fellingdater

A suite of functions designed to assist dendrochronologists in inferring estimates for felling dates, derived from dated tree-ring series.
https://github.com/ropensci/fellingdater

Category: Biosphere
Sub Category: Forest Modeling and Analysis

Keywords

dendrochronology r r-package rstats sapwood tree-rings

Keywords from Contributors

genome geocoding

Last synced: about 15 hours ago
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Repository metadata

A suite of functions designed to assist dendrochronologists in inferring estimates for felling dates, derived from dated tree-ring series.

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/ropensci/fellingdater
• Owner: ropensci
• License: mit
• Created: 2020-06-30T19:30:03.000Z (almost 5 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2024-10-18T06:32:49.000Z (6 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-04-22T06:57:39.797Z (5 days ago)
• Topics: dendrochronology, r, r-package, rstats, sapwood, tree-rings
• Language: R
• Homepage: https://docs.ropensci.org/fellingdater/
• Size: 41.3 MB
• Stars: 9
• Watchers: 3
• Forks: 4
• Open Issues: 2
• Releases: 3
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.Rmd
  • Changelog: NEWS.md
  • Contributing: .github/CONTRIBUTING.md
  • License: LICENSE
  • Codemeta: codemeta.json

README.Rmd

          ---
output: github_document
---



```{r, include = FALSE}
knitr::opts_chunk$set(
  collapse = TRUE,
  comment = "#>",
  fig.path = "man/figures/README-",
  out.width = "100%"
)
```

# `fellingdater`: Estimate, report and combine felling dates of historical tree-ring series



[![R-CMD-check](https://github.com/ropensci/fellingdater/actions/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/ropensci/fellingdater/actions/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml) [![rOpenSci](https://badges.ropensci.org/618_status.svg)](https://github.com/ropensci/software-review/issues/618) [![fellingdateer status badge](https://ropensci.r-universe.dev/badges/fellingdater)](https://ropensci.r-universe.dev)
[![DOI](https://zenodo.org/badge/276190636.svg)](https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.11186274)
[![JOSS](https://joss.theoj.org/papers/3db8c54ec854b575bf5450336ccb000b/status.svg)](https://joss.theoj.org/papers/3db8c54ec854b575bf5450336ccb000b)



This R-package offers a suite of functions designed to assist dendrochronologists in inferring estimates for felling dates, derived from dated tree-ring series. The presence of partially preserved sapwood (*sw*) allows to estimate the missing number of sapwood rings, and to report an interval in which the actual felling date (*fd*) likely falls.

![](man/figures/cross-section.png)

This procedure can be applied to individual series as well as to a collection of timbers.

In cases where it can be assumed that a group of historical timbers were all felled simultaneously (i.e., in the same year), but due to the absence of the bark/cambial zone (waney edge) and the final formed tree ring, this cannot be determined, the preserved sapwood rings can be used to establish a date range for the felling event.

Taking into account the observed number of sapwood rings across all analysed samples and combining them into a single estimate, a more accurate and precise estimation of the felling date year for the group of timbers under study is likely to be obtained.

An additional function offers a tool for summing sapwood probability distributions, comparable to 'summed probability densities (SPD)' commonly applied to sets of radiocarbon (^14^C) dates.

## Installation

You can install the latest release of `fellingdater` from [GitHub](https://github.com/ropensci/fellingdater/) or [R-universe](https://ropensci.r-universe.dev/fellingdater):

``` r
# install.packages("pak")
pak::pak("ropensci/fellingdater")
```

``` r
install.packages("fellingdater", repos = "https://ropensci.r-universe.dev")
```

## Basic example

In the following example the combined felling date range for a set of five dated tree-ring series is computed:

```{r basic-example}
library(fellingdater)

## a data set where all series have partially preserved sapwood:
trs_example1
```

```{r example}
sw_combine(trs_example1, plot = TRUE)
```

The light grey distributions represent the probability density function of the felling date range for each individual series. The dark grey distribution is the combined estimate for a common felling date.

The sapwood model used in the example above to estimate the felling date range, was published by [Hollstein (1980)](https://search.worldcat.org/nl/title/6391864):

```{r model_sapwood_counts, dpi=200}
sw_model("Hollstein_1980", plot = TRUE)
```

## Getting started

You can find an overview of the **main functions** and **sapwood datasets** distributed with the package in the [documentation](https://docs.ropensci.org/fellingdater/reference/).

Some practical examples are provided in the [`Get started`](https://docs.ropensci.org/fellingdater/articles/getting_started.html) vignette.

## The workflow

The `fellingdater`-package allows to fully document the methodology to establish a felling date -- for a single timber or a group of timbers -- making the whole procedure reproducible. It assists in building standardized workflows when applied to large datasets of historical tree-ring series originating from geographically distinct regions. The package is designed to offer several functions related to each step in the (generalized) workflow when working with tree-ring series from (pre-)historical objects or constructions.

![](man/figures/workflow.png)

## Motivation & citation

This package was developed during the analysis of a large data set of tree-ring series originating from medieval timber constructions in [Bruges](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruges) (Belgium). The results of this study were published in [*Dendrochronologia*](https://www.journals.elsevier.com/dendrochronologia).

Please cite these papers when using the `fellingdater` package:

>Kristof HANECA [![](https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png)](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7719-8305) 2024. _fellingdater_: a toolkit to estimate, report and combine felling dates derived from historical tree-ring series. *Journal of Open Source
Software*, 9(97), 6716.\ 
> 

> Kristof HANECA [![](https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png)](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7719-8305), Vincent DEBONNE [![](https://orcid.org/sites/default/files/images/orcid_16x16.png)](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4536-146X), Patrick HOFFSUMMER 2020. The ups and downs of the building trade in a medieval city: tree-ring data as proxies for economic, social and demographic dynamics in Bruges (*c.* 1200 -- 1500). *Dendrochronologia* 64, 125773.\
> 





## Comments and contributions

-   Please report any issues or bugs here: .

-   Get citation information for `fellingdater` in R typing `citation(package = 'fellingdater')`.

-   Please note that the `fellingdater` package is released with a [Contributor Code of Conduct](https://github.com/ropensci/fellingdater/blob/main/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md). By contributing to this project, you agree to abide by its terms.

        

---

Owner metadata

• Name: rOpenSci
• Login: ropensci
• Email: [email protected]
• Kind: organization
• Description:
• Website: https://ropensci.org/
• Location: Berkeley, CA
• Twitter: rOpenSci
• Company:
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