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Eucalypt tree-rings are a valuable natural repository of climatic data. However, the belief that eucalypts lack dendroclimatological potential has stifled eucalypt tree-ring research. However, an emerging body of dendrochronological literature indicates that climatic data may be extracted from eucalypt tree-rings. This potential remains unrealised.
To date, most dendroclimatological studies have focused upon one species, Eucalyptus pauciflora. Sampling strategies in these studies have ignored fundamental principles of limiting factors, ecological sensitivity and replication. In addition statistical considerations such as sample size requirements, intra/inter-sample correlation and spatial and temporal dependence of enviornmental sensitivity within individual tree-ring series have not been examined.
This thesis addresses these issues and investigates the potential of eucalypt tree-ring data for climatology. The study uses established data- and sample-sets collected by the Department of Sustainability and Environment and previous ANU students and researchers to examine of the potential role of species and site selection on dendroclimatic signals preserved within eucalypt tree-ring series’.
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