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Relation Between Success Rate and Sample Quantity in Dendrochronological Dating of Building Materials

Edvardsson, Johannes LU ; Hansson, Anton LU and Linderson, Hans LU (2023) In International Journal of Architectural Heritage
Abstract
Optimizing sample quantity and quality improves cost-effective and less invasive dendrochronological investigations. Our study examined 3,831 trees, including 2,921 pine, 404 spruce, and 506 oak trees. Pine had a 79.2% success rate for dating, spruce 46.5%, and oak 67.8%. Success rates increased with more trees analysed, notably in the case of spruce. When 1–3 spruce trees were analysed, only 44% yielded dating, while 8 or more trees achieved a 91.6% success rate. For pine, success rates ranged from 89% to 98%, and oak achieved success rates between 64% and 100%, depending on the number of trees analysed. The number of annual rings also had a significant impact. For spruce with 31–60 rings, only 33% could be dated, while pine and oak had... (More)
Optimizing sample quantity and quality improves cost-effective and less invasive dendrochronological investigations. Our study examined 3,831 trees, including 2,921 pine, 404 spruce, and 506 oak trees. Pine had a 79.2% success rate for dating, spruce 46.5%, and oak 67.8%. Success rates increased with more trees analysed, notably in the case of spruce. When 1–3 spruce trees were analysed, only 44% yielded dating, while 8 or more trees achieved a 91.6% success rate. For pine, success rates ranged from 89% to 98%, and oak achieved success rates between 64% and 100%, depending on the number of trees analysed. The number of annual rings also had a significant impact. For spruce with 31–60 rings, only 33% could be dated, while pine and oak had higher dateability percentages at 60.1% and 48.6%, respectively. With 91–120 rings, dateability improved to 87.7% for pine, 75% for spruce, and 72.6% for oak. We observed temporal variations in dated material availability, likely due to shifts in building material usage over centuries. This study enhances our understanding of factors affecting sample requirements for successful dendrochronological analysis. While specific results have local relevance, the underlying principles and challenges apply globally, encouraging meaningful discussions between clients and dendrochronologists. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Heritage studies, Historical buildings, oak, pine, spruce, Sweden, tree rings, Dendrochronology
in
International Journal of Architectural Heritage
pages
12 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85180894998
ISSN
1558-3058
DOI
10.1080/15583058.2023.2298212
project
Old Wood in a New Light
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9f43605d-f392-4929-9cc8-7377c2bc3cc6
date added to LUP
2024-01-08 07:49:24
date last changed
2024-02-01 11:45:40
@article{9f43605d-f392-4929-9cc8-7377c2bc3cc6,
  abstract     = {{Optimizing sample quantity and quality improves cost-effective and less invasive dendrochronological investigations. Our study examined 3,831 trees, including 2,921 pine, 404 spruce, and 506 oak trees. Pine had a 79.2% success rate for dating, spruce 46.5%, and oak 67.8%. Success rates increased with more trees analysed, notably in the case of spruce. When 1–3 spruce trees were analysed, only 44% yielded dating, while 8 or more trees achieved a 91.6% success rate. For pine, success rates ranged from 89% to 98%, and oak achieved success rates between 64% and 100%, depending on the number of trees analysed. The number of annual rings also had a significant impact. For spruce with 31–60 rings, only 33% could be dated, while pine and oak had higher dateability percentages at 60.1% and 48.6%, respectively. With 91–120 rings, dateability improved to 87.7% for pine, 75% for spruce, and 72.6% for oak. We observed temporal variations in dated material availability, likely due to shifts in building material usage over centuries. This study enhances our understanding of factors affecting sample requirements for successful dendrochronological analysis. While specific results have local relevance, the underlying principles and challenges apply globally, encouraging meaningful discussions between clients and dendrochronologists.}},
  author       = {{Edvardsson, Johannes and Hansson, Anton and Linderson, Hans}},
  issn         = {{1558-3058}},
  keywords     = {{Heritage studies; Historical buildings; oak; pine; spruce; Sweden; tree rings; Dendrochronology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Architectural Heritage}},
  title        = {{Relation Between Success Rate and Sample Quantity in Dendrochronological Dating of Building Materials}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2023.2298212}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/15583058.2023.2298212}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}