Perhaps you’ve wandered through a forest or strolled into a neighborhood park and found tree trunks — and wondered if counting the rings on a trunk is truly a way to know the tree’s age. “Most of us ...

There are a couple of things to consider before scientists survey trees. First, they must find a site where humans haven’t affected the area with logging or other research. Then they pick a group of ...

AnsThis fall, I had three somewhat decrepit ash trees cut down. A friend with a chainsaw cut a cross section so I could count the rings. How far out do the countable rings go? Do I count the rings in ...

Tree trunks are more than just wood—they’re living records of everything a tree’s been through. From growth spurts to natural disasters, tree rings and dark lines inside trunks reveal secrets that are ...