Horticulture News from Around the World:
Trees that live for 1,000 years astound scientists
By Nick Nuttall, Environment Correspondent, The Times
SOME trees in the Amazon rainforests are hundreds of years older than previously thought, researchers say.
The rapid cycles of growth and decay in the forests had led most experts to estimate that the trees were no more than 300 years old. But scientists using sophisticated radio-carbon dating have found that at least four species can achieve ages of well over 1,000 years. The findings emerged from a study by Anna Lewington and Edward Parker, who trawled the globe for ancient, millennial trees.
Mr Parker, a photographer and environmentalist, said yesterday that while in Brazil they heard of scientists following in the footsteps of logging companies. The scientists, led by Dr Jeffrey Chambers of the University of California, and Dr Niro Higuchi of the National Institute for Amazon Research, tested the age of trees from 13 Amazon species. “We tracked them down near the Amazonian city of Manuas, where we learnt of their extraordinary findings,” Mr Parker said. Ages were found to range from 200 to 1,400 years, with an average of 500 to 600 years.
Ms Lewington, a botanist, said: “Four species of Amazonian trees were shown definitely to live to over 1,000 years old. These are the castanha de macaco, or monkeynut tree; the cumaru; the angelim da mata; and the macaraanduba.”
The couple have spent a year visting 15 countries, including Lebanon, South Africa, Namibia, Chile, China and New Zealand. Their findings have been recorded in Ancient Trees: Trees That Live for a Thousand Years. Mr Parker said: “At the beginning of this project we were hoping to include some 24 species of trees that live to over 1,000 years. However, we discovered more and more examples of ancient trees. The number of candidates has risen now to nearly 100 species, and the list is still growing.”
It is believed that the oldest living tree may be a yew in a church yard in Perthshire, Scotland. A small-leaved lime, growing at Westonbirt Aboretum, Gloucestershire, is estimated at 6,000 years old.