Y2K Tree Growth
Several trees experienced a decline in growth in the year 1999 with some continuing to decline while others saw increased growth rates.
Our Tree´s Journey
How we collected data to learn the unique history of a Loch Haven park Loblolly Pine
5/3/2024: Finding a Tree
We were drawn to a tree right next to the pump house due to the large amounts of Trumpet Vine growing up and around the tree.
DBH
Ashten takes the tree's dynamic breast height.
Coring
Ysabel drills into the tree to collect the tree core before pulling it out and placing it in straws with air holes.
5/6/2024: Gluing
After drying the sample is glued and taped onto the wooden backboard.
5/7/2024: Fixing the Core Board
After a night to dry it is found that the sample was not taped down enough and had lifted off the board at several cracks and locations. This caused it to be re-glued and tied firmly in place using twine (pictured above to the right.)
5/8/2024: Sanding
After firmly drying the sample is sanded down for analysis using orbital sanders.
5/10-13/2024: Measuring
Using microscopes in class, Ysabel and Peyton count and measure the growth rings of the tree to produce quantifiable data.
5/14/2024-Present: Analyzing
In addition to our graph we also carefully observed the tree itself, marking false rings and exploring the rich history found in the sample.
Our Tree vs. Others
With data in tow we set out to map our tree and see how it's growth overtime compared to others in Pleasure House Point Natural Area.
These two trees are located in different areas of Pleasure House Point Natural Area. This location difference could account for the different growth patterns seen between 1999 and 2000.
Our group's core sample (left) and the other Loblolly sample (right)
The tree cores look similar yet once observed more closely reveal different histories of the two trees. Our tree, seen in the left core photo and the left graph below, is 65 years old while Jesse and Logan's tree is shown to be only 35 years old. In the slide below, both trees saw a decline in growth in the year 1999 (marked by a red dot on the rightmost graph), but our group's tree appears to have recovered from this and continued growth in 2000 while Jesse and Logan's tree continued to decline in its growth rate. While age tends to follow a standard pattern it does not account for the sharp differences seen in the graphs below, meaning location is the most likely cause.
Location Impact: A key limiting factor to the growth of Loblolly Pines tends to be competition for sunlight, a key factor of growth for most plant life and vegetation. According to the USDA Loblolly Pines fare slightly better than Long Leaf Pines in shady conditions but are still largely intolerant of shade in relation to growth.
