Tree rings provide a window into Quebecs 19th century climate for researchers – Montreal [Video]

Quebec tree rings dating back nearly 200 years indicate snowpack in the Gaspésie mountains has declined considerably in recent decades, Concordia University researchers suggest in a study that could give further insight into dwindling caribou herds and hydro energy forecasts.

The tree ring study goes back to 1822, extending by more than 100 years the records otherwise kept by local weather stations and river gauges. It underlines how climate change has already reshaped the region, the study said.

“This reconstruction may prove useful for wildlife, fisheries and hydroelectric reservoir management,” said the study, published in Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies.

By studying the tree rings in the Sainte-Anne River basin, the researchers say they observed a climate-change linked decline in extreme spring river flows and snowpack levels since 1937.

“The system was at a tipping point, and it didn’t take much global warming to push it to where we’ve lost …