Interannual growth variations were compared among neighbouring populations
of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) and white spruce (Picea glauca), wh
ite pine (Pinus strobus), and red pine (Pinus resinosa). Measures of growth
were obtained by removing long-term trends from widths of rings in the har
d tissues of both aquatic and terrestrial organisms and assembling these me
asures into growth chronologies. Interannual growth variations were negativ
ely correlated (r) between sturgeon and nearby tree population chronologies
for those fish populations that displayed strong interseries correlation (
(r) over bar). The three sturgeon population chronologies developed from in
dividuals that displayed the lowest interseries correlation coefficients fa
iled to display significant correlation with tree growth. The results of th
is investigation indicate that the negative relationships between fish and
tree growth may be related to annual fluctuations in air temperature. In ge
neral, fish population chronologies displayed positive correlation with mea
sures of air temperature during the current season of growth, while tree po
pulation chronologies displayed negative correlation with air temperatures
from either the current or the previous season of growth.