How long does an ash tree live. How many years do birch, oak and linden live. White birch - Russian beauty
Forests of trees of different species occupy a third of the surface of the continents of our planet. Throughout their lives, they produce the oxygen necessary for the breathing of people, animals and other living beings. Each tree has its own time, from the appearance of a sprout to drying up and death.
Also an important factor influencing the life of a tree is its location - whether it is a natural area or urban plantings. The urban environment with its high level pollution significantly shortens the life of plants.
In addition, fruit trees live much less than their infertile counterparts. This is especially true of cultivated plantings - gardens.
It would seem that care and care should prolong life. But in practice, the opposite happens. A person, planting a fruit tree, expects quick results from him - a high yield. By artificially accelerating growth, he achieves that the tree in a short time spends the maximum supply of strength and weakens ahead of time, ceases to bear fruit or dies. Errors in the choice of soil for planting, the fertilizers used, and the frequency of irrigation also affect.
AT middle lane In Russia, cultivated fruit trees live relatively little:
Apple and pear trees can grow up to 50 years old;
- – up to 20 years;
- - up to 30;
- Sea buckthorn - up to 25;
- Peach - up to 15.
Only a walnut is a long-liver - it can live up to 200 years. Trees grown from seeds are stronger and live longer. In grafted trees grown from cuttings, the life span is reduced by 5-10 years. Southern trees (apricot, peach) in a warmer climate can live 20-30 years longer than in our latitudes. But a wild pear or apple tree lives up to 100-150 and even 200 years.
Deciduous trees that make up forest massifs live an order of magnitude longer. Under the most favorable conditions:
- Alder gray, aspen can live up to 150 years;
- Black alder, elm, birch - up to 300;
- Ash - up to 350;
- Beech - up to 500;
- - up to 1500.
AT normal conditions these trees live 100-200 years less.
Statistics show that the lifespan of trees depends not only on the species, but also on the growing conditions. Therefore, data on the lifespan of trees is very relative.
Life span of coniferous trees
It is believed that the life span of conifers is much longer than their deciduous relatives.
This is due to the fact that they tolerate harsh weather conditions more easily, are undemanding to the soil - they grow mainly in nutrient-poor sandy and clay soils.
Conifers have endurance due to their structure. They have a shallow and highly branched root system, which allows them to absorb more water from the soil. Because coniferous trees- evergreen, their leaves - needles - even in winter do not stop producing nutrients. Each needle has a very small surface area and is coated with wax, which allows it to retain more moisture.
The shape of the crown allows each tree to receive maximum amount solar energy, despite the fact that coniferous forest trees grow very densely.
The life expectancy of coniferous trees is impressive:
- – up to 200 years;
- European larch - up to 500;
- Spruce, Scots pine - up to 600;
- Siberian larch - up to 900;
- European cedar pine - up to 1000;
- Sequoia - up to 5000.
It can be seen that different coniferous trees have different life spans, which also depends not only on the species, but also on the growing conditions.
long-lived trees
Of everything woodland covering our planet, old-timers stand out apart. Their age is calculated in thousands of years, and the respect of people for them is so great that they receive proper names. Here are just a few of them:
- Norway spruce Old Tikko - 9550 years old, Sweden;
- Pine spiny intermountain Prometheus - age 4862, Mount Wheeler (Nevada, USA);
- Pine spiny intermontane Methuselah - 4842, Inyo County (California, USA);
- Sequoiadendron CBR 26 - 3266 years old, Sierra Nevada (California, USA);
- Juniper western Scofield - 2675 years old, Sierra Nevada (California, USA);
- Ficus sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi - 2299 years old, Anuradhapura (North Central Province, Sri Lanka).
There are several dozen more trees, whose age ranges from 1000 to 3000 years. Some of them were cut down or died, some are still alive.
While watching the video, you will learn about the oldest trees.
Thus, it is seen that different trees have different life expectancy, which depends on many factors: breed, weather conditions, areas of growth. Despite adverse conditions, some specimens show miracles of vitality.
Simple questions. A book similar to an encyclopedia Antonets Vladimir Aleksandrovich
How long do trees live?
How long do trees live?
How long a tree lives, it is interesting for many to know. The Internet is literally full of such questions. And most often they are interested in how long fruit trees live.
