Evidence of declining trees resilience under long term heavy metal stress combined with climate change heating

Abstract Annually resolved tree rings enable us to distinguish past pollution and climate change effects on chronic tree decline, which affects significant areas around the world. The aim of the current study was to establish a pattern for the assimilation of heavy metals in regular and declining Quercus robur L. trees. Using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), ICP-MS, and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), the present and historical changes in element levels were investigated. Twenty different environmental species, including water, soil, sediments, mushrooms, acorn, leaves, branches, bark, and wood, were analyzed. Time profiles of elements in earlywood tree rings were investigated. We demonstrated higher HM contamination in the present background with increasing Pb and Cd levels. The presence of Li and Sr in groundwater was reported for the first time. We found significant differences (p