Dendrochronology and Geochemistry of Long Island Trees

To help understand the effect of short term climatic changes on ring width variations of trees on Long Island, time series were performed on 6 Liriondendrin tuliperfera (tulip poplars) and 1 white oak from Caumsett State Park, and 6 Pinus rigidas (pitch pines) from Sears Bellows and Hubbard County Parks. Prolonged drought periods on Long Island occur during years 1927-1932, 1960-1970 and 1980-1988. All trees document drought periods by marked decrease in growth ring width regardless of specie or location. In addition base cations were analyzed in two tulip trees and two pitch pines. Based on the limited number of trees in this study there is a suggestion that Ca concentration in tree rings may be increasing with time. According to studies done in other areas (Aberg 1995, Bondietti et al 1989, Likens et al 1996), the increase of available base cations such as Ca is a precursor to the impending decrease in its availability due to removal of base cations from the system by acid rain. The implications of an increase in Ca followed by a decrease in Ca available to trees may be detrimental to Long Island’s trees and the Pine Barrens ecosystem.