Document Type
Thesis
Publication Date
Fall 2011
Abstract
During fall semester, 2011, five students in HONR 191, Science Research Fellows, were charged with determining if there was evidence of local climate change over the last 150 years as part of the larger global climate change phenomena the Earth is currently experiencing. The study consisted of two parts: one, an analysis of local climate data (temperature and precipitation) over the last 150 years, and two, an analysis of local tree rings.
Tree rings have the potential to provide information on local climate change as annual tree ring width is, in part, a function of temperature, precipitation, and nutrient availability. Students in HONR 191 collected several "cookies" (slices of harvested trees) from a local sawmill, and collected cores from trees within the DePauw Nature Park (black walnut, tulip poplar, red oak, and cottonwood). Analysis of the cookies and tree cores didn't provide any reliable data on changes in local climate because the sample size was too small.
The tree cores did, however, provide evidence that many trees in the west side of the DePauw Nature Park are about 50 to 60 years old. This may indicate that the DePauw Nature Park was clearcut sometime during the period of 1950 to 1960. To more rigorously test this hypothesis, however, a more systematic and thorough tree core sampling of the trees in the DePauw Nature Park needs to be undertaken.
Recommended Citation
Roell, Julia; Konieczny, Peter; Vishweshwar, Rudra; Harsha, Ben; Zhang, Weiqing; and Mills, Jim, "Analysis of Potential Climate Change in Putnam County" (2011). Student Research. 637, Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University.
https://scholarship.depauw.edu/studentresearchother/637
Comments
Completed as part of HONR 191 Science Research Fellows with Jim Mills.