A 930-year ring-width chronology from moisture-sensitive white spruce (Picea glauca Moench) in northwestern Canada

• Published in: The Holocene
• Main Authors: Szeicz, Julian M., MacDonald, Glen M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 1996
• Subjects: Canada; Inuvik; Northwest Territories
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/095968369600600309; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/095968369600600309

A 930-year tree-ring chronology was constructed from living and subfossil white spruce ( Picea glauca Moench) from the Campbell Dolomite Upland, Northwest Territories, Canada. Response function analy sis using climate data from nearby Inuvik indicates that 69% of the variation in ring widths can be explained by monthly precipitation and temperature. Ring width is most strongly correlated with high precipitation between February and May. There is also a significant negative relationship between ring widths and tempera tures during the previous growing season. Periods of slow radial growth at AD 1820-1855, 1700-1710, 1585- 1610, 1395-1405, 1260-1300 and 1125-1170 are assumed to be associated with times of increased moisture stress. Periods of rapid growth at AD 1925-1940, 1770-1780, 1725-1740, 1510-1560, 1215-1260 and 1185- 1205 likely reflect higher precipitation and/or decreased moisture stress. This chronology is the oldest yet published from northwestern Canada and the first that provides a dendrohydrological record.