This volume is a must have for professionals and students in forestry, ecology, dendrochronology, biology, geomorphology, and anyone else interested in tree-ring analysis as a practical research tool in land-use planning and natural resource management. This volume has a logic to it that starts at square one, including the collection and processing of cores, and then illustrates how and which data can be applied to questions in the field. The emphasis on using basal area increment (BAI), rather than ring-width indices alone, sets the book apart, and provides an extremely useful methodology. Discussions of growth trajectories based on BAI, changes in growth form, the measurement and applicability of complacent versus sensitive ring series, and the impact of environmental variables upon ring anatomy are discussed with practical examples provided. A wide range of applications include forest stand dynamics, archaeological dating, hydrology, and geomorphic phenomena. Give someone an increment core and a way to measure rings, and this book will guide them to the attainment of useful ecological information. Key Features* Delivers sufficient instruction for the reader to actually apply tree-ring studies to their own particular area of expertise* Presents and discusses the applications of ring width and basal area increment analysis for ecological inference * Provides practical methods for collection and storage of tree-ring material* Includes simple botanical techniques that allow for important inferences concerning historical and present-day environmental conditions * Includes a glossary of key terms used in dendroecology.