Dendroclimatic Analysis of Bur Oak in Eastern Nebraska

Tree-ring samples from bur oak in eastern Nebraska are analyzed and found suitable for dendroclimatic analysis. Four methods of standardization are used to develop four 233-year master chronologies. ANOVA statistics and response functions based on each chronology are examined. Response functions based on both single- station and regional climatic data are analyzed and compared. The information provided by response function analysis varies considerably depending upon choice of standardization option, number of eigenvectors extracted, and generalization of climatic data (station or region). A response function based on the polynomial chronology and 46 years of regional climatic data relates 53.4% of the chronology variance to climate and 70.4% to climate plus prior growth. The bur oak master chronology provides valuable proxy evidence for periods of moisture stress experienced during exploration and settlement of eastern Nebraska.This item is part of the Tree-Ring Research (formerly Tree-Ring Bulletin) archive. It was digitized from a physical copy provided by the Laboratory of Tree-Ring research at The University of Arizona. For more information about this peer-reviewed scholarly journal, please email the Editor of Tree-Ring Research at editor@treeringsociety.org