Dendrochronology, the science of tree-ring dating, has been used to study a variety of environmental phenomena, from historical fire regimes to climate change. As trees grow, they record information about their growing conditions in their annual growth rings. By analyzing patterns of wide and narrow rings over time, dendrochronologists can determine how trees at a particular site respond to changing climatic conditions. The proposed research sought to use dendrochronological methods to analyze climate change impacts and forest resilience within the local context of the UCCS campus. This project: (a) determined what climatic factors influence annual growth of dominant tree species (ponderosa pine, piñon pine, Douglasfir, and Rocky Mountain juniper), (b) analyzed how historical droughts have impacted the growth of campus-area trees, and (c) used this information to provide insight into the resilience of UCCS’s woodland ecosystems to climate change. The project addressed these objectives by engaging UCCS
community members through paid student research experiences, unpaid research experiences in GES courses and for-credit internships, and outreach events which will raise awareness of the local impacts of climate change on the woodland ecosystems adjacent to main campus. Following the completion of the funding period, this project continued through the UCCS Tree Ring Lab (housed in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies), which provides research, internship, and outreach opportunities for students from all majors.