Old Tjikko

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Old Tjikko is a Norway spruce which has been reported to be the world's oldest individual clonal tree at 9,550 years old.[1] The tree stands 5 metres (16 ft) tall and is located on Fulu Mountain of Dalarna province in Sweden.[2] For thousands of years, the tree appeared in a stunted shrub formation (also known as a krummholz formation) due to the harsh extremes of the environment in which it lives. During the warming of the last century, the tree has sprouted into a regular tree formation. Leif Kullman, Professor of Physical Geography at Umeå University, has attributed this growth spurt to global warming, and given the tree its nickname "Old Tjikko" after his late dog.[2]

The tree has survived for so long due to the cloning process that many trees are able to take advantage of. The actual tree itself is relatively young, but is part of an older root system which dates back thousands of years. The main trunk of the tree may die and regrow multiple times, but the tree's root system remains intact which in turn, sprouts another trunk. The trunk itself may only live for about 600 years, and when one trunk dies another eventually grows back in its place.[3] Also, each winter, heavy snow may push the tree's low-lying branches to ground level, where they take root and survive to grow again the next year.[4] The tree's age was determined by carbon-14 dating of the root system, which found roots dating back to 375, 5,660, 9,000, and 9,550 years. Researchers have found a cluster of around 20 spruce trees in the same area, all over 8,000 years old. The previous record holders (for an individual tree) were non-clonal bristlecone pine trees from California in the United States, dated 4,000 to 5,000 years old.[1]

Previous researchers considered the Norway spruce species to be a relative newcomer to Sweden, with theories postulating the tree migrated into the area around 2,000 years ago. Trees much older than 10,000 years would be practically impossible in Sweden, because until around 11,000 years ago the area was in the grip of a world-wide ice age.[3] Nature conservancy authorities are considering putting a fence around the tree to protect it from possible vandals or trophy hunters.[5]

The title of "World's Oldest Tree" can be a contentious one, as there are numerous examples of long-living clonal colonies of trees around the world. A colony of 47,000 quaking aspen trees (nicknamed "Pando") covering 106 acres (43 ha) in Bryce Canyon National Park, United States is considered one of the oldest and largest organisms in the world. It has been estimated to be 80,000 to a million years old, although tree ring samples determine individual trees to only average 130 years.[6][7][8][9] A colony of Huon pine trees covering 1 hectare (2.5 acres) on Mount Read, Tasmania is estimated to be around 10,000 years old, as determined by DNA samples taken from pollen collected from the sediment of a nearby lake. Individual trees in this group date to no more than 4,000 years old, as determined by tree ring samples. [10][11]

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[edit] References

  1. ^ a b World’s oldest living tree discovered in Sweden. Umeå University. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  2. ^ a b Landau, Elizabeth. World’s oldest tree points to global warming impact. CNN. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  3. ^ a b Owen, James. Oldest Living Tree Found in Sweden. National Geographic. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  4. ^ Swedes find 'world's oldest tree'. BBC News. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  5. ^ Highfield, Roger. World's oldest tree discovered in Sweden. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  6. ^ Grant, Michael C. (1993-10-01). The Trembling Giant. Discover Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-05-08.
  7. ^ Botanical Record-Breakers. W.P Armstrong. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  8. ^ Quaking Aspen. National Park Service - Bryce Canyon. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  9. ^ SPECIES: Populus tremuloides. USDA - United States Forest Service. Retrieved on 2008-05-08.
  10. ^ Living tree ‘8,000 years older than Christ’ (?). Answers in Genesis. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  11. ^ Native Conifers of Tasmania. Paks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.