Tree Rings of Shortleaf Pine (Pinus Echinata Mill.) As Indicators of Past Climatic Variability in North Central Georgia

 Title Tree Rings of Shortleaf Pine (Pinus Echinata Mill.) As Indicators of Past Climatic Variability in North Central Georgia Publication Type Thesis Year of Publication 1988 Authors Grissino-Mayer, HD Advisor Suckling, P Degree MA University University of Georgia Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ring widths of shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) and various climatic factors. The growth series obtained from increment cores of twenty-two pine over 100 years of age were standardized by two separate methods, polynomial curve-fitting techniques and Box-Jenkins time series (ARMA) models, to compare and contrast the two master chronologies that were derived. Descriptive statistics indicated that residual autocorrelation was insignificant in the ARMA chronology, which also exhibited a higher mean sensitivity and standard deviation than did the chronology obtained with the polynomial option. Response function analysis indicated significant (p < 0.05) positive responses to precipitation in May and June of the current growing season, and significant negative responses to current June-September temperatures. Transfer function models using indices of the ARMA tree-ring chronology as the predictor variables were able to reconstruct June PDSI (r$\sbsp{\rm a}{2}$ = 0.26). September PHDI (r$\sbsp{\rm a}{2}$ = 0.38), DISP (Drought Index for Southern Pine) (r$\sbsp{\rm a}{2}$ = 0.27), and the May-September growing season precipitation total (r$\sbsp{\rm a}{2}$ = 0.39) to 1816. URL http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=754453701&sid=2&Fmt=2&clientId=43922&RQT=309&VName=PQD