Article
DENDROCHRONOLOGY OF THE SEASIDE JUNIPER (JUNIPERUS MARITIMA), WASHINGTON STATE, USA
Tree-Ring Research
(2025)
Abstract
Seaside juniper (Juniperus maritima) is a recently identified cryptic, rare tree species endemic to
the Salish Sea region. This study reports on the first dendrochronological investigation of the species.
We sought to determine if seaside junipers are capable of crossdating and to identify correlations
between instrumental climate records and radial growth. We collected tree core samples from seaside
juniper in five sites throughout the San Juan Islands and nearby mainland in Washington State. We
encountered pervasive issues with broken and partially rotten cores. The lobate growth form characteristic
of junipers and frequency of missing rings created additional challenges for crossdating samples.
Furthermore, most stands were relatively young, with few or no trees that established prior to
the early 20th Century. However, samples collected from one of five sites successfully crossdated.
Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that the dominant growth-limiting factor of the seaside junipers
we sampled was growing-season minimum temperatures in both the prior year and current year.
Understanding this climate-growth
Keywords
- Juniper,
- dendrochronology,
- san juan islands,
- salish sea
Disciplines
Publication Date
Winter February, 2025
Citation Information
Dustin A. Gleaves and Aquila Flower. "DENDROCHRONOLOGY OF THE SEASIDE JUNIPER (JUNIPERUS MARITIMA), WASHINGTON STATE, USA" Tree-Ring Research Vol. 81 Iss. 1 (2025) p. 11 - 19 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/aquila-flower/34/