The Lochwood Oaks

 

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A small stand of ancient sessile oaks (Quercus petraea) lies close to Lochwood Tower, near Moffat, Dumfries & Galloway.  These trees are the surviving remnants of a long-established oak forest dating back many centuries, and include individuals of great age and character. 

This valuable population of veteran trees now supports an important range of wildlife and lichens.

Dendrochronology

During the 1970s, the trees at Lochwood played an important role in the development of dendrochronology: the study of annual rings to date wooden artefacts and past events. 

As a tree grows, it puts on a growth ring of new wood around its trunk each year.  Because trees grow at different rates according to the weather, they have wider rings in favourable years and narrower rings in unfavourable years.  Sequences of tree-rings thus give unique patterns which reflect changes in climate over a long period.  The ring sequence, taken as a core sample, also provides a unique ‘fingerprint’ which can be detected in other trees growing in the same geographical area.
 
The old oaks at Lochwood allowed scientists to construct a ring sequence from 1571 to 1970.  Once this tree-ring sequence had been established, timbers in local buildings could be compared to the sequence, providing accurate dates for when the building was constructed.  This technique has proved so useful that many universities and laboratories around the world are establishing their own tree ring sequences to help in the dating of wood.

Where to see the Lochwood Oaks:

Lochwood Castle, near Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway.  The site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and public access is limited.

Image: copyright Archie Miles