and anatomical features in tree rings suggest a role for hydraulic strategies in diffuse drought-induced die-back of Pinus nigra. Tree Physiology, 37: 523-535. doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpx031
Bryukhanova, M.V.; Fonti, P.; Kirdyanov, A.V.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Saurer, M.; Pochebyt, N.P.; Churakova (Sidorova), O.V.; Prokushkin, A.S., 2015: The response of δ13C, δ18O and cell anatomy of Larix gmelinii tree rings to differing soil active layer depths. Dendrochronologia, 34: 51-59. doi: 10.1016/j.dendro.2015.05.002
Frank, D.C.; Poulter, B.; Saurer, M.; Esper, J.; Huntingford, C.; Helle, G.; Treydte, K.; Zimmermann, N.E.; Schleser, G.H.; Ahlström, A.; Ciais, P.; Friedlingstein, P.; Levis, S.; Lomas, M.; Sitch, S.; Viovy, N.; Andreu-Hayles, L.; Bednarz, Z.; Berninger, F.; ... Weigl, M., 2015: Water-use efficiency and transpiration across European forests during the Anthropocene. Nature Climate Change, 5, 6: 579-581. doi: 10.1038/nclimate2614
Esper, J.; Konter, O.; Krusic, P.J.; Saurer, M.; Holzkämper, S.; Büntgen, U., 2015: Long-term summer temperature variations in the Pyrenees from detrended stable carbon isotopes. Geochronometria, 42, 1: 53-59. doi: 10.1515/geochr-2015-0006
Lévesque, M.; Siegwolf, R.; Saurer, M.; Eilmann, B.; Rigling, A., 2014: Increased water-use efficiency does not lead to enhanced tree growth under xeric and mesic conditions. New Phytologist, 203, 1: 94-109. doi: 10.1111/nph.12772
Eilmann, B.; Buchmann, N.; Siegwolf, R.; Saurer, M.; Cherubini, P.; Rigling, A., 2010: Fast response of Scots pine to improved water availability reflected in tree-ring width and δ13C. Plant, Cell and Environment, 33, 8: 1351-1360. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2010.02153.x
Saurer, M.; Cherubini, P.; Bonani, G.; Siegwolf, R., 2003: Tracing carbon uptake from a natural CO2 spring into tree rings: an isotope approach. Tree Physiology, 23, 14: 997-1004. doi: 10.1093/treephys/23.14.997
Rebetez, M.; Saurer, M.; Cherubini, P., 2003: To what extent can oxygen isotopes in tree rings and precipitation be used to reconstruct past atmospheric temperature? A case study. Climatic Change, 61, 1-2: 237-248. doi: 10.1023/A:1026369000246
Saurer, M.; Schweingruber, F.; Vaganov, E.A.; Shiyatov, S.G.; Siegwolf, R., 2002: Spatial and temporal oxygen isotope trends at the northern tree-line in Eurasia. Geophysical Research Letters, 29, 9: 1296 (4 pp.). doi: 10.1029/2001gl013739
Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Matyssek, R.; Saurer, M.; Maurer, S.; Günthardt-Goerg, M.s.; Schmutz, P.; Bucher, J.B., 2001: Stable isotope analysis reveals differential effects of soil nitrogen dioxide on the water use efficiency in hybrid poplar leaves. New Phytologist, 149, 2: 233-246. doi: 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2001.00032.x
Schleppi, P.; Bucher-Wallin, I.; Siegwolf, R.; Saurer, M.; Muller, N.; Bucher, J.B., 1999: Simulation of increased nitrogen deposition to a montane forest ecosystem: partitioning of the added 15N. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 116, 1-2: 129-134. doi: 10.1023/A:1005206927764
Bucher, J.B.; Tarjan, D.P.; Siegwolf, R.T.W.; Saurer, M.; Blum, H.; Hendrey, G.R., 1998: Growth of a deciduous tree seedling community in response to elevated CO2 and nutrient supply. Chemosphere, 36, 4–5: 777-782. doi: 10.1016/S0045-6535(97)10123-0
Saurer, M.; Borella, S.; Schweingruber, F.; Siegwolf, R., 1997: Stable carbon isotopes in tree rings of beech: climatic versus site-related influences. Trees: Structure and Function, 11, 5: 291-297. doi: 10.1007/s004680050087
Matyssek, R.; Günthardt-Goerg, M.S.; Schmutz, P.; Saurer, M.; Landolt, W.; Bucher, J.B., 1997: Response mechanisms of birch and poplar to air pollutants. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 6, 1-2: 3-22. doi: 10.1300/J091v06n01_02