Facilities

The DendroLab provides specialised facilities for the preparation, measurement and analysis of wood and charcoal samples. Our workflows range from sample preparation and tree-ring measurement to the production of high-quality thin sections for quantitative wood-anatomical analyses, charcoal preparation and cellulose extraction for subsequent isotope analyses.

Sample collection and preparation

A range of field equipment is available for collecting increment cores and other wood samples. In the laboratory, increment cores and stem discs can be cut, mounted, sanded and polished. Careful preparation of the sample surface provides the basis for reliable tree-ring measurement and dating.

Tree-ring measurement, dendrochronology and wood density

The Advanced Tree-Ring Image Capturing System (ATRICS) enables the high-resolution digitisation of increment cores and stem discs. The resulting images are used to measure and date tree rings and to develop tree-ring chronologies.
CooRecorder and CDendro are available for digital tree-ring measurement and cross-dating of measurement series.
 

In addition, access is available in Tharandt to a Dendro2003 system for high-resolution wood-density measurements. The system can be used to analyse density variation within and among tree rings.

Quantitative wood anatomy

The DendroLab provides a complete paraffin-embedding workflow for producing high-quality thin sections for quantitative wood-anatomical analyses:

Tissue processing and paraffin infiltration are carried out using a Leica HistoCore PEARL. A Leica HistoCore Arcadia H+C is available for embedding, after which the samples are sectioned using a Leica HistoCore MULTICUT rotary microtome.
This standardised workflow enables the production of reproducible thin sections for high-resolution analyses of wood-anatomical traits.

Microscopy and image analysis

A range of light-microscopy and digital-imaging systems supports the examination, documentation and quantitative analysis of wood and charcoal structures.

The Keyence VHX-X1F digital microscope is used for the detailed examination and documentation of wood surfaces, thin sections and charcoal samples. Additional light microscopes are available for routine sample inspection and anatomical identification. A Zeiss Axio Scan.Z1 slide scanner available through the CMCB Technology Platform enables the high-resolution digitisation of complete thin sections. The digitised sections can subsequently be analysed quantitatively using the specialised image-analysis software ROXAS.

Charcoal preparation and analysis

A dedicated workstation is available for the examination of historical charcoal. Samples are prepared so that their anatomical structures can be examined microscopically in the three principal planes of wood.
The analyses are used particularly for the taxonomic identification of charcoal and for reconstructing past tree-species composition, forest use and forest development.

Cellulose extraction for isotope analyses

α-cellulose can be extracted from individual tree rings or wood samples. During this process, other wood components are gradually removed to obtain purified cellulose for subsequent stable-isotope analyses. The workflow includes chemical extraction, sample treatment and homogenisation, freeze-drying and weighing. The subsequent measurement of stable isotopes is carried out in cooperation with specialised partner laboratories.

Use of the DendroLab

The DendroLab facilities are used in research projects, university courses, and Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral research. We also welcome visiting researchers within the framework of collaborative research projects.