The endangered logger. US News and World Report , pp. The rings on the stump of a tree indicate how many years have passed in the tree's life. One set of light and dark rings represents one year. Paleoclimatologists trace climatic changes and other disturbances by studying the ring patterns in old trees.
Materials Obtain a variety of cut round sections from large tree trunks.
A local tree service might provide pieces from different types of trees. Make a sketch of the flat cut face of each trunk, showing all the rings that appear. Count the number of rings across the surface of the trunk. This corresponds to the tree's age. Label each drawing.