Climate sensitivity and parameter coherency in annually resolved δ13C and δ18O from Pinus uncinata tree-ring data in the Spanish Pyrenees

• We present annually resolved δ13C and δ18O time series from five individual pines.
• δ13C and δ18O data reflect climate variability over the western Mediterranean Basin.
• Applied δ13C correction procedures significantly affect the obtained climate signal.
• Uncertainty inherent to δ13C correction trials can affect climate reconstructions.

We explore the 20th century climate sensitivity of annually resolved carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in five Pinus uncinata individuals from the upper treeline in ~ 2400 m asl of the Spanish Pyrenees. Time series of δ13C and δ18O are calibrated against temperature, precipitation, and drought indices over the period 1901–2009. Negative correlations of δ13C with summer precipitation and drought indices, as well as positive correlations with summer temperatures, confirm previous evidence from similar habitats in the Pyrenees. In contrast to this summer climate signal in the carbon isotopes, the δ18O record reveals mainly negative correlations with spring precipitation and drought. We explore the coherence between δ13C and δ18O time series derived from individual trees and assess the influence of widely applied δ13C correction procedures on the climate signal strength. Spatial correlation patterns and decomposition of the time series into high- and low-frequency components are used to develop a calibration setup for carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, which will improve long-term climate reconstructions in a region, where classical tree-ring width and density data are limited.