My PhD will investigate the growth response of oak to climate and disturbance in Scotland.

Oak is a native species, a key species of Scotland’s temperate rain forest and is often associated to woodlands with a high level of biodiversity. Yet, studies applying dendrochronological (the science of tree rings) methods to oak in Scotland are rare. To address this gap, we will establish a Scotland wide oak network (30 to 40 sites, 13 sites already sampled) and apply standard dendrochronological analyses using ring width to assess the spatial and temporal growth variability, climate response of oak as well as disturbance signals. To further improve our understanding of oak growth, this project will also make use of alternative parameters to ring width (wood density/potentially stable isotope) and apply non-linear modelling techniques.

Thus, we will be able to explore how the influence of climate on tree growth is changing geographically, how climate change is affecting oak and how sites differ in their response to external disturbances (e.g. management, extreme climate, windthrow). As oak has been an important building material for centuries, it is often used for dendro-historical dating and this project will ultimately also facilitate provenancing of historical material.