title: A technical perspective in modern tree-ring research--how to overcome dendroecological and wood anatomical challenges.
abstract: Dendroecological research uses information stored in tree rings to understand how single trees and even entire forest ecosystems responded to environmental changes and to finally reconstruct such changes. This is done by analyzing growth variations back in time and correlating various plant-specific parameters to (for example) temperature records. Integrating wood anatomical parameters in these analyses would strengthen reconstructions, even down to intra-annual resolution. We therefore present a protocol on how to sample, prepare, and analyze wooden specimen for common macroscopic analyses, but also for subsequent microscopic analyses. Furthermore we introduce a potential solution for analyzing digital images generated from common small and large specimens to support time-series analyses. The protocol presents the basic steps as they currently can be used. Beyond this, there is an ongoing need for the improvement of existing techniques, and development of new techniques, to record and quantify past and ongoing environmental processes. Traditional wood anatomical research needs to be expanded to include ecological information to this field of research. This would support dendro-scientists who intend to analyze new parameters and develop new methodologies to understand the short and long term effects of specific environmental factors on the anatomy of woody plants.
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; holger.gaertner@wsl.ch.
authors: Holger
authors: H
authors: Gärtner
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Cherubini
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Fonti
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
authors: Georg
authors: G
authors: von Arx
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
authors: Loïc
authors: L
authors: Schneider
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Nievergelt
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Verstege
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Bast
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
authors: Fritz H
authors: FH
authors: Schweingruber
authors: Landscape Dynamics / Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.
authors: Ulf
authors: U
authors: Büntgen
mesh_terms: D004463:Ecology / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D013696:Temperature; D014197:Trees / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D014934:Wood / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*