Paul- Having been at the Schulman Grove's burned visitor center site last October, and viewed some of the ancient bristlecone pines there, the finite supply of them lends credence to the use of non-destructive (certainly lower impact) sampling techniques. I think many of us have thought to the possibilities of such remote sensing solutions, glad that these folks are pursuing it with seeming success! -Don
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:45:20 -0500 Subject: [ENTS] Alternative to coring in the works From: [email protected] To: [email protected] WI Researchers Study Bristlecone Pine Cutting-edge research using CT Scan imaging of rare samples of ancient Bristlecone Pine logs was conducted by Forest and Wildlife Ecology adjunct professor R Bruce Allison August 12. Dr. Allison, whose research interest in nondestructive testing of living tree wood lead him to the Bristlecone Pine National Forest in the Eastern Sierra region of California in July, returned with two large log specimens of a tree that came down last summer as a result of a fire at the Schulman Grove visitor center. This specimen came from the same grove in which the world's oldest living tree began growing over 4800 years ago! Dendrochronologists have been studying the Bristlecone Pine for decades to uncover the records of weather patterns and climate change stored in the annual rings. Increment borers are drilled into the tree allowing a core sample to be extracted showing a record of ring variations. Allison has set as his objective the development of a nondestructive sampling of the trees' internal structure replacing increment borers with portable x-ray computer tomography scanning similar to those used in medical imaging. The challenge is to create the portability to carry the imaging to the living forest. He has assembled a cooperative cross-disciplinary team including Michael VanLysel, Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Physics at the University of Wisconsin and Dr. Xiping Wang, wood engineer at the US Forest Products Laboratory plus a visiting scholar from the Northeastern Forestry and Engineering University of Harbin, China, Li Li. The first step in developing an x-ray imaging tool is determining the required resolution, contrast and energy use to view internal wood. The Bristlecone Pine has the most densely packed annual rings at 100-200 per inch and therefore offers the greatest challenge for imaging. The group clustered around the viewing screen of the CT Scanner at the Wisconsin Institute of Medical Research on this first scanning test of the log samples gasped in amazement as the first images of the internal wood structure came into view. The wood pith, annual rings, rays cells, embedded epicormic branches, worm holes, resin ducts and other anatomical features were clearly displayed. Data will be analyzed over the next couple of weeks and additional tests conducted. It is Allison's hope within a few months he will have determined the feasibility of developing such a device and how to proceed. http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/UF/resources/Insider/20090828.htm#item8 _________________________________________________________________ Get back to school stuff for them and cashback for you. http://www.bing.com/cashback?form=MSHYCB&publ=WLHMTAG&crea=TEXT_MSHYCB_BackToSchool_Cashback_BTSCashback_1x1 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
