Unusual tree rings
- Thread starter TrunkJunky
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Interesting, can't say I've ever noticed that. Maybe from certain chemicals in the ground water? Are all these examples from trees growing in the same area?
In between the annual rings there is a mountain of information stored that can be analyzed down to almost daily occurrences.
The ghost rings you've pointed out may be rainfall events, insect activity events where the tree ramps up defensive chemicals, in a conifer they may represent when nearby deciduous trees lose their leaves, fire events, etc.
It's not a subject I understand well so I'm just throwing this out there.
I recall a legal case involving Dr. Alex Shigo years ago.
A tree company had cut a wedge out of the wrong tree. To hide the damage they put the wedge back in and left it like that not telling the homeowner. Years or decades later(I don't remember) this tree failed and killed someone. Dr. Shigo was able to determine to within just a few of days when that cut was made. The tree company involved was on the site within that range of days. Shigo (as an expert witness) won the case and the tree company insurance paid.
The ghost rings you've pointed out may be rainfall events, insect activity events where the tree ramps up defensive chemicals, in a conifer they may represent when nearby deciduous trees lose their leaves, fire events, etc.
It's not a subject I understand well so I'm just throwing this out there.
I recall a legal case involving Dr. Alex Shigo years ago.
A tree company had cut a wedge out of the wrong tree. To hide the damage they put the wedge back in and left it like that not telling the homeowner. Years or decades later(I don't remember) this tree failed and killed someone. Dr. Shigo was able to determine to within just a few of days when that cut was made. The tree company involved was on the site within that range of days. Shigo (as an expert witness) won the case and the tree company insurance paid.
There were 3 of them, all within 20 ft of each other. Interesting story about Dr. Shigo. Dendrochronology is something I want to explore. The thing that interests me the most about those ghost rings is they do not emulate the growth rings of the tree. But they seem to have a pattern, sometimes bisecting several years of growth rings.
Yes, I noticed that. That's why I thought it might be some sort of chemical intrusion, especially considering how it continues through several years growth. Do the ghost rings go clear around or just on one side? If the latter, might it be the same side on all the trees?
The rings went all the way around on all 3 trees. I even thought that maybe it was some sort of bark contour memory. But how could that even be possible? I may never know the answer to these questions
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