Tree rings as a surrogate for economic stress- an example from the Puna of Jujuy, Argentina in the 19th century

RAQUEL GIL MONTERO; RICARDO VILLALBA,

Dendrochronologia

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Lugar: Verona, Italia; Año: 2005 vol. 22 p. 141 - 147

1125-7865

This paper illustrates the use of tree-ring indices as an indicator of economic stress. In the 19th century the rural economy in the Puna of Jujuy, Northwestern Argentina was based on livestock (llamas and sheep), and was heavily dependant on the availability of pasture and water in this arid landscape. In the absence of traditional indicators of socioeconomic stress, we used tree-ring indices from moisture sensitive trees (Juglans australis and Polylepis tarapacana) as a proxy for droughts and their related economic stresses. Examining the relationship between population mortality and ring-width indices allows inferences to be drawn about the relative importance of environmental and sociopolitical factors in determining mortality patterns that contributed to the depopulation of this area in the late 19th century.