Given the prevailing uncertainties surrounding regional climate variability in southeastern Brazil, it is necessary to explore proxy records. The present dendrochronological study investigates the climate variations in the Neotropical estuarine system of the Rio Doce basin based on tree-rings records of 40 trees of Terminalia catappa Linn. The study demonstrates that annual growth rings of the species record the variations in regional precipitation, streamflow of the Rio Doce basin and surface temperature of the south Atlantic ocean. The variation in the South Atlantic Ocean Dipole Index (SAODI) directly affects precipitation and indirectly influences growth ring increment. The strong synchrony among the trees highlights the marked effect of precipitation seasonality regulated by SAODI. The trees exhibit robust growth during the dry period when Rio Doce's rains and streamflow decrease, emphasizing the potential of this chronology for climate and hydrological monitoring. The chronology of T. catappa, despite being short, is the first to provide information on the climate variability of a South America estuary ecosystem. Future studies should verify the influences of precipitation and SAODI on the growth of long-lived species aiming climate reconstructions in the region.

中文翻译：

---

Terminalia catappa Linn 的树木年轮。以及南美洲热带河口的气候变异


鉴于巴西东南部区域气候变率普遍存在不确定性，有必要探索代理记录。本树木年代学研究根据 40 棵 Terminalia catappa Linn 树木的年轮记录调查了 Rio Doce 盆地新热带河口系统的气候变化。研究表明，该物种的年轮记录了区域降水、Rio Doce 盆地径流和南大西洋表面温度的变化。南大西洋偶极子指数 （SAODI） 的变化直接影响降水，间接影响年轮增量。树木之间的强同步性突出了 SAODI 调节的降水季节性的显著效应。这些树木在 Rio Doce 的降雨和溪流减少的干旱时期表现出旺盛的生长，强调了这种年表在气候和水文监测方面的潜力。T. catappa 的年表尽管很短，但首次提供了有关南美洲河口生态系统气候变化的信息。未来的研究应验证降水和 SAODI 对长寿物种生长的影响，旨在重建该地区的气候。