Nice!
On Aug 28, 10:12 pm, Barry Caselli <[email protected]> wrote: > Very cool. Thanks. > > --- On Fri, 8/28/09, Paul Jost <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: Paul Jost <[email protected]> > Subject: [ENTS] Alternative to coring in the works > To: [email protected] > Date: Friday, August 28, 2009, 12:45 PM > > 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 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
