New Zealand's Kauri Trees Hold Ancient Climate Record That Could Be Lost Within 10 Years

Treehugger:

Buried in New Zealand's peat bogs are more than 30,000 ancient climate records containing data that spans back to the last ice age. This data, stored in the rings of preserved kauri trees, is threatened by the demand for the prized timber.

Read the whole story: Treehugger

Comments

[Chickenfoot]

05:00 AM on 04/02/2010

Pssh, why should we give a care about something that helps us BREATHE

[WilliePilgrim]

08:35 PM on 04/01/2010

I have to agree with Forester. I'd add that resources like this need some management so that the valuable record contained in the logs is preserved, if not the log itself. A core taken from significant logs in this particular deposit taken and preserved for future research purposes would be a good step and would not necessarily deprive the locals from utilizing the resource.

[JShep]

06:48 PM on 03/31/2010

Tree rings are formed only during growth periods Most, if not all, trees are dormant in winter and have their primary growth during warm weather (spring thru early fall). Therefore, tree rings are only indicative of warm period temperatures and provide little, if any, data during the colder part of the year. Using tree rings to predict past climate misses out on the cold periods of the years and therefore is not representative of the full annual average temperature. Tree ring data has been used only when the results supports the desired outcomes of those with an agenda.

[Forester]

07:20 PM on 03/31/2010

Actually, that all depends on when during the year the vegetation accrues most growth. Some plants have determinant growth patterns while others have in-determinant ones with growth occurring throughout the year. If you know the plant physiology you can interpret a great deal about the entire annual precip as well as long term trends. You have to be careful that you have enough data to account for very local changes that may show up in the ring growth - like a sudden opening or changed in ground water, etc. Your declaration that this data is used in a biased matter certainly has not been true in the 30 years of forestry experience i have, so maybe you could elucidate on your cryptic comment a little?

[DocSkull]

08:24 PM on 03/31/2010

Dendrochronology is an old and reliable tool for looking at past climates and provides information about both cool and warm years. Deniers suddenly don't like them because they refute their preconceived conclusion that a localized warm period in the Middle Ages was warmer than now in the misplaced hope that it might somehow cast a doubt on the science of global warming.

[CrzyRussell]

06:17 PM on 03/31/2010

Here in the US the Giant sequoias have shown a 500 year warm period in their past (as compared to now)

[Vieux Charles]

11:06 PM on 03/31/2010

"hide the decline"

[Shan Wells]

11:38 PM on 03/31/2010

Nothing was ever hidden.

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/02/ipcc-errors-facts-and-spin/

[Forester]

06:13 PM on 03/31/2010

The researchers should either purchase all the logs outright that they need, or work with the NZ authorities to facilitate data collection from recovered logs before they are milled.

From my experience with collecting living tree ring data, there is not a lot of variability in the data trends, and the number of samples needed to model past climate patterns is certainly not 100% of the logs.

There has been some very interesting oak log data studies done in Irish bogs that has helped explain changes in populations and subsequent political and societal changes.

http://www.heritagepens.com/files/Bog%20Wood.pdf