Dr. Dan Smith Department of Geography University of Victoria Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8W 3R4 Phone: (250) 472-4733 Fax: (250) 721-6216 E-Mail: smith at uvic.ca

The University of Victoria Tree-Ring Laboratory (UVTRL) is housed in the Department of Geography at the University of Victoria. The UVTRL provides a focus for the research activities of undergraduate and graduate students who are using insights developed from measurements of tree rings to describe the Holocene environmental character of the British Columbia Coast Mountains. Research is focused on dendrochronology, dendroarchaeology, dendroclimatology, dendroentomology, dendrogeomorphology and dendroglaciology.

Laboratory Instrumentation The UVTRL is equipped with two WinDendro digital tree ring measurement systems and two Velmex tree ring measurement systems equipped with trinocular boom-mounted microscopes and CCD video displays. The UVTRL also houses a filmless ITRAX X-ray densitometer. Intended to support climate change studies through tree ring measurement of earlywood/latewood parameters, UVTRL densitometric studies are supported by a Walesch Electronic Dendrocut twin-bladed saw. UVTRL researchers are also EvaluTree partners, and have ready access to a globally unique grouping of infrastructure for analyzing and researching wood fibre properties. Included within this instrumentation is the only North American-based SilviScan instrument that uses a range of analytical technologies, including optical microscopy, x-ray diffractometry, x-ray densitometry, image analysis, and applied for the rapid analysis of wood samples.

UVTRL News Recent UVTRL Publication: Koehler, L., and Smith, D.J. 2011. Late-Holocene glacial activity in Manatee Valley, southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 48(3):603-618. [Download paper PDF] Nelson, T., Laroque, C.P., and Smith, D.J. 2011. Detecting spatial connections within a dendrochronological network on Vancouver Island, British Columbia Dendrochronologia. 29(1):49-54. [Download paper PDF] Flower, A., and Smith, D.J. 2011. A dendroclimatic reconstruction of June-July mean temperature in the Northern Canadian Rocky Mountains. Dendrochronologia. 29(1):55-63. [Download paper PDF] Hart, S.J., Clague, J.J., and Smith, D.J. 2010. Dendrogeomorphic reconstruction of Little Ice Age paraglacial activity in the vicinity of the Homathko Icefield, British Columbia Coast Mountains, Canada. Geomorphology. 121(3-4):197-205. [Download paper PDF] Hart, S.J., Smith, D.J., and Clague, J.J. 2010. A multi-species dendroclimatic reconstruction of streamflow in the Chilko River, Canada. Hydrological Processes. 24(19): 2752-2761. [Download paper PDF] Johnson, A.L. and Smith, D.J. 2010. Geomorphology of snow avalanche impact landforms in the southern Canadian Cordillera. The Canadian Geographer. 54(1):87-103 [Download paper PDF] Recent UVTRL thesis: Jill Harvey (M.Sc., 2011). Holocene glacier activity in the central British Columbia Coast Mountains. [Abstract] Colette Starheim (M.Sc., 2011). Regional scale tree-ring reconstructions of hydroclimate dynamics and Pacific salmon abundance in west central British Columbia. [Abstract] Kate Johnson (M.Sc., 2010). Late Holocene climate and glacier fluctuations in the Cambria Icefield area, British Columbia Coast Mountains . [Abstract] Bethany Coulthard (M.Sc., 2009). Dendroclimatological and Dendroglaciological Investigations at Confederation and Franklin Glaciers, Central Coast Mountains, British Columbia, Canada. [Abstract] Sarah Hart (M.Sc., 2009). A Dendrochronological Investigation of Paraglacial Activity and Streamflow in the Vicinity of the Homathko Icefield, British Columbia Coast Mountains, Canada. [ Abstract] Lynn Koehler (M.Sc., 2009). Late Holocene Glacial History of Manatee Valley, Upper Lillooet Provincial Park, Southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia. [Abstract] Aquila Flower (M.Sc., 2009). A Dendroclimatic Investigation in the Northern Canadian Rocky Mountains, British Columbia. [Abstract] UVTRL Field Research: Summer 2011: Researchers from the UVTRL completed fieldwork in the Mt. Waddington area at Scimitar Glacier, in the Cambria Icefield area at Bromley Glacier and at a scattering of sites in the northwestern British Columbia. See our 2011 photo album from our July travels. Summer 2010: Researchers from the UVTRL completed fieldwork in the Bella Coola area, at Pattullo Glacier and in the Monarch Icefield area. See our 2010 photo album from the Bella Coola area. Spring 2010: Researchers from the UVTRL completed fieldwork at Zeballos Lake on Vancouver Island. In-situ trees submerged following a landslide 2300 years ago were sampled during a low water stage in March 2010. Go to our Zeballos Lake photo album. Summer 2009: Researchers from the UVTRL completed fieldwork at Jambeau Glacier in the Mt. Waddington area, in the vicinity of the Cambria Icefield and on northern Vancouver Island. See our 2009 Photo album from Jambeau Glacier. Summer 2008: Researchers from the UVTRL undertook field studies in the Homathko Icefield, in the Mt. Waddington area, and in the Cambria Icefield areas of the British Columbia Coast Mountains. See our 2008 Photo album. Summer 2007: Field investigations were completed in Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park in the Northern Canadian Rocky Mountains and in Upper Lillooet Provincial Park in the southern British Columbia Coast Mountains. See our 2007 Photo album.

UVTRL Resource Links

UVTRL - The Movie: Click to see a documentary produced by the BC Knowledge Network showing UVTRL researchers describing our dendroglaciological investigations at Bridge Glacier. Please note that is large Quicktime movie file that may take some time to download to your computer!