When walking through the forests of
the Adirondacks it is hard to imagine that some of the trees could have been
“seedlings around the time Columbus was born.” While many of the trees in the
Adirondacks are not this old, they still possess the ability to tell us a lot
about the past. As children, we all
learned about counting tree rings to determine the age of the tree, but
scientists are able to obtain so much more information from these rings. Dendrology is the study of trees and scientists are able to assess the variations in the tree
rings to learn about past environmental conditions.
Dendrologists can go into the park,
preferably looking at old growth forests, and take core samples. With these
samples we can discover what years were conducive for growing. The rings
would be wider because the tree had access to plenty of sunlight and rain.
Alternatively thinner rings represent periods of drought. We could also see when the park experienced forest fires or insect infestations. Dendrology provides
us with another way to model past climates and examine how they have varied
throughout time.
Using this knowledge to learn about
past climates, paired with written historical accounts could give us a more
holistic look at the history of the park. These tree cores are like the
personal narratives of the trappers or farmers who worked the land centuries
ago. They tell a story of a harsh and wild land. Not only does dendrology illuminate
the past, but also allows us to predict future climate models. There is a lot
more to trees than their exterior shows. Next time you hike in the park, think
about what the trees around you have to say, what they could tell you about
their past and what might happen in the future.
The
Adirondacks: The History of America’s First Wilderness, Paul Schneider
Dendrochronology is extremely relevant to discovering the past climatology of the Adirondacks, and will be a key to future generations as they study our current climate. With this in mind, it seems even more pertinent that we prevent logging in numerous different climates so we can preserve this natural indicators. Although the ecological degradation caused by logging can eventually be recovered through reclamation of these areas, logging wipes out this ancient trees. I read a book called The Wild Trees, by Richard Preston, which talked about the impact of logging redwoods and trees in the temperate rainforests on the west coast. The main character of this nonfiction book tried to find the oldest redwood in this area, a feat that was extremely difficult given that many areas no longer had old growth. In order to find these massive, ancient trees, he had to look at maps that estimated the location of tiny tracks of land that had not been logged. The preserved areas of the Adirondacks are currently very well protected, so trees will hopefully have long lives, but in other forests around the world, old growth forests are at a greater risk. I hope that we realize the importance of protecting these areas.
ReplyDeleteYour comment about Columbus makes me wonder just how old the oldest trees in the park are. It would be really interesting to look into the history of the older trees in the virgin forests. We didn't learn much about the park before settlement, so I feel like it would be really cool to gain some insights into the climate and growth before human interaction.
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