View Full Version : Dendrochronology
nygreenguy
29 Apr 2009, 12:18 PM
WooT! I got the job! Im doing dendrochronology and radio dating this summer!
Ray Moscow
29 Apr 2009, 12:20 PM
Ha! You can't fool us. Everyone knows that radios don't even have teeth.
Congrats, nygg! :)
ETA: make sure you prove the Earth is 6000 years old.
dug_down_deep
29 Apr 2009, 02:31 PM
I tried radio dating once in the 80's. It's exciting, but you feel so cheap and lonely afterwards.
Anne
29 Apr 2009, 02:54 PM
how cool!
you know, there are 2000+ year old tress up in the gorge, right? Not that you should be dating them... they are still alive...
Berthold
29 Apr 2009, 03:17 PM
Not that you should be dating them... they are still alive...
The sampling does not kill a tree*.
NYGG surely will be able to supply us with pics.
*Neither does it damage a priceless antique artefact.
nygreenguy
29 Apr 2009, 03:29 PM
Well, our work is actually dealing with stress on willows. Under normal conditions, plants try to take up C12, but when they are stressed, they take up a larger amount of C13. So, we can use this to see when and to what degree the plants have been stressed. (beavers in one location and a waste bed in another)
dug_down_deep
29 Apr 2009, 03:30 PM
Beavers in one location and a waste bed in another. Yeah, that sounds like my experience.
nygreenguy
29 Apr 2009, 03:36 PM
Wow, there a bunch of smart asses here too. :)
dug_down_deep
29 Apr 2009, 03:38 PM
Congratulations, btw. :)
nygreenguy
29 Apr 2009, 03:40 PM
Best part is, I might get to go to our sweet ass biological station in the adk's and ill get PAID for it. If that happens, expect uber picture whoring.
ofro
29 Apr 2009, 03:41 PM
Well, our work is actually dealing with stress on willows. Under normal conditions, plants try to take up C12, but when they are stressed, they take up a larger amount of C13. So, we can use this to see when and to what degree the plants have been stressed. (beavers in one location and a waste bed in another)
What's the mechanism behind that? I have heard about isotope discrimination by different photosynthetic systems in different grasses (IIRC), but never within one species.
Worldtraveller
29 Apr 2009, 04:03 PM
Wow, there a bunch of smart asses here too. :)
Wait. You post about dating, then mention beavers and a waste bed, and you think you won't get smartass replies? :D
Have you seen the member list here?? ;)
Anne
29 Apr 2009, 04:40 PM
one can always hope, WT. One can hope...
Huzzah and congrats!
I'll be sure to keep my eyes out for any willow fragments we dig up this summer and send them to you - you know, to really screw with skew your findings ;)
Brianna
29 Apr 2009, 07:59 PM
Speaking of willows...
I have a friend who uses willow branches in water to create plant hormones. Willows are horribly prolific apparently. It helps the other plants start to grow roots!
nygreenguy
29 Apr 2009, 08:17 PM
Speaking of willows...
I have a friend who uses willow branches in water to create plant hormones. Willows are horribly prolific apparently. It helps the other plants start to grow roots!
Thats odd, especially since you can easily and cheaply buy rooting compounds!
Actually, willows are REALLY prolific. This is why we have a willow biomass project going on. We plant some stems, they grow, we chop those down, 10 more sprout up, we harvest those....
Feel free to check out what my university (http://www.esf.edu/willow/) is doing!
Here you can see all the sprouts from one stem
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb138/nygreenguy/DSC_1744.jpg
And this is a short row of experimental willows
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb138/nygreenguy/DSC_1739.jpg
Steviepinhead
29 Apr 2009, 08:37 PM
Congratulations, green guy!
Except now I'm stuck with images from the 1988 sword'n'sorcery movie "Willow." Starring every director's favorite, Val Kilmer ("muh little huckleberry")...
nygreenguy
29 Apr 2009, 08:38 PM
Dude, that movie fricking rules!
Brianna
29 Apr 2009, 09:24 PM
Speaking of willows...
I have a friend who uses willow branches in water to create plant hormones. Willows are horribly prolific apparently. It helps the other plants start to grow roots!
Thats odd, especially since you can easily and cheaply buy rooting compounds!
Actually, willows are REALLY prolific. This is why we have a willow biomass project going on. We plant some stems, they grow, we chop those down, 10 more sprout up, we harvest those....
Why is it odd? my friend has a bs in biology and forestry. She doesn't care to buy rooting compounds when she can easily make her own. She is crafty, mostly a hippie and likes to be as organic as possible.
nygreenguy
29 Apr 2009, 10:36 PM
Why is it odd? my friend has a bs in biology and forestry. She doesn't care to buy rooting compounds when she can easily make her own. She is crafty, mostly a hippie and likes to be as organic as possible.
Sound like everyone at my school!
Brianna
29 Apr 2009, 10:39 PM
Why is it odd? my friend has a bs in biology and forestry. She doesn't care to buy rooting compounds when she can easily make her own. She is crafty, mostly a hippie and likes to be as organic as possible.
Sound like everyone at my school!
Yeah, Considering that she went to school on the East coast (she is 51) I wouldn't doubt it at all :)
nygreenguy
29 Apr 2009, 11:15 PM
Why is it odd? my friend has a bs in biology and forestry. She doesn't care to buy rooting compounds when she can easily make her own. She is crafty, mostly a hippie and likes to be as organic as possible.
Sound like everyone at my school!
