Recovering a small part of the early work of Holmes & LaMarche and collaborators in South America

Abstract

One of the most widespread dendrochronological samplings ever conducted in South America was performed by La Marche and collaborators during 1973 -1978. However, the entire species and/or sites sampled had no robust chronology either because there were not enough materials collected, or simply because the materials were never processed. Here, I process and analyze all Nothofagus dombeyi samples collected during LaMarche and collaborators? field sampling in South America. Tree-ring chronology was developed for Alto Vilches site. For the other sites sampled by LaMarche and collaborators there were not enough samples, or series were not sufficiently long in order to build a chronology or to provide adequate information about tree growth. The Alto Vilches (VIL) developed chronology extended into the early 1800s, and showed high mean sensitivity values, and a strong common signal. As expected, VIL chronology evidenced narrow rings for several years that correspond with low precipitation periods in Patagonia. Making available the information kept in unprocessed tree-ring samples reinforces the dendrochronological potential of this species and strengthens chronology networks developed for ecological studies in northern Patagonia. Finally, this study will honor the initial work of LaMarche and collaborators and provide a conclusion to a small part of it.