Dendrochronology, Ecology, and Climate

Long-term Climate and Landscape Reconstructions

Trees have stories to tell. The science of tree rings (dendrochronology) can help tell these stories to better inform our past, present, and futures. Within dendrochronology, I investigate climate and landscape dynamics at annual resolutions across multi-century timescales. Through my work as part of the University of Idaho Tree Ring Lab and the Indiana University Environmental Change Lab, I have focused on projects related to paleoclimatic reconstructions of various regions and their underlying human-environment-climate interactions, including:

• Summer temperature variability across the northeast, mid-Atlantic, and and western United States

• Tropical cyclone activity in the southeastern United States

• Fire history throughout the southwestern United States

Qualitative Wood Anatomy: Refining Paleoenvironmental Settings of Ancient Forests

As part of ongoing research with the Alabama Underwater Forest project, I examine the wood anatomy 70,000-year-old tree samples collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico's ocean floor. These ancient trees had been preserved for tens of thousands of years under sediment until becoming exposed from Hurricane Ivan in 2004. By analyzing the microanatomical characteristics of the collected wood, I identify samples to genus- or species-level to refine the tree species assemblages, ecological dynamics, and paleoenvironmental settings of coastal wetland forests and their response to rising sea levels.

This paleoenvironmental research served as the inspiration for [Trans]calar Triptych, a creative project which melds artistic practices and queer trans embodiments through re-presentations of ancient wood anatomy. Read more about this arts-based research project here. 

Supported by the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 

Peatland Dendroecology and Climate Variability

My thesis research implements dendrochronological techniques to examine the ecological and climatic dynamics recorded by trees growing in temperate peatland ecosystems throughout North America. 

While peatlands comprise only 3% of global land cover, they contain over a quarter of the world’s terrestrial carbon and support a high biodiversity of specialized plant and animal communities. As global mean temperatures continue to rise, an improved, long-term understanding of the ecological dynamics and climate sensitivity of temperate peatlands is imperative for anticipating how these invaluable carbon sinks may be altered under future climate change scenarios.

To explore queer trans ecological imaginings of peatland ecosystems, check out my presentation for the November 2023 Trans Ecologies Symposium's "Imaginaries: Ecologies of Land and Connection" session.