Trees are removed from the Arboretum’s Living Collections for a variety of reasons. Some trees are removed after damage due to pest and pathogen outbreak, some die of natural causes, and some are removed to make room for new acquisitions or development. However, much  can be learned about a tree from its wood and rings, even after the tree itself has been removed from the grounds. Cross-sectional samples from trees removed from the Living Collections are being prepared and stored so they can be used to study a variety of topics, including tree growth and climate sensitivity, quantitative wood anatomy, and isotopic analysis.