Landscape Lines 8: Tree Coring
Landscape Lines 8: Tree Coring. Cultural Landscape Guidance Documents. Landscape Lines 8. NPS Park Cultural Landscapes Program. Washington, D.C.
A guide to Tree Coring, part of the Landscape Lines series from the Park Cultural Landscapes Program. Tree coring is used to determine the age of trees and reveal information about structural health, growth rate, growth patterns, and previous wounding or disease. A dendrochronologist is required to analyze tree cores in detail, identifying age and growth patterns by studying the number and spacing of growth rings. This can reveal historic information about climate changes or physical events on the landscape. Some consider tree coring to be potential harmful to trees, as the sampling process wounds the tree and may introduce pathogens. The practice assumes that the specimen is healthy enough to seal off pathogens to avoid systemic infection. This guidance document describes how tree coring can be used as an investigative technique in cultural landscape research. Knowing if the tree dates from the period of significance can help to guide treatment decisions.
- Type
- Published Report
- Publisher
- NPS Park Cultural Landscapes Program
- Units
- CRPS
- Keywords
- CRSS, dendrochronologist, growth patterns, Historic Vegetation, tree age, Tree Rings