Determination of the Age of Pinus Occidentalis in La Celestina, Dominican Republic, by the Use of Growth Rings

Abstract

The growth rings of Pinus occidentalis Swartz trees in La Celestina, Dominican Republic, show between-tree uniformity. With difficulty, two mean time series were made from ring widths of 1) all visible, including intra-annual, rings and 2) groups of rings that were hypothesized to be annual. Both were compared with a 63-year range of rainfall data. An annual periodicity in wood formation is present, but obscured by many intra-annual rings. The annual periodicity of the trees may be a remnant of their possible origin from higher altitudes, where frosts may occur during the cold season. The youngest of the 7 investigated trees was about 39 years old; the oldest about 46 years. These seven trees contain between approximately 2 and 6 growth rings per year, with an average of about 3.5-4.