A Comparison Between Response-Function Analysis and Other Regression Techniques

• Main Authors: Fritts, Harold C., Xiangding, Wu
• Other Authors: Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
• Language: en_US
• Published: Tree-Ring Society 1986
• Subjects: Dendrochronology; Tree Rings; Dendroclimatology; Statistical Analysis
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/261739

Three different response-function programs are applied to three tree-ring chronologies, two of Pinus ponderosa Laws. and one of Juniperus occidentalis Hook. These data were analyzed before and after ARMA modeling was applied. The results are described and compared to one another as well as to those obtained from all-steps multiple regression, stepwise multiple regression, ridge regression, and simple correlation. In spite of methodological differences all multivariate methodsproduced remarkably similar results. The results from simple correlation differed the most. Some differences among the response functions were apparent, especially in the coefficients associated with prior growth. The response-function results have smaller error estimates than ridge regression. According to Cropper (1985) this error in the response-function results is underestimated by approximately 40 %. The rationale for the different response-function solutions is discussed.