Trees respond not only to climatic factors but also to other non-climatic factors. Branch of dendrochronology studying tree response to different environmental factors is called dendroecology. In dendroecology we are not so much focused into climate reconstruction, instead we are focused in studying tree response to extreme environmental conditions which are sometimes called stressors. Level of the stress is determined by comparing stressed trees and sites to the non-stressed and by carefully study of the temporal changes in tree growth. Trees can be subjected to biotic and abiotic stressors. Biotic stressors are, for example, insect outbreaks, human interventions in the forest (e.g. thinning, skidding), while abiotic factors can be drought, fire, ice break, avalanches, …

How does it work
Trees are growing in a certain environment, they cannot move when environmental conditions deteriorate, however trees do respond to changes with increment decrease or increase, or changes can also be visible in the wood anatomical structure of the annual radial increment (e.g. increase in number of resin ducts, missing latewood,…). We will study this changes and trying to see what happens with the trees in the past and how they responded.

What will you learn?

• How to select the plots and how to perform sampling of the trees
• Tree-ring measurement, synchronization, dating and quality control using COEFCHA
• Standardization using either ARSTAN or dplR
• How to connect tree-ring data with environmental data and how to interpret anomalies in tree-rings
• Preparing and performing scientific presentation.

Staff

• Prof. Dr. Tom Levanič, professor of the forest management, Slovenian Forestry Institute
• Dr. Simon Poljanšek, specialized in dendroecology and dendroclimatology, Slovenian Forestry Institute