7th fieldweek

The use of tree-rings is strongly increasing in ecological and environmental sciences, especially in ecology and forestry. Disturbance history, climate reconstructions, analysis of human impact on forest ecosystems, retrospective assessment of various ecosystem services are areas where methods of tree ring research can add new and unique information. With the course, we would like to give a broad overview of dendroecology, concentrating on field and lab techniques and statistical routines to analyze the dendro data. The course will provide a solid starting point for students to integrate dendrochronology in their own research project and to avoid numerous pitfalls associated with this group of methods. We would like to emphasize that the course will give students practical experience to develop methodological setup for studies involving tree rings, to collect data, and to apply a range of analytical routines. Pre- and post-course literature review assignments are designed to inform the students on the start-of-the-art in the field and to provide a solid theoretical background for this intensive practical course.

The course itself is a networking activity for the students, as it will provide possibility for the students to develop contacts with research groups working with dendrochronological data. Through presentation of their research topics at the beginning of the course and tight interactions with the teachers and the fellow students, the course participants will be in position to develop a network of professional contacts in the subject area.

Major topics

Dendroclimatological reconstructions, fire history, disturbance dynamics, stand reconstructions, human influence in forest landscapes: dating traces of human activities, lab and field techniques of dendrochronology and dendroecology. Cross-dating and chronology development. Dendrochronological software. The Dendroweek will include a limited amount of lectures and will be structured around several mini-projects done by the students in small groups.

Target group

The Dendroweek is intended for  Ph.D. level students interested in dendroecology and its various applications. During the course the students will acquire a range of practical skills, which should allow them to independently collect and analyze tree-ring datasets. Although the course will be designed primarily for those with little experience in the tree-ring research, it should also be of value for students already using dendro methods in their projects.

Prerequisites

Master in forestry, biology, geography, environmental sciences, and related fields. The participants should be admitted as PhD or Licentiate student in a relevant subject.

Responsible department

Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU Alnarp

Dates

June 27^th – July 3^rd

Place: Alnarp and other locations in Southern Sweden

Maximum number of participants

18 phd students

Contact and registration

igor.drobyshev@slu.se