Yeah, Considering that she went to school on the East coast (she is 51) I wouldn't doubt it at all :)
Ask her where. Im curious if it really WAS my school!
Arctish
02 May 2009, 11:12 AM
Congratulations, nygg.
Cath B
04 May 2009, 09:26 AM
Well Done :)
Cath B
04 May 2009, 09:29 AM
Speaking of willows...
I have a friend who uses willow branches in water to create plant hormones. Willows are horribly prolific apparently. It helps the other plants start to grow roots!
Thats odd, especially since you can easily and cheaply buy rooting compounds!
Actually, willows are REALLY prolific. This is why we have a willow biomass project going on. We plant some stems, they grow, we chop those down, 10 more sprout up, we harvest those....
Why is it odd? my friend has a bs in biology and forestry. She doesn't care to buy rooting compounds when she can easily make her own. She is crafty, mostly a hippie and likes to be as organic as possible.
My thought was, "Cool, I'd like to try that some time. And it ties in with the way willows proliferate so freely."
nygreenguy
05 May 2009, 02:31 AM
My thought was, "Cool, I'd like to try that some time. And it ties in with the way willows proliferate so freely."
Its does, and it doesnt. When you cut a willow stem, its blocks the flow of auxins to the dormant buds which it normally repressed. This allows cytokinin from the roots to break those buds dormancy causing the proliferation.
When you put the twig in the water, the auxin (IAA) from the apical bud is released and promotes the rooting.
The proliferation and rooting are due to 2 different hormones, although the response (cell growth and division) is the same.
Not that anyone cares.... :dunno:
nygreenguy
13 May 2009, 02:01 AM
So, next week were heading up to the ADK's to sample and GPS some sites. We are looking for sites disturbed by beavers then were going to core some of the trees which were impacted by the disturbance! WooT!
Ray Moscow
16 May 2009, 05:15 PM
My thought was, "Cool, I'd like to try that some time. And it ties in with the way willows proliferate so freely."
Its does, and it doesnt. When you cut a willow stem, its blocks the flow of auxins to the dormant buds which it normally repressed. This allows cytokinin from the roots to break those buds dormancy causing the proliferation.
When you put the twig in the water, the auxin (IAA) from the apical bud is released and promotes the rooting.
The proliferation and rooting are due to 2 different hormones, although the response (cell growth and division) is the same.
Not that anyone cares.... :dunno:
Is this at all related to the rooting gel that one can buy at garden centres?
We used that for some fuscia cuttings recently, and it worked well.
nygreenguy
16 May 2009, 07:46 PM
Is this at all related to the rooting gel that one can buy at garden centres?
We used that for some fuscia cuttings recently, and it worked well.
yep. If you look at the active ingredients, id be willing to bet they say "indole-3-acetic acid" (IAA) of K-IBA.
Notta
17 May 2009, 12:04 AM
Congratulations!! Just ignore all the smart asses -- even though they made me laugh!
Look out for the black flies in the Adirondacks. One memorable trip I got bitten over 100 times on my face alone!
nygreenguy
17 May 2009, 01:25 AM
Congratulations!! Just ignore all the smart asses -- even though they made me laugh!
Look out for the black flies in the Adirondacks. One memorable trip I got bitten over 100 times on my face alone!
I have a secret soap which does amazing well at keeping them away.
Notta
17 May 2009, 01:35 AM
I used Clairol herbal essence shampoo when I was bitten. I expect my hair (which was shoulder-length) was attracting them by the smell.
It's still a bit early for the Black Flies to be out (in full force, anyway). And the thing that -really- works? Old Woodsman's 'Deep Woods' formula with some added DEET and real citronella oil. Apply that every hour and a half to two hours and you'll keep the black flies from eating you alive. They'll still swarm you, but the won't land on your skin long enough to bite ...
And I hope you have a great time, nygg!
Ray Moscow
24 May 2009, 06:10 PM
It's still a bit early for the Black Flies to be out (in full force, anyway). And the thing that -really- works? Old Woodsman's 'Deep Woods' formula with some added DEET and real citronella oil. Apply that every hour and a half to two hours and you'll keep the black flies from eating you alive. They'll still swarm you, but the won't land on your skin long enough to bite ...
And I hope you have a great time, nygg!
I don't have much experience with biting flies, but DEET is a win against mosquitoes. I used to use the 100% stuff (on clothing) when working nights in rural
India.
The diluted DEET products are fine for most situations, though.
nygreenguy
24 May 2009, 07:43 PM
Thing is, N/E black flies are a unique experience. There are NOTHING like mosquitoes. I would take mosquitoes over black flies any day of the week! Ill take some pictures of my wounds (and I was one of the best looking people). These little fuckers HURT and some people swell up really bad.
This year is an especially bad year also. Its the first time I have ever had to cover up. (im usually the only person NOT in full bug gear).
I try to not use deet, its not very health for one, and since im working in the woods, its not good for the environment. Also, DEET actually can attract black flies (its for mosquitoes and ticks) and natural bug repellents are stronger than deet, but tend to not last as long.
Jobar
25 May 2009, 12:12 AM
I planted 3 willows for a customer about 4 years ago. Twice since, beavers have gnawed them down- and they spring right back up. Not a very long-lived tree, but tough as nails when they're young! I can see why they'd be a viable way to produce biomass.
I've put a welded-wire cylinder around them now, and plan to cut back all but the tallest sprout.
Oh yeah, congratulations! Sounds like a really cool job. :)
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2012, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.