TreeSource

National Tree-Ring Data Repository for Canadian Forests (CFS-TRenD)

CFS-TRenD repository

The study of tree rings, which are composed of alternating bands of light wood formed in the spring and dark wood formed in the summer, can provide insight into a tree's life history and environment. Dendrochronology, the science of analyzing annual tree ring patterns, offers a useful method for understanding variability tree growth patterns among forest types and across large areas. It can also be used to investigate the factors driving this variability and develop indicators for changes in tree growth on scales from one year to thousands of years.

The CFS-TRenD database is a collection of tree-ring data that is part of ongoing and historical tree-ring research projects conducted by the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) and partner organizations. The database is hosted by TreeSource, a web application specialized in forest research data. The impetus behind the development of CFS-TRenD was to leverage past investments into assembling high quality datasets of tree-ring measurements and sample plot networks, support innovative data collection and analysis methods, and develop data and analysis infrastructure to ensure that these information assets are available in the future. Samples contained in CFS-TRenD are the result of multiple sampling designs, including forest inventory tree-ring collections and targeted sampling collections of old trees on ecologically marginal sites. The database is organized by data custodians to create a cohesive structure of quality-controlled and corrected data from multiple sources.

Dashboard

CFS-TRenD is organized using a workflow similar to ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes that are commonly used for internationally unified data repositories. The staging database is a standalone PostgreSQL database built using the TRiDaS data model, which is a versatile standard for transferring dendrocentric data. CFS-TRenD includes seven data tables and includes information about projects, the locations where collections were made, and additional details about the measurement techniques and the overall quality of the data.

CFS-TRenD is an ever-evolving database that welcomes new data contributions to support collaborative tree-ring research both in Canada and worldwide. With dedicated data managers and the ability to securely store tree-ring data, CFS-TRenD serves as a repository for archiving standardized data for various research projects, with customizable access levels for different users as required. Data contributors can configure and control how data is accessed. This can include setting permissions and restrictions for downloading, for instance when data have not yet been published or for data that necessitate approval by agencies before use.

A significant portion of the data in the repository comes from tree cores collected during the establishment of Inventaire forestier national du Canada, while other data is more regionally focused. The tree-ring data also includes contributions from smaller research projects, such as datasets from the International Tree-Ring Data Bank. The collaborative dataset, compiled from all these sources, includes annual ring-width measurements over 40,000 trees, collected from over 4,600 sites across Canada. These measurements represent nearly 60 tree species and all of Canada's forested biomes, with the largest biome and source tree-ring data coming from the Canadian boreal forest.

Methodology behind CFS-TRenD

For a description of the approaches behind the CFS-TRenD repository, please consult the following scientific publication: Martin P. Girardin, Xiao Jing Guo, Juha Metsaranta, David Gervais, Elizabeth Campbell, André Arsenault, Miriam Isaac-Renton, Jill E. Harvey, Jag Bhatti, and Edward H. Hogg. A national tree-ring data repository for Canadian forests (CFS-TRenD): structure, synthesis, and applications. Environmental Reviews. 29(2): 225-241. https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2020-0099

Access to the repository

The CFS-TRenD repository’s metadata is accessible after completing a data sharing agreement. Tree-ring data contained in the CFS-TRenD repository may be subject to restrictions and not yet publicly available. Requests for access to such data can be made to the data contributors, whose contact information is listed on the TreeSource repository.

Additional scientific publications

Girardin, M.P., Guo, X.J., Gervais, D., Metsaranta, J., Campbell, E.M., Arsenault, A., Isaac-Renton, M., Hogg, E.H. 2022. Cold-season freeze frequency is a pervasive driver of subcontinental forest growth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 119 (18) e2117464119. doi:10.1073/pnas.2117464119. Mirabel, A., Girardin, M.P., Metsaranta, J., Campbell, E., Arsenault, A., Way, D., Reich, P.B. 2022. New tree-ring data from Canadian boreal and hemi-boreal forests provide insight for improving the climate sensitivity of terrestrial biosphere models. Science of The Total Environment 851, 158062, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158062

Contact

Martin Girardin
Research scientist
Canadian Forest Service
Laurentian Forestry Centre
1055, rue du P.E.P.S.
Case Postale 10380 Succ Sainte-Foy,
Québec, Qc
G1V 4C7
Tél : (418) 648-5826
Email : martin.girardin@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca