Abstract Maximum latewood density (MXD) measurements from high-elevation/-latitude sites are an important proxy for summer temperature reconstructions. Here, we present 201 MXD series from living larch (Larix decidua Mill.) trees that were growing at around 850 and 1450 m a.s.l. in the Slovakian Tatra Mountains, together with 56 MXD series from historical timbers of the same species and region. We explore the climate signal at the high- and low-elevation sites and assess the effects of varying temperature and precipitation regimes on MXD formation. Ranging from spring temperature to summer precipitation, the elevation-specific climate sensitivity suggests that the MXD measurements from living and relict sources should not be merged for paleoclimatic studies. This finding emphasizes the challenge of attributing a predominant climate factor that controls wood formation across a wide range of historical constructions. A better understanding of the ‘true’ climate signal requires more samples during the period of overlap between the living and historical trees.

中文翻译：

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塔特拉山脉高低海拔落叶松 MXD 年代学的气候敏感性

摘要 来自高海拔/纬度地区的最大晚材密度 (MXD) 测量值是夏季温度重建的重要代表。在这里，我们展示了来自生长在斯洛伐克塔特拉山海拔 850 米和 1450 米左右的活落叶松 (Larix decidua Mill.) 树的 201 MXD 系列，以及来自同一物种和地区的历史木材的 56 MXD 系列。我们探索了高海拔和低海拔地点的气候信号，并评估了不同温度和降水状况对 MXD 形成的影响。从春季温度到夏季降水，海拔特定的气候敏感性表明，不应将活源和残存源的 MXD 测量合并用于古气候研究。这一发现强调了将控制木材形成的主要气候因素归因于广泛的历史建筑的挑战。要更好地了解“真实”气候信号，需要在现存树木和历史树木重叠期间采集更多样本。