Tree-ring analysis in natural hazards research – an overview

Abstract. The understanding of geomorphic processes and knowledge of past events are important tasks for the assessment of natural hazards. Tree rings have on varied occasions proved to be a reliable tool for the acquisition of data on past events. In this review paper, we provide an overview on the use of tree rings in natural hazards research, starting with a description of the different types of disturbances by geomorphic processes and the resulting growth reactions. Thereafter, a summary is presented on the different methods commonly used for the analysis and interpretation of reactions in affected trees. We illustrate selected results from dendrogeomorphological investigations of geomorphic processes with an emphasis on fluvial (e.g., flooding, debris flows) and mass-movement processes (e.g., landslides, snow avalanche), where lots of data have been generated over the past few decades. We also present results from rockfall and permafrost studies, where data are much scarcer, albeit data from tree-ring studies have proved to be of great value in these fields as well. Most studies using tree rings have focused on alpine environments in Europe and North America, whereas other parts of the world have been widely neglected by dendrogeomorphologists so far. We therefore challenge researchers to focus on other regions with distinct climates as well, to look on less frequently studied processes as well and to broaden and improve approaches and methods commonly used in tree-ring research so as to allow a better understanding of geomorphic processes, natural hazards and risk.

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Geomorphologie und Jahrringe – Feldmethoden in der Dendrogeomorphologie | Geomorphology and tree rings – field methods in dendrogeomorphology

Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen ◽

10.3188/szf.2004.0198 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 155 (6) ◽

pp. 198-207 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Holger Gärtner ◽

Jan Esper ◽

Kerstin Treydte

Keyword(s):

Tree Ring ◽

Temporal Resolution ◽

Tree Rings ◽

Site Selection ◽

Field Methods ◽

Tree Ring Analysis ◽

Local Reference ◽

Ring Analysis ◽

Geomorphic Processes ◽

Selection Of

In terms of the spatiotemporal reconstruction of geomorphic processes the application of tree-ring analysis has the highest level of temporal resolution in geomorphology. Dating and the resulting reconstructions can be assigned to exact calendar years, sometimes even to specific seasons. To guarantee this,one has to take into account that there are great differences between methods in the field and other tree-ring related fields of research. Following site selection a detailed relief analysis and process must be carried out in order to determine and select those trees obviously disturbed by these processes. The method of sampling is of the utmost importance. Selection of the samples must be based on the estimated kind of disturbance and therefore corresponds to the specific disturbance of a given species and not to the site being investigated. Furthermore,in order to be able to accurately date the disturbances it is absolutely essential to produce a local reference chronology.

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Tree Ring-Based Estimation of Landslide Areal Reactivation as a Fundament of Magnitude–Frequency Assessment

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11040400 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 400

Author(s):

Karel Šilhán

Keyword(s):

Urban Planning ◽

Tree Ring ◽

Power Law ◽

Hazard Assessment ◽

Mass Movement ◽

Precise Method ◽

Geological Materials ◽

The Past ◽

Different Types ◽

Translational Slide

Magnitude–frequency (M–F) relationships represent important information on slope deformation and are used in hazard assessment or as supporting data for urban planning. Various approaches have been used to extract such relationships in the past, but most of these methods drove at the problem of exact events´ frequency determination. Dendrogeomorphic (tree ring-based) approaches are actually thought to be the most precise method of dating past mass movement events that occurred within the last several centuries. Together with information on the spatial positions of the analysed trees, they represent a potentially very valuable tool for reconstructing M–F relationships, although their use for this purpose has been very rare in the past. In this study, M–F relationships are reconstructed using dendrogeomorphic methods for three landslides of different types (a translational slide, a flow-like slide, and a rotational slide) occurring in different geological materials (thick-bedded flysch, limestone marls, and volcanic breccia). In total, 572 disturbed trees were analysed, and chronologies of mass movement events were built. Landslide magnitudes were expressed in three ways: (i) the value of the standard It index; (ii) the area, as determined using homogenous morphological units; and (iii) the area, as determined using tree buffers. The power-law nature of M–F relationships was confirmed for all the landslides that were studied and using all the approaches that were applied. All of the combinations of results yielded high correlation values; nevertheless, differences were noted. The advantages and limitations of each approach used to reconstruct M–F relationships are also discussed.

