Steve Voelker
@thetreecorener.bsky.social
Mostly a forest, tree and plant nerd. I teach about climate change. Expert in plant ecophysiology & stable isotopes & dendrochronology. I also study fish through their otoliths. Husband and Dad. Assoc Prof of Forest Ecology & Mgt at Michigan Tech.
Very disappointed but not surprised. I grew up with a dad who was a founding member of a local DU chapter that is now huge. I was a member and went to fundraisers until I was in my early 20s and moved away. Now older and with $ to donate to charities they are not getting any in this current form.
November 11, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Very disappointed but not surprised. I grew up with a dad who was a founding member of a local DU chapter that is now huge. I was a member and went to fundraisers until I was in my early 20s and moved away. Now older and with $ to donate to charities they are not getting any in this current form.
Correct. Lake Superior is depleted in 18O compared to sea water, and most lake effect snow occurs during these Alberta Clipper events where cold air w/lower RH during evaporation than would occur for seawater, causing additional depletion of the water vapor.
November 3, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Correct. Lake Superior is depleted in 18O compared to sea water, and most lake effect snow occurs during these Alberta Clipper events where cold air w/lower RH during evaporation than would occur for seawater, causing additional depletion of the water vapor.
Hard to say from the wooden leg but the cross-piece of the chair seat looks like butternut (unlikely) or English/European walnut (more likely) because of the large vessels and wood that is lighter than black walnut. Wood pictures on-line are often terrible or just wrong.
November 3, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Hard to say from the wooden leg but the cross-piece of the chair seat looks like butternut (unlikely) or English/European walnut (more likely) because of the large vessels and wood that is lighter than black walnut. Wood pictures on-line are often terrible or just wrong.
What is going on in the white areas? Is the data patchy or not extend below a certain depth?
October 29, 2025 at 11:15 PM
What is going on in the white areas? Is the data patchy or not extend below a certain depth?
I do think there was a lack of oak regen in some areas but the story is more complex than that and they just glossed over it.
Also, it was legitimately terrifying to be coring trees and suddenly realize there was a full grown bison standing 20 yds away watching me.
Also, it was legitimately terrifying to be coring trees and suddenly realize there was a full grown bison standing 20 yds away watching me.
October 22, 2025 at 8:57 PM
I do think there was a lack of oak regen in some areas but the story is more complex than that and they just glossed over it.
Also, it was legitimately terrifying to be coring trees and suddenly realize there was a full grown bison standing 20 yds away watching me.
Also, it was legitimately terrifying to be coring trees and suddenly realize there was a full grown bison standing 20 yds away watching me.
That would be both sad and hilarious
October 22, 2025 at 8:51 PM
That would be both sad and hilarious
In his South Dakota paper he wrote about there being no oak regen and "It appears none of the measured oaks originated before the 1860s".
When I cored oaks across the same landscape I found young trees and abundant 250 to 400 year old trees.
They must have only selected sites to fit their story.
When I cored oaks across the same landscape I found young trees and abundant 250 to 400 year old trees.
They must have only selected sites to fit their story.
October 22, 2025 at 6:49 PM
In his South Dakota paper he wrote about there being no oak regen and "It appears none of the measured oaks originated before the 1860s".
When I cored oaks across the same landscape I found young trees and abundant 250 to 400 year old trees.
They must have only selected sites to fit their story.
When I cored oaks across the same landscape I found young trees and abundant 250 to 400 year old trees.
They must have only selected sites to fit their story.
When I was a PhD student, that same guy wrote a paper on so-called trophic cascades using just 34 increment cores that he counted the rings on and did not cross-date and then did a huge load of inappropriate extrapolation back in time.
Ever since then I have assumed all his papers are BS.
Ever since then I have assumed all his papers are BS.
October 22, 2025 at 5:17 PM
When I was a PhD student, that same guy wrote a paper on so-called trophic cascades using just 34 increment cores that he counted the rings on and did not cross-date and then did a huge load of inappropriate extrapolation back in time.
Ever since then I have assumed all his papers are BS.
Ever since then I have assumed all his papers are BS.
I published my first paper on putative CO2-effects on tree growth in 2006. Back then it was the same talking point "CO2 is plant food #1," to distract from the other effects of CO2 and it has not changed in 20 years.
October 21, 2025 at 5:34 PM
I published my first paper on putative CO2-effects on tree growth in 2006. Back then it was the same talking point "CO2 is plant food #1," to distract from the other effects of CO2 and it has not changed in 20 years.
In other words, if I end up being retired here you know I am going to have a metal detector to go walking through the woods to find float copper.
October 21, 2025 at 2:30 AM
In other words, if I end up being retired here you know I am going to have a metal detector to go walking through the woods to find float copper.