Fundamentals of tree-ring research /

Speer (Indiana State Univ.) is president of the Tree-Ring Society and actively engaged in tree-ring research. Here, he provides the broadest, most comprehensive treatment available of the methodology of dating both trees and wooden objects that have annual rings (dendrochronology) and applications of this information to fields as widely varied as archaeology and zoology. The work is organized into 12 chapters. The first few chapters introduce the topic of dendrochronology and its history, and a discussion of the properties of wood follows. Later chapters focus on methodology (field, laboratory, computer, and statistical) and applications of dendrochronology in numerous specific fields. Appendixes list specific tree species used in this discipline. In this reviewer's opinion, the author omitted nothing of potential interest to the student or researcher. Speer's interpretation of chronological and environmental information contained in tree rings certainly attains a level suitable for upper-division undergraduate curricula and offers enough coverage for use in advanced courses when combined with supplementary material. The work also constitutes a valuable reference for faculty and may be of interest to general readers curious about this line of research. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers. M. K. Cleaveland University of Arkansas at Fayetteville