Even children know how to determine the age of a tree: you just need to count the number of annual rings on the cross section of the trunk. However, it is not easy to collect data on the record age of trees of each species.
It is easiest to see cuts when harvesting industrial wood. However, the age of a mature tree and the age limit are significantly different values. No one dares to cut down an old tree. All nations have a respectful attitude towards old trees. For example, in the USA, old sequoias and mammoth trees- sequoiadendrons - even give their own names.
How can you tell the age of a tree without cutting it down? To do this, you can use the so-called carbon method. That's the meaning of it. In a growing tree, a rather complex metabolism takes place. In particular, trees absorb carbon dioxide and extract carbon from it for their growth. It turns out that in the composition of this carbon there is a fraction of its radioactive isotope 14C, which has exactly the same Chemical properties, like ordinary carbon, but a slightly larger mass of the nucleus. Atoms of a radioactive isotope are formed from atmospheric nitrogen when it absorbs slow neutrons produced when cosmic rays bombard the earth's atmosphere. Since the concentration of nitrogen in the atmosphere and the intensity of the bombardment are constant in magnitude, the proportion of radioactive carbon in the atmosphere is also constant. In the body of the tree, radioactive carbon begins to decay, turning into ordinary. Therefore, there is less radioactive carbon in old layers of wood than in new ones. This decay on a human scale of time is not going fast. For 5730 years, its concentration is halved. However, the difference in concentration between the core of the tree and the outer layers can be reliably measured if the sample is carefully drilled. So you can find out the age of the tree without damaging it. Archaeologists do the same when studying wooden structures.
Here are the estimates of the age limit of various trees obtained for centenarians. Giant trees live the longest.
Australian eucalyptus lives 8-10 thousand years. The bristlecone pine, which grows in the southwestern United States, and the mammoth tree - the sequoiadendron - live for about 6,000 years.
Sequoia, named after the Indian leader - the inventor of writing, lives up to 4000 years. Baobab and yew live the same amount. Juniper - up to 2000 years, cedar - up to 1500, plane tree - up to 1000.
As for our native trees, then the times are more modest, but also very impressive.
Oak - 1000–2000 years, spruce and linden - up to 500, elm - up to 400, pine - up to 350. Rowan lives up to 200 years, birch - up to 150, poplar and aspen - up to 100, willow and viburnum - 50–60 years .
The lifespan of fruit trees, unfortunately, is short: usually it is several decades.
Often trees do not live up to the time allotted to them by nature. So let's take care of them.
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The life expectancy of trees depends on their species and growing conditions. Some of them are able to grow for hundreds of years, the lifespan of others is limited to decades, and below is a table of the lifespan of trees, as well as information on the lifespan of their individual species.
Lifespan of individual tree species
Tree lifespan, oak
The phrase "centenary oak" is known to every person since reading children's fairy tales. Indeed, common throughout Europe, the pedunculate or summer oak (Quercus robur) lives up to 1500 years and this is a real life expectancy record among Russian trees.
birch life span
Birch is considered a symbol of Russia, but its habitat is much wider: from France to Altai. The most common type of birch is warty (Betula Verrucosa) or weeping. On average, birch grows for 100-150 years, but under favorable conditions it lives up to 200-300 years.
Lifespan of trees, pine
Pine is a very common tree in the European forests of Russia and the taiga. More than 20% of the forested area of the former USSR is occupied by Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris), whose lifespan is only 300 years. "Total" because other types of pines - European pine (Pinuscembra) and Siberian cedar (Pinussibirica) live a little longer - 1000 and 500 years, respectively.
maple lifespan
On the territory of Russia, several types of maples grow and their life span is different. So white maple (sycamore) can live for several centuries, and ash-leaved maple imported from North America lives only up to 100 years.
poplar life span
Poplars filled the streets of Russian cities, and the conditions for their growth cannot be called favorable. But in nature, poplar, like its closest relative, willow, can live up to 80-100 years.
