"R Fundamentals in Dendrochronology" (Ernst van der Maaten, University of Greifswald, Germany)
The R language and programming environment is increasingly used in dendrochronology. R is the world’s preeminent open-source statistical computing software and its power can be harnessed for tree-ring science through the contribution of add-on packages which are freely available on the internet.
There are several R packages for working with tree- ring data, like dplR for standardization and chronology building, treeclim for climate-growth analysis, and pointRes for analyses of pointer years and components of tree resilience.
Although extremely powerful, R has a steep learning curve that has lead some to postpone using it in their own work. In this interactive workshop, the fundamentals of R will be explained. Further, the aforementioned packages will be demonstrated.
The workshop format will include a demonstration using onboard data sets but will also include a chance for participants to work with their own data in a collaborative environment. The workshop targets specifically at novice and entry-level R users.
Georg von Arx and Patrick Fonti, WSL Switzerland.
The course introduces to theoretical and practical aspects of analyzing of cell anatomical features along series of tree rings, including sample preparation, cell measurements and data analysis.
In particular the participants will learn about the dos and don'ts of sample preparation and measurements, obtain a demonstration of ROXAS (the most versatile software for cell anatomical measurements) and of some examples of data analyses and applications.
