Carbon and hydrogen isotopes of taraxerol in mangrove leaves and sediment cores: Implications for paleo-reconstructions

•Taraxerol hydrogen isotope fractionation factor negatively correlated with salinity in both R. mangle and L. racemosa.•Taraxerol δ13C values negatively correlated with salinity in R. mangle, whereas the opposite trend was observed in L. racemosa.•Stable isotopes of taraxerol in mangrove leaves were imprinted in surface sediments.•Early diagenesis may not significantly alter δ2H values of taraxerol.•Early diagenesis potentially enriched δ13C values of taraxerol by up to 1.1‰.