Relative Scale of Skeleton Plots

Trees living within a homogeneous stand or forest:

Usually exhibit the same relative pattern of growth variation through time, BUT
Often have absolute growth rates that differ substantially due to living in different microsites:
- Difficult to compare the ring-growth variation of two or more specimens from actual wood samples
- For example, see figure:
  1. All three samples above have exactly the same pattern of variation
  2. Top sample has a growth rate less than that of the middle sample
  3. Middle sample has a growth rate less than that of the bottom sample

Problem: Because of different growth rates, it's impossible to align the common pattern of variation using the actual wood samples

Solution: Dendrochronologists can make skeleton plots to standardize scales:

Represent growth variation of samples onto separate strips of graph paper
Equalize the absolute scales ring growth
Easily compare growth variation of two or more specimens

Note the three skeleton plots of the figure above:

Have the same relative scale
Easy to compare to one another
Clearly show the same pattern of variation of each sample:

When you try skeleton plotting for yourself, you can move the virtual core left and right:
<==== Move core left or right ====>
Put the cursor anywhere on the core above Click and hold the mouse button Move the mouse left or right Don't worry that the core goes off the edges -- it always comes back!

Note: The virtual core comes with every 10th ring prenumbered -- which won't be true in real life, so number your wood carefully!

When you try skeleton plotting for yourself, you can change the scales of the graphics:
	There will be magnification options, as on the left You may enlarge or reduce the virtual core to see rings better Choose between 1x, 2x, or 3x Hint for magnifying a ring: There will be a vertical blue line marking the middle of your screen, as on the right Put the ring that you wish to see better at the blue line Then magnify -- at 3x magnification, narrow rings are apparent You may also enlarge or reduce the graphs Choose between Large, Medium, and Small