Relationship of Nothofagus Pumilio Dendrochronology to Precipitation in Patagonia, Chile

Tree ring width depends on tree species and age, as well as environmental conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and even wildfire occurrence. Because of the dependence of overall tree health and growth rates on climate, variability in tree ring width and diameter is used to infer past climate variations. This study compares precipitation data obtained from Chile’s Centro de Ciencias del Clima y la Resiliencia (CR2) and Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) to average tree ring growth per year of Nothofagus pumilio in Puerto Natales, Chile. My results demonstrate there is an overall positive trend in tree-ring width over the last century, but there is not a significant correlation between total annual precipitation or DBH and tree-ring width