Tree lifespan, table
tree name |
tree height |
tree life span |
House plum or prunes (Prunus domestica) |
6 to 12 meters |
15 to 60 years old |
Alder gray (Alnus incana) |
From 15 to 20 (under favorable conditions up to 25) meters |
From 50 to 70 (under favorable conditions up to 150) years |
Aspen or Trembling Poplar (Populustremula) |
Up to 35 meters |
From 80 to 100 (150) years |
Mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) |
From 4 to 15 (20) meters |
80 to (300) years old |
Thuja western (Thuja occidentalis) |
15 to 20 meters |
Over 100 years |
Black alder (Alnus glutinosa) |
30, maximum 35 meters |
From up to 150 (300) years |
Warty birch (Betulaverrucosa) |
From 20 to 30 (35) meters |
150 (300) years |
Elm smooth (Ulmus laevis) |
From 25 to 30 (35) meters |
150 (300) years |
Rough Elm (Ulmus scabra) |
From 25 to 30 (40) meters |
|
White fir (Abies alba) |
15 to 25 meters |
150 to 200 years |
Siberian fir (Abiessibirica) |
up to 40 meters |
150 to 200 years |
Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) |
From 25 to 35 (40) meters |
From 150 to 200 (350) years |
Wild apple tree (Malus sylvestris) |
10 to 15 meters |
|
Common pear (Pyrus communis) |
Up to 20 (30) meters |
200 (300) years |
European spruce (Picea excelsa) |
30 to 60 meters |
From 300 to 400 (500) years |
Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) |
From 20 to 40 (45) meters |
From 300 to 400 (600) years |
Small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata) |
Up to 30 (40) meters |
From 300 to 400 (600) years |
Forest beech (Fagus silvatica) |
From 25 to 30 (50) meters |
400 to 500 years |
Siberian cedar pine (Siberian cedar) |
Up to 35 (40) meters |
400 to 500 years |
European cedar pine (Pinuscembra) |
up to 25 meters |
Up to 1000 years |
Prickly spruce (Picea pungens) |
30 to 45 meters |
400 to 600 years |
European larch (Larix decidua) |
From 30 to 40 (50) meters |
|
Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) |
up to 45 meters |
Up to 500 (900) years |
Common juniper (Juniperus communis) |
1 to 3 meters (maximum 12) |
500 years (in favorable conditions 800-1000) |
Yew berry (Taxus baccata) |
Up to 15 (20) meters |
1000 years (2000-4000) |
Pedunculate oak (Quercusrobur) |
Up to 30-40 meters |
Up to 1500 years |
And to raise a son - to plant another tree ...
If the construction of a cozy home can be attributed to an essential need, and the birth
child - to direct procreation, then planting trees is akin to some touching eternity...for some of them live several human lives.So which ones and how much? How to find out?
Let's try to answer these questions.P
lifespan of trees define?If you look at the cut of the tree, you can see growth rings. One such tree ring is one year of life.
- But it also happens that trees that have experienced short-term stress during the growing season can form several rings in a year.
- On the other hand, in extremely arid or cold weather for a whole year, not a single growth ring may form.
- Determining the age of stumps, beams, boards, wooden crafts, scientists often resort to the method of dating wood, comparing in detail the sequences of narrow and wide rings.
Radiocarbon analysis is also used (to determine the age of trees in which there are no hollows) - this is the most accurate and expensive method.
If you look closely at a perennial branch, you can find outer annual rings on it, counting which and adding one more year (based on the tree trunk itself) - you can determine the age of this tree.
How long do fruit trees live?
Among the fruit trees, wild apple and pear trees growing in the forest are the most durable.
In central Russia, they can live for 100 and 150 years.
Their forest counterparts in Ukraine, where the climate is somewhat milder, can grow even longer than this period.
The first cultivars of apple and pear trees, propagated by seeds, also reached this age.It is known that such fruits are more durable than those grafted, or grown from root growth or from a stump. How long a fruit seedling will live depends on when it begins to bear fruit.
But the shortest period in the Russian expanses, even in the south, is released for peach - from 5 to 20 years.
In Turkey and Greece, peach breeds live much longer, up to hundreds of years, like apricots. In the Caucasus, there are apricot species that are under 300 years old. Cherries and sweet cherries are considered sissies in our gardens, which are very fond of pests, and without proper care, these trees quickly die.
The lifespan of a tree depends on how tall it has grown i.e. how favorable the living conditions are.
