Tree Rings: Scientists Use a Simple Method to Unlock Trees' History Without Cutting

Analyzing a tree core's patterns is similar to reading a history book from a certain era. We may determine whether a tree was prospering or struggling based on the breadth, color, and pattern of its tree rings.

Because the tree can grow more than it would have been able to in a dryer year, a particularly rainy year could result in wider rings. A wildfire can be detected by a blackened scar, while an insect infestation may be indicated by various signs.

Tree rings may link a tree to certain historical events in addition to revealing environmental pressures. By matching the patterns that evolved at the same time, tree cores from two separate trees may be joined to produce a longer timeline, National Park Service says.