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ach year, a tree grows a new layer of wood under its bark. By counting these layers, called rings, you can discover the age of a tree. This year, after you take the decorations off your Christmas tree, count its rings! One ring equals one year. (The bark is not a ring.) Can you find out the age of your tree?
My name is Dr. Cypress Sapling. I’m a dendrochronologist. What’s that? Well, a dendrochronologist is a scientist who studies the rings of trees.
he rings of a tree can also show
what the climate of the forest was during different
years. Look at the tree trunk pictured above. Some of the rings are wide and some of them are thin. A wide ring tells us that this was a good year for growing. There was the right amount of water and sunlight. Drought causes slower growth and narrow rings. Dark spots tell us that the tree survived a fire that year.
My Christmas tree survived a fire one year. What year was that? In what year was my tree planted? Is my tree older than you? Find the ring that grew in 2021. Was this a good growing year for the tree?
By reading the rings of trees, dendrochronologists can read the story of our planet, stories that reside in living trees and in logs used to build ancient buildings. Tree rings have told of weather patterns that lead to severe fires. They have revealed century-long droughts, insect plagues, and times of volcanic eruptions. Standards Link: Life Science: When the environment changes, plant growth and survival are affected.
Standards Link: Math: Students use strategies, skills and concepts in finding solutions.
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© Vicki Whiting December 2024
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