DendroLab
How do trees grow? How do forests respond to contemporary climate change? And what did forests look like in the past? In the tree-ring laboratory DendroLab, such questions are studied using tree-ring based methods. Research is conducted on both recent and historical wood samples as well as ancient charcoal remains.
© Marieke van der Maaten
Tree rings: the archive of trees
Tree-ring parameters such as ring width or wood anatomical features provide valuable insights into tree functioning and growth. These insights are essential for assessing the potential impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems. By “reading” the tree-ring archive, research projects at the DendroLab contribute to developing climate-resilient forests for the future. Since tree rings and wood anatomical features are also preserved in subfossil wood and historic charcoal, our dendrochronological and so-called anthracological studies further allow us to reconstruct forest composition and dynamics in the past.