The isotopic composition of tree-ring cellulose was obtained over a two-year period from small diameter, riparian zone trees along an elevational transect in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, USA to test for a possible temperature dependence of net biological fractionation during cellulose synthesis. The isotope ratios of stream water varied by only 3.6% and 0.2% in deltaD and delta18O, respectively, over an elevation change of 810m. The similarity in stream water and macroenvironment over the short (13km) transect produced nearly constant stem and leaf water deltaD and delta18O values. In addition, what few seasonal variations observed in the isotopic composition of source water and atmospheric water vapor or in leaf water evaporative enrichment were experienced equally by all sites along the elevational transect. The temperature at each site along the transect spanned a range of > or = 5 degrees C as calculated using the adiabatic lapse rate. Since the deltaD and delta18O values of stem and leaf water varied little for these trees over this elevation/temperature transect, any differences in tree-ring cellulose deltaD and delta18O values should have been associated with temperature effects on net biological fractionation. However, the slopes of the regressions of elevation versus the deltaD and delta18O values of tree-ring cellulose were not significantly different from zero indicating little or no temperature dependence of net biological fractionation. Therefore, cross-site climatic reconstruction studies using the isotope ratios of cellulose need not be concerned that temperatures during the growing season have influenced results.