Carbon isotope variation within trunks of Japanese cedars from Yakushima Island, southern Japan

Abstract

Three-dimensional maps of stable carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C) are presented for wood trunks of Japanese cedars (Cryptomeria japonica) from Yakushima Island, southern Japan. The variations in δ¹³C within the wood trunks of both young cedars and a giant Japanese cedar with 1846 annual rings are very small (±0.1‰ on average), suggesting that fossil wood and small wood fragments collected from archeological sites and drill-cores of sediments could be applied to the studies of paleo-environment.