In medieval Kazakhstan, people living in Dzhankent city employed diverse herding practices to ensure milk and dairy products were available year-round. The study found they bred sheep throughout the year, with most births occurring in spring months, to keep them producing milk during winters.
A new study found that even as oak trees continue to photosynthesize late into the year, their growth stops by mid-summer. This decoupling between photosynthesis and growth suggests that increased carbon uptake may not translate to greater wood production, reducing long-term carbon storage in forests.
Researchers use tree rings and satellites to date changes beavers make to the tundra landscape as they spread northwards. The study provides evidence of beaver colonization in the region starting in 2008, with satellite analysis revealing a significant expansion of surface water between 2015 and 2019.
Researchers found a significant reduction in tree-ring growth after major hurricanes, but these trees can recover quickly within two years. Coastal forests in the Northeastern US are vulnerable to sea-level rise and stand dead or dying trees, posing a threat to densely populated communities.
Researchers from OIST used medieval records and buried trees to identify a sub-extreme solar proton event between winter 1200 CE and spring 1201 CE. They also reconstructed the Sun's activity cycle, which was shorter than today's eleven-year cycles.
Neolithic farmers in Central Europe integrated new cereal varieties into their range of crops between the 6th and early 4th millennium BCE. This led to more resilient and flexible agriculture, enabling the cultivation of winter and summer crops and adapting to changing environmental conditions.
Researchers analyzed 20,000 tree-ring records to find that tropical trees grow 2.5% less during droughts, but recover almost completely the following year. Drier regions show greater reductions in growth and increased tree mortality.
An international team of researchers proposes that a meteorite impact just west of Winslow, Arizona, created Meteor Crater and triggered a massive landslide in the Grand Canyon. The study found evidence of a paleolake forming at the same time, with driftwood dating back to around 55,000 years.
Researchers at University of Arizona discovered a spike in carbon-14 dating to 664 B.C., pinpointing the last known extreme solar storm event. The study provides crucial data for scientists studying sun's activity and offers insights into massive storms' effects on Earth's atmosphere.
Tree-ring data reveal that periodic shifts in strong winds high above the Earth's surface have driven opposite climates in different parts of Europe for the past 700 years. This research provides critical data to improve climate models, comparing past patterns to current trends and societal impacts.
Researchers developed a method to collect and plant genetically diverse red spruce seeds, resulting in higher establishment success and increased forest resilience. The approach pools multiple seed sources, increasing evolvability and minimizing deleterious mutations.
A new study enhances radiocarbon dating by creating a precise record of atmospheric shifts over 14,000 calendar years BP. This improvement allows for more accurate dating of sub-fossil samples, enabling researchers to reconstruct past environmental and climate changes during glacial times.
Researchers used combined dendrochronology and strontium isotopic analysis to determine the provenance of 400-year-old timber in Denmark. The study found that timber was imported from southern Sweden, indicating a more extensive timber trade network than previously believed.
Researchers analyzed annual growth rings from Yamal's subfossil trees to track summer temperature over the past 7,638 years. The findings indicate that current warming is unprecedented during the past seven millennia.
Researchers have found an unprecedented increase in winter stream flow rates over the last 25 years, with nearly 80% above average, driven by permafrost melt and forest fires. The combined effects of these factors are accelerating Arctic ice melt and exacerbating global warming.
Researchers analyzed tree rings from Batavia's hull timbers to understand the VOC's 17th-century shipbuilding materials and global trade strategies. The study found that the Dutch successfully coped with timber shortages by diversifying sources.
Dutch researcher Micha Leeflang studied 107 of Joos van Cleve's paintings using infrared reflectography and dendrochronology to analyze his painting techniques, marketing strategies, and artistic success. The study found that Van Cleve employed a permanent group of assistants to maintain high-quality paintings.