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Tree-Ring Analysis of Intermediate Hawthorn (Crataegus media Bechst.) in NW Poland

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12010029 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 29

Author(s):

Anna Cedro ◽

Bernard Cedro

Keyword(s):

Tree Ring ◽

Tree Rings ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Dominant Factor ◽

Incremental Growth ◽

High Precipitation ◽

Ring Analysis ◽

Uncultivated Land ◽

Nw Poland

Intermediate hawthorn (Crataegus × media Bechst.) is broadly distributed in Europe but very rarely examined by dendrochronologists. In NW Poland, it is one of three naturally occurring hawthorn species, growing mainly at forest margins, along roads, in mid-field woodlots, and on uncultivated land. Biocenotically, it is a very valuable species. This study aimed to determine the age of trees, tree-ring dynamics, and growth–climate relationship for intermediate hawthorn. Signature years were also determined. Samples for analysis were collected from 22 trees growing in a typical agricultural landscape in a monospecific mid-field woodlot comprised of several hundred specimens of various ages and forms (shrubs and trees). Using classic methods of dendrochronological dating, a 40-year long chronology spanning 1981–2020 was constructed. The radial growth rate of intermediate hawthorn is comparable to other tree species forming stands in NW Poland and equals 2.41 mm/year. Considerable intersubject variability is noted, from 1.48 to 4.44 mm/year. The chronology was also used for dendroclimatological analyses, including correlation and response function and signature years. Of the meteorological parameters analyzed, annual incremental growth in hawthorn is the most strongly shaped by precipitation totals from May to August of the current vegetation year: high rainfall favors the formation of wide tree-rings. Statistically significant growth–climate relationships were also obtained for winter months (December of the preceding vegetation year, January and February), for which period negative correlation and regression values are noted for air temperature and insolation. Furthermore, high precipitation, low-temperature and low insolation late in the preceding vegetation year (especially in August) make a positive influence on the condition of trees in the upcoming growing season. Signature year analysis clearly pointed to precipitation as the dominant factor in shaping tree-rings in the studied hawthorn population. As there are no dendrochronological papers concerning indigenous hawthorn species, future studies should be expanded to include diverse geographic locations and habitat conditions and should include all three species of hawthorn occurring in Poland.

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From Dendrochronology to Allometry

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11020146 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 146 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Franco Biondi

Keyword(s):

Tree Ring ◽

Tree Rings ◽

Tree Growth ◽

Scientific Inquiry ◽

Population Biology ◽

Wood Formation ◽

Allometric Relationships ◽

Growth Study ◽

Accurate Identification ◽

Ring Analysis

The contribution of tree-ring analysis to other fields of scientific inquiry with overlapping interests, such as forestry and plant population biology, is often hampered by the different parameters and methods that are used for measuring growth. Here I present relatively simple graphical, numerical, and mathematical considerations aimed at bridging these fields, highlighting the value of crossdating. Lack of temporal control prevents accurate identification of factors that drive wood formation, thus crossdating becomes crucial for any type of tree growth study at inter-annual and longer time scales. In particular, exactly dated tree rings, and their measurements, are crucial contributors to the testing and betterment of allometric relationships.

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Retrospective analysis of growth A contribution to sustainable forest management in the tropics

IAWA Journal ◽

10.1163/22941932-20170173 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 297-S21 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Neda Lotfiomran ◽

