Chapter 1How to Study Tree Rings

In this chapter you’ll find projects that hopefully will encourage you to begin doing science, whether you’re a student looking for a good science fair project or an adult wanting to start personal science study.

Tree Rings

In temperate and arctic regions, most trees are dormant during winter. When spring arrives, a sudden burst of growth expands trunks and branches with new wood, known as early wood (or spring wood), formed from large cells.

As the growing season peaks, the growth slows, and the late wood (or summer wood) that forms has cells with thicker walls. This late wood may appear much darker than the ...

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