A Statistical Study of Dendroclimatic Relationships in South Central Wisconsin

Abstract

Stepwise multiple regression analysis applied to annual radial growth increments of mid-latitude hardwood samples indicates that satisfactorily high levels of reduction of the growth variance can he achieved only by utilizing a number of climatic and temporal parameters, both simple and compound. A large part of the variance, as might be expected, is associated with the secular trend of the growth rate. Of the climatic parameters, July precipitation and July evaporative stress were found to be most significant. In particular, since these parameters occurred in the combination precipitation minus evaporative stress, a strong dependence of growth rate on water availability was found.