Tree rings help scientists trace the influence of greenhouse gas emissions on 20th-century drought conditions.
dendrochronology
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Topography and Microclimate Shape Tree Ring Growth
Wizened bristlecone pines in California reveal past climate trends, and new research shows how slight variations in landscape position drive different growth patterns in trees’ annual rings.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
500 Years of Atmospheric River Landfalls in Southwestern USA
A network of tree-ring chronologies has been used to develop the first reconstruction of atmospheric river landfalls on the US Pacific Coast over the last 500 years.
Posted inNews
Tree Rings Tell a Tale of Wartime Privations
In occupied Norway during World War II, the German navy deployed thick chemical fog to protect a precious battleship. The effects are still detectable in trees.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Impact of Hurricanes and Nor’easters on Coastal Forests
Scientists trace severe storms’ effects through tree ring growth patterns.
Posted inNews
How Do Trees Respond to Climate Change? Clues from an Arboretum
The rich diversity of trees at arboreta may allow scientists to home in on the specific traits that allow trees to grow faster or slower in response to warming temperatures.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
California's 2012–2014 Drought Unusual for Last Millennium
Soil moisture estimates, inferred from thousands of tree rings spanning the past 12 centuries, highlight the severity of the recent record-breaking drought.