Michael Köhl

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Tree Ring ◽

Tree Rings ◽

Tree Species ◽

Sustainable Forest Management ◽

Cedrela Odorata ◽

Tree Ring Analysis ◽

Hymenaea Courbaril ◽

Ring Analysis

Reliable information on tree growth is a prerequisite for sustainable forest management (SFM). However, in tropical forests its implementation is often hampered by insufficient knowledge of the growth dynamics of trees. Although tree ring analysis of tropical trees has a long history, its application for SFM has only recently been considered. In the current study, we illustrate both the potentials and limitations of a retrospective growth assessment by tree ring analysis under the prevailing tropical conditions in a Surinamese rain forest. For this purpose, 38 commercial tree species were screened and grouped into three categories according to the visibility of their tree ring boundaries: (I) tree rings absent or indistinct, (II) distinct but partially vague tree rings which enable approximate age estimation, (III) very distinct tree rings. In 22 out of 38 commercial tree species distinct to very distinct tree ring boundaries could be identified. The anatomy of tree ring boundaries was described following Worbes and Fichtler (2010). Four species with distinct growth rings, Cedrela odorata, Hymenaea courbaril, Pithecellobium corymbosum and Goupia glabra, were studied in greater detail. Time-series analysis was used to characterise their radial growth. From the tree ring width, the annual diameter increment and cumulative diameter growth were calculated to find long-term growth patterns. Pithecellobium corymbosum and partially Hymenaea courbaril followed a typical S-shaped growth curve. By contrast, Goupia glabra and Cedrela odorata did not exhibit an age-related decrease of growth, but showed a constant linear growth over their entire life span. If based on more sample trees, such data can provide target-oriented information for improving SFM in tropical forests.

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Dendrogeomorphology of Different Landslide Types: A Review

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12030261 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 261

Author(s):

Karel Šilhán

Keyword(s):

Tree Ring ◽

Specific Growth ◽

Signal Extraction ◽

Climate Variations ◽

High Importance ◽

Growth Disturbances ◽

Landslide Activity ◽

Absolute Dating ◽

Ring Analysis ◽

Geomorphic Processes

The dating of past landslide events is one of the most crucial aspects of landslide research, leading to a better understanding of past landslide activity. Landslides can be extremely dangerous natural hazards, and thus, solving the relationships between their activity and climate variations is of high importance. For these purposes, data about past landslide activity are fundamental for such analyses. Various methods of landslide absolute dating exist, but the most precise approach that dates back several centuries is based on tree-ring analysis (dendrogeomorphology). Landslide movements can affect the growth of trees in response to specific growth disturbances. Although dendrogeomorphic methods are successfully used for dating other geomorphic processes, their use in landslide research is actually the most frequent. Dendrogeomorphic research on landslides is strongly influenced by general approaches of landslide signal extraction from tree-ring series of disturbed trees and by the type of landslide (varying by morphology, material and mechanism of movement). This study provides an overview of basic aspects of dendrogeomorphic research on landslides, and more specifically, it reviews basic tree-ring-based approaches of landslide dating. Presented review focuses on various landslide types and their effect on dendrogeomorphic dating. This review is built from the extensive database of all accessible dendrogeomorphic studies of landslides from 1893 to 2020. Moreover, recommendations for specific sampling and approach choice in individual landslide types are presented. Finally, limits of tree-ring-based approaches are presented, including provided proposals for further research.

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John F. Shroder, Jr.’s 1978 and 1980 papers on dendrogeomorphology

Progress in Physical Geography Earth and Environment ◽

10.1177/0309133313501107 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 37 (5) ◽

pp. 717-721 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

David R. Butler ◽

Markus Stoffel

Keyword(s):

Tree Ring ◽

Index Number ◽

Quantitative Index ◽

Research Papers ◽

Tree Ring Analysis ◽

Event Response ◽

Process Event ◽

Ring Analysis ◽

Geomorphic Processes

Dendrogeomorphology is the application of tree-ring analysis for the dating of geomorphic processes. Although defined elsewhere, Shroder (1978, 1980) provided the foundation and methodologies for dendrogeomorphology that continue to underpin the discipline more than 30 years after the publication of his research papers. His process-event-response methodology and development of a semi-quantitative index number are techniques employed or discussed in virtually every recent paper within the field of dendrogeomorphology.

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Assessment of the Contamination by 14C Airborne Releases in the Vicinity of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant

Radiocarbon ◽

10.1017/rdc.2019.77 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 61 (5) ◽

pp. 1185-1197 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Algirdas Pabedinskas ◽

Evaldas Maceika ◽

Justina Šapolaitė ◽

Žilvinas Ežerinskis ◽

Laurynas Juodis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Power Plant ◽

Nuclear Power Plant ◽

Tree Ring ◽

Tree Rings ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Atmospheric Dispersion ◽