Average lifespan of fruit trees
- Wild apple tree up to 200 years old,
- Apple tree home 100-120,
- Pear 200-300,
- Plum 15-60,
- Peach 5-20,
- Apricot 100,
- Sweet cherry 25-30
- Rowan 80-300
How many liveconiferous?
Coniferous all over the globe live longer than their counterparts with leaves.
Five-six hundred-year-old larches were found in the North of the Urals and Siberia, and in the Tien Shan - 1300-year-old relict thickets of Turkestan juniper.
And if you suddenly find yourself in the English county of Kent, then, looking at the local landmark - a huge yew, know that it was already an old mighty tree even when Julius Caesar conquered Britain.
Now the circumference of the trunk of this centenarian is 18 m.
The oldest tree on Earth has its own name and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
This is the Methuselah pine, whose age was determined by experts at 4772 years.
coniferous life span
- European spruce 300-400 years
- Prickly spruce 300-400 years old
- Blue spruce 400-600
- European larch 400-600 years old
- Common juniper - up to 500 years
- Siberian fir - up to 700 years
- Scotch pine 100
- European cedar pine - up to 1000 years
- Siberian cedar up to 1000 years old
- Yew berry - 150-200 years
- Thuja western - 150-200 years
Taking this information into service, one can clearly imagine when it will be possible to rest under a sprawling cherry or apple tree in your garden, planted last spring or autumn, and when we will receive the first fruits.
And then, when they shoot up, leading from the gate to the porch of your house, and birds will appear in. And how long will all this please you, your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren ...
Look:
The oldest trees on earth
The oldest spruce grows in Sweden. She has her name - spruce tikko. This spruce was found to be more than 9,500 years old by radiocarbon analysis of the root system.
The olive tree in Crete (pictured above) is 2000 years old.
giant sequoia
growing in national park in California, is approximately 2000 years old. The circumference of the trunk is about 27 meters. Her name - General Sherman.Look:
Some trees adorn our planet for only a few decades, others live for millennia. With the deterioration of the environment, the life of trees is reduced. We will learn how many trees of different species live, and how to determine their age.
How long do individual tree species live?
We first find out how many trees live under favorable conditions - if the tree grows in "its" climate zone without any adverse effects.
Maple
The lifespan of maple can reach 400-500 years. In Russia, such centenarians are rare. So, for example, the life expectancy of the ash-leaved maple, imported from North America, does not exceed 100 years. A spreading tree with conspicuous leaves of an artsy shape.
Maple seeds can spread very far - two-winged fruits, falling, begin to rotate and, picked up by the wind, fly away.
The height of maple plantations reaches 15-20 meters.
Beech
Beeches live 400-500 years. Widely distributed in European forests. Characteristic features:
- smooth trunk, which reaches a width of 2 m;
- maximum height - 30 m.
The tree grows slowly, but lives long. The beech has fruits that look like acorns. Moreover, they appear only in trees that have reached 40-50 years of age. The "beechnuts" have unique ability regulate metabolic processes.
Poplar
In nature, poplars grow for about 1000 years. This tree is actively planted in cities and along roads. If poplars have to grow in hostile environment, they live less - 60-70 years.
Poplars can often be seen in industrial areas - they are planted here because of their ability to absorb radiation and harmful substances.
The height of poplars with columnar trunks reaches 35 meters. Leaves are rounded. Poplar is a dioecious plant, there are female and male individuals. It is female trees that are the source of fluff, which causes allergies in many townspeople.
Oak
Oak lives up to 1000 years. This is a well-known long-liver in our area. In Russia, pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) grows predominantly. There are approximately 600 varieties in the oak genus. Oak is easily recognizable by its powerful trunk and spreading crown. Oak can also be unmistakably identified by the following features:
- curly sheet unique beautiful shape;
- original fruit - acorn, who adore wild boars and pigs.
The tree is distributed throughout Europe. Oak wood is valued in furniture production.
Hornbeam
The hornbeam lives for about 300 years. It grows in Europe, less in Transcaucasia and Asia Minor. Has a wide crown. Likes to grow in shaded deciduous forests. Growth is very slow. Belongs to the birch family. The leaves are excellent fodder for livestock. The fruits of the hornbeam are used to obtain oil. Tree height - up to 30 m.
