Event Title
Dendroclimatic reconstruction of the climate of the Northern British Columbia Interior and its relationship to wood and fibre development
Description
Our paper introduces an ongoing research program intended to reveal the long-term relationships that exist between wood anatomy and climate. The underlying goal is to investigate the climate dynamics of key wood and fibre properties within the trees of northern interior British Columbia. The research requires the collection of wood samples at a network of sites selected to maximize any inherent dendroclimatic signals. Analysis of the samples involves an investigation of sub-annual changes in wood density and anatomy using an ITRAX direct scanning densitometer and SilviScan technology. Highresolution time-series of wood density and fibre parameters are being established and the data is being compiled into annually and subannually resolved tree-ring indexed chronologies using standardized dendrochronological procedures. Radial growth within the historical instrumental record is correlated to the annual and subannual increments to identify the degree to which stem growth in select species is affected by long-term and ongoing changes in precipitation and air temperature regimes. To date, Douglas-fir and white/Engelmann spruce chronologies have been successfully cross-dated to develop annual indices back to 1600 A.D. We expect that discerning the role that climates have played in wood formation over the past 400 years will assist forest managers to anticipate and plan for changes in forest productivity and end use, to accompany ongoing climate changes in this region.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
8-3-2008 8:00 AM
Subject - LCSH
Dendrochronology--British Columbia; British Columbia--Climate
End Date
8-3-2008 5:00 PM
Session
Forest Science I
Genre/Form
abstracts (summaries)
Type
event
Geographic Coverage
British Columbia;
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Keywords
dendroclimatology, wood properties, x-ray densitometry, SilviScan
Dendroclimatic reconstruction of the climate of the Northern British Columbia Interior and its relationship to wood and fibre development
Our paper introduces an ongoing research program intended to reveal the long-term relationships that exist between wood anatomy and climate. The underlying goal is to investigate the climate dynamics of key wood and fibre properties within the trees of northern interior British Columbia. The research requires the collection of wood samples at a network of sites selected to maximize any inherent dendroclimatic signals. Analysis of the samples involves an investigation of sub-annual changes in wood density and anatomy using an ITRAX direct scanning densitometer and SilviScan technology. Highresolution time-series of wood density and fibre parameters are being established and the data is being compiled into annually and subannually resolved tree-ring indexed chronologies using standardized dendrochronological procedures. Radial growth within the historical instrumental record is correlated to the annual and subannual increments to identify the degree to which stem growth in select species is affected by long-term and ongoing changes in precipitation and air temperature regimes. To date, Douglas-fir and white/Engelmann spruce chronologies have been successfully cross-dated to develop annual indices back to 1600 A.D. We expect that discerning the role that climates have played in wood formation over the past 400 years will assist forest managers to anticipate and plan for changes in forest productivity and end use, to accompany ongoing climate changes in this region.