Ecological Tree-Ring Research

Two-hour lessons every second week at the University Zürich, Irchel:

1. Biological basics of tree growth.
2. Wood anatomy, biology and physiology.
3. Dendrochronological methods in ecology: history and principles.
4. Designing an experiment in situ. Data analyses and statistics, interpretation of results.
5. Applications in environmental studies (e.g., dendrochemistry, i.e. heavy metals).
6. Scientific writing and the publishing systems.
7. The impact on society (e.g., history, ecology, arts, forensics), and recent relevant scientific contribution.

Practical work in the field and in laboratory:

1. 1 day: In the field, at Celerina, Engadine: sampling and site ecological description.
2. 4 days: At the WSL, Birmensdorf: sample preparation, ring-width measurement, densitometry, and image analysis.