Linden
Linden lives on average 300-400 years, in some cases it can live up to 1000 years. Many varieties of linden grow in Russia - Amur, Caucasian, large-leaved. European linden can reach 40 meters in height. it beautiful tree- a source of lime blossom, which is actively used in cosmetology and medicine. Wood is easy to process - due to the softness of the fibers, it is an ideal raw material for carving.
Birch
The life span of birches is 100-150 years. If conditions are favorable, a tree can live 300 years. The birch distribution area stretched from French lands to Altai. The most common species is the warty or weeping birch (Betula Verrucosa). Average birch indicators:
- height - up to 45 m;
- trunk girth - up to 1.5 meters.
The tree has several dwarf subspecies.
At young tree the trunk is completely smooth, light brown in color. Its famous trunk color - white with black stripes, birch acquires only after reaching 8 years of age.
Birch leaves are small, in the form of rounded triangles, the edges are jagged.
Ash
The average life expectancy of an ash tree is 500 years. Its fruits are in the form of lionfish, falling into winter time. It has a sparse deciduous cover that passes well Sun rays. Peculiarities:
- tree height - up to 30 m;
- trunk width - up to 1 m;
Ash wood has a special strength, so it is valued in construction. Ash bark, its fruits and wood juice are used in medicine.
Elm
On average, elms live up to 300 years. The tree can grow as a shrub. Young trees have smooth bark that hardens with age. The leaves are elongated, the seeds are lionfish fruits. The height of the elm is up to 40 m.
It grows on plains and hills, in shady places and in open sunny heath.
Chestnut
Chestnuts live from 200 to 300 years. Differs in original flowers and leaves. The height of the chestnut is up to 35 m. The inflorescences are in the form of cones. In autumn, the fruits ripen - they are in a spiny box. Based on the fruits, painkillers are made.
Aspen
Lives on average 80-90 years, rarely lives up to 150 years. It has a columnar trunk. It reaches a height of 35 m. In diameter - up to 1 m. It burns poorly - it is not valued as a fuel.
Alder
The life span of an alder is about 100 years. it unique tree, capable of improving the soil - it is enriched with nitrogenous fertilizers. Raspberries and other shrubs grow well near the alder. Height - up to 20 m.
Pine
A tree lives on average up to 600 years. This is one of the most common trees in the forests of Europe and Russia. Widespread varieties of pine:
- Siberian cedar - lives up to 500 years;
- European cedar - lives up to 1200 years.
Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) covers more than 20% of the territory of the former USSR. Its height is from 20 to 40 m.
Spruce
Lives from 600 to 1200 years - depending on the species. Grows all over the world. There are species that grow in a certain area. They reach a height of 50 m. It has a cone-shaped crown. Seeds appear on the 20th year of life - they are contained in cones.
Fir
On average, lives 300-400 years. Can live up to 700 years. A coniferous plant with vertically growing cones. The tree is evergreen. The needles do not fall off even after the branches have dried. The height of the fir depends on the species.
Yew
Lives from 1500 to 2000 years. Under favorable conditions, it can live 3000-4000 years. Yew berry grows very slowly. Height - 10-20, sometimes up to 28 m.
thuja
Thuja lives 150-200 years. She is attributed to coniferous plants but she has no needles. This evergreen tree is undemanding to soils, so it is one of the most popular ornamental plants. It reaches a height of 2.5 m. The folded or giant thuja can grow up to 6 m in height, the western thuja - up to 20 m.
Juniper
On average, junipers live 200-300 years. There are juniper species that live 500 years or more. Height and lifespan vary by species. Max Height- 8-12 m.
Apple tree
Life expectancy - from 100 years, depending on the species. This tree is:
- fruity;
- decorative;
- wild.
The maximum height is 15 m, there are also undersized shrubs among apple trees. Trees vary in frost hardiness and moisture requirements.
Pear
Lives an average of 70 years. Separate types can live up to 150 years. Fruiting continues up to 50 years. There are approximately 60 species. Height - up to 20 m. Does not like to grow in places with a high level groundwater. For a tree to live longer, it should be planted on hills.
Plum
Plum lives no more than 20 years. The tree bears fruit already in the third year of life. Prefers moist soils. Doesn't like drafts. Reaches 15 m in height.
Cherry
Cherry life expectancy is 25 years. Does not happen above 10 m. Compact and productive. One cherry brings up