Studying the Farthest-North Trees

A team led by Kevin Anchukaitis of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Tree Ring Lab is currently in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, studying the effects of changing climate on trees. Working near the treeline, they're taking cores from spindly white spruces to measure weather of the past.

By
Kevin Krajick
July 11, 2011
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Even though these trees are small, the rings of some might be hundreds of years old. Combined with weather data, satellite observations and rings collected by others, the samples should allow Anchukaitis and others to assess how trees are responding to recent warming-induced season changes; distinguish between manmade warming and natural warm events of the past; and see how changes in tree growth might influence the arctic and global environments in the future. Among other things, there is already evidence that interior boreal forests are suffering outbreaks of disease and insects due to higher temperatures; on the other other hand, the treeline may be advancing, as conditions in marginal places like this maybe get better for trees. Keep tuned; Ellison files a report every few days; the latest post contains revelations on backcountry communications technology and cookery.

Read the expedition blog