A 3585-year ring-width dating chronology of Qilian juniper from the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

This article documents the development of a precisely dated and well-replicated long regional tree-ring width dating chronology for Qilian juniper (Juniperus przewalskii Kom.) from the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It involves specimens from 22 archeological sites, 24 living tree sites, and 5 standing snags sites in the eastern and northeastern Qaidam Basin, northwestern China. The specimens were cross-dated successfully among different groups of samples and among different sites. Based on a total of 1438 series from 713 trees, the chronology covers 3585 years and is the longest chronology by far in China. Comparisons with chronologies of the same tree species about 200 km apart suggest that this chronology can serve for dating purposes in a region larger than the study area. This study demonstrates the great potential of Qilian juniper for dendrochronological research.