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A Discontinuous Tree-ring Record AD 320–1994 From Dividalen, Norway: Inferences on Climate and Treeline History

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Mountain Ecosystems

Abstract

Tree-ring widths of living and dead Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) from Dividalen, intra-alpine northern Norway, were combined to two partial chronologies, AD 320–1167 and 1220–1994. Abundant pine remains indicate good growing conditions for Scots pine during the Viking Age and early Medieval times, whereas few logs are preserved from the period 1000–1450. A cold period around 1130 probably triggered massive pine mortality at the forest line and the depression of the pine tree-line by ca. 50 m. The forestline stands recovered first after a second cooling event around 1457. July temperatures were reconstructed for the time windows 587–980 and 1507–1993. Shorter spells of warm summers occurred around 607, 728, 1565, and 1762, and longer warm periods during the Viking Ages (ca. 819–957) and the 20th century since 1915. Cold summers prevailed ca. 749, 769–818, ca. 866, 1573–1624, ca. 1645, 1785–1826, ca. 1842 and 1864–1914.

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Kirchhefer, A.J. (2005). A Discontinuous Tree-ring Record AD 320–1994 From Dividalen, Norway: Inferences on Climate and Treeline History. In: Broll, G., Keplin, B. (eds) Mountain Ecosystems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27365-4_9

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