Measurement Data ◽

Analysis Data ◽

Dispersion Modeling ◽

Ring Analysis

ABSTRACTA radiocarbon (14C) activity analysis in the tree rings around Ignalina nuclear power plant (INPP) has been carried out with the aim to test the hypothesis to use 14C tree-ring analysis data as a tool for the reconstruction of gaseous releases from NPP to the environment. The INPP has been in decommissioning state since the end of 2009. Tree-ring samples for 14C analysis were collected 7 yr after final power unit shutdown from the INPP vicinity. The samples from 5 sampling locations were collected, prepared and measured using the Single Stage Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (SSAMS). Data analysis represents observable Ignalina NPP influence by 14C increase up to 15 pMC (percent modern carbon) in tree rings. Good correlations of the 14C concentrations and wind direction were obtained. The main purpose of this article was to match 14C measurement data along with the atmospheric dispersion modeling of emissions in order to retrospectively characterize the emission source.

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Radiocarbon Impact on a Nearby Tree of a Light-Water VVER-Type Nuclear Power Plant, Paks, Hungary

Radiocarbon ◽

10.1017/s0033822200057982 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 826-832 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

R Janovics ◽

Z Kern ◽

D Güttler ◽

L Wacker ◽

I Barnabás ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Power Plant ◽

Nuclear Power Plant ◽

Tree Ring ◽

Tree Rings ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Pressurized Water Reactor ◽

Concentration Data ◽

Pressurized Water ◽

The Past ◽

Background Area

Tree-ring series were collected for radiocarbon analyses from the vicinity of Paks nuclear power plant (NPP) and a background area (Dunaföldvár) for a 10-yr period (2000–2009). Samples of holocellulose were prepared from the wood and converted to graphite for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C measurement using the MICADAS at ETH Zürich. The 14C concentration data from these tree rings was compared to the background tree rings for each year. The global decreasing trend of atmospheric 14C activity concentration was observed in the annual tree rings both in the background area and in the area of the NPP. As an average of the past 10 yr, the excess 14C emitted by the pressurized-water reactor (PWR) NPP to the atmosphere shows only a slight systematic excess (∼6′) 14C in the annual rings. The highest 14C excess was 13′ (in 2006); however, years with the same 14C level as the background were quite frequent in the tree-ring series.

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Dendrochronological dating of landslides in western Oregon: Searching for signals of the Cascadia A.D. 1700 earthquake

Geological Society of America Bulletin ◽

10.1130/b35269.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 132 (7-8) ◽

pp. 1775-1791

Author(s):

William T. Struble ◽

Joshua J. Roering ◽

Bryan A. Black ◽

William J. Burns ◽

Nancy Calhoun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tree Ring ◽

Tree Rings ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Slope Instability ◽

Coast Range ◽

14C Dating ◽

Oregon Coast Range ◽

Oregon Coast ◽

Tree Ring Analysis ◽

Ring Analysis

Abstract Large-magnitude earthquakes and hydrologic events in mountainous settings commonly trigger thousands of landslides, and slope failures typically constitute a significant proportion of the damage associated with these events. Large, dormant deep-seated landslides are ubiquitous in the Oregon Coast Range, western United States, yet a method for calculating landslide ages with the precision required to diagnose a specific triggering event, including the A.D. 1700 Cascadia earthquake, has remained elusive. Establishing a compelling connection between prehistoric slope instability and specific triggers requires landslide ages with precision greater than that provided by 14C dating of detrital materials. Tree-ring analysis is the only known method capable of determining landslide age with this precision. Dozens of landslide-dammed lakes in western Oregon present an opportunity to use tree rings from drowned snags, or “ghost forests,” to establish the year of death, and thus landsliding. We cross-dated tree-ring indices from drowned Douglas fir trees with live tree-ring records from the Oregon Coast Range that exhibit synchronous, time-specific patterns due to regional climate variations. Our analyses determined that the landslides responsible for creating Wasson and Klickitat Lakes occurred in A.D. 1819 and 1751, respectively. The 14C dates from selected tree rings and landslide deposit detritus are consistent with our tree-ring analysis, although the ages exhibit high variability, revealing the limitations of using 14C dating alone. Because dendrochronology provides annual precision for landsliding, sampling of tree rings at additional landslide-dammed lakes throughout the Oregon Coast Range can be used to constrain the potential effects of ground motion and major storms on Cascadia landscapes.

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