The Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism (2018)

1993; Lorey 1994; Matthews 2006; Woodmorappe 2003a). According to certain dendrochronologists, false rings have a “signature” of a “fuzzy” terminal edge instead of a sharp edge. However, Lammerts did not find the signature in his experimental plants and argues that false rings formed by the “San Francisco pattern” should not have the signature, as well. Matthews (2006) likewise found evidence that BCP largely lacked such signatures. Matthews (2006) reviewed the conventional literature on BCP dendrochronology, especially those papers providing support for multiple rings per annual increment. He developed a novel perspective that appears to have merit. Matthews hypothesized that multiple rings per year is an adaptation to aridity in BCP trees that are under stress. That is, production of “late wood” (he calls “dark wood”) serves to limit evaporative loss to just one narrow band of “spring wood” (he calls “light wood”). Of particular interest is his demonstration that, as part of the tree dies back to a narrower strip of cambium and smaller number of supported leafy branches, the wood cells immediately after die back are larger in diameter demonstrating reduction of stress to the cells remaining alive after die back. He, as well as Woodmorappe (2003b), also points to trees downslope in better watered and sheltered locations. These trees may be about the same actual age but have thicker rings that number only in the hundreds, not thousands, before dying. Downes (2010) summarized his research in tree physiology that demonstrates that the one-year-to-one-ring assumption cannot be accepted until verified by actual growth measured over known time. The main emphasis of the research was to understand the way known environmental factors affect tree growth and, thus, tree-ring structure. In particular, his work was aimed at testing global climate change models that use tree rings as proxies in place of direct measurements of climate, which are lacking from prior to the modern scientific era. Significantly, usable proxies must have annual periodicity, be dated with high confidence, and be sensitive to climate. He measured tree diameter in microns every 15 minutes for 4.5 years in Eucalyptus , a tropical tree with poorly defined ring structure. He found that trees after drought can respond to water application and reinitiate growth in as little as 30 minutes. By correlating trunk diameter changes with the record of environmental factors, he was able to show that Eucalyptus in his sample could have at least three wood density changes (i.e., obscure rings) per year, which corresponded to environmental changes. In a plantation of Pinus radiata , a species native to hot Mediterranean climate of Southern California and planted in humid, warm temperate Australia, the 18-year-old trees had between two and six false rings per year, and the annual increments could not be demarcated with confidence. Thus, these studies seriously challenge the use of tree rings to provide data for global climate models. They also challenge the use of tree rings for dating purposes. Several popular apologetic articles argue for multiple rings per year, due largely to irregularities in the arid climate in which the BCP lives (anonymous author of response letter in Woodmorappe 2009b; Batten without date; Morris 2012; Snelling 2017; Thompson 2010, 2014). All of these authors rely on reports of tree physiology in non-BCP, some of which concern pine species and some species of unrelated trees. Morris specifically cites the forest physiology work related by Downes (2010; see above), but Downes was working with tropical Eucalyptus and Mediterranean climate Pinus radiata , which are not comparable to short season montane pines. 4. Critiques of computerized methods of dendrochronology Wiant (1977a) reviewed the cross-matching methods. Apparently computer programs were just being developed to compare accurate measurements of ring widths statistically using correlation coefficients of all possible matches. Data were often transformed (e.g., normalized), but he argued that this would be valid only if there were no missing rings. He pointed out that complacent ring series can give high positive correlations. By analogy with pine species native to Mexico, he argued for multiple false rings in BCP when the climate should have been warmer after the Genesis Flood. False rings from drought or insect defoliation followed by regrowth become more frequent in the Mexican species the further south the trees grow. Of course, he assumes that BCP was in its current location almost immediately after the Flood. The same argument was used by Lorey (1994), Heinze (1995) and Bates (2003). In a more recent paper, Brown (1995) argues likewise that positive correlation coefficients can lead to spurious cross-matches. He cites work on the development of a master chronology in Douglas fir in which computer analyses helped reduced the number of possible matches, but 66 different alternate matches with statistical significance still remained. Porter (1995) echoed the same objection in relation to the Irish oak master chronology. He also suggests that autocorrelation of rings (the growth in one year will affect the growth of subsequent years, see also Wiant 1977b) can cause incorrect cross-matches. Using these same basic arguments as many of the authors above, Hebert et al. (2016) and Snelling (2017) emphasize the fallacy of numerous assumptions used to interpret tree rings in single trees, as well as the master chronologies. Both papers specifically criticize the BCP master chronology by citing the secular literature, with Snelling (2017, p. 58) saying, “The living trees account for only 1,200 years of the chronology, and the whole chronology depends on the accuracy of only two specimens—one living and one dead— where the growth rings appear to overlap. If any mistakes appear in the interpretation of these two specimens, the whole chronology crumbles.” In noting the difficulty of correlating the very thin rings of BCP, Hebert et al. point out that “… a statistical computer program is [and should be] seen primarily as an independent confirmation of a visual match, rather than a replacement for the visual matching process” (2016, p. 349; my insertion implied by context). 5. Support and use of dendrochronology with creationist interpretations Woodmorappe (2003a, 2003b, 2004, 2009a, 2009b) accepts the validity of the annual nature of rings in BCP in his thorough review of modern dendrochronology methods and biology of the BCP. In particular he explains stripbark growth in BCP, which is an adaptation to aridity and cold stress. That is, the tree increases in girth around its full circumference only until it reaches a certain size when the roots can no longer obtain the water and nutrient resources to support a full crown of leaves of an increasingly larger tree. At that point, much of the cambium dies except for a small strip on one side of the tree. The tree trunk then assumes a flattened shape, and only a few branches remain alive directly above the growing strip of wood. Furthermore, Woodmorappe (2003b), in his field studies noticed that the “old” logs, which are supposed to have been lying in the elements for three to seven thousand years, do not look that old. Matthews (2006) adds the argument that even though a foot or more Sanders ◀ Tree-ring data ▶ 2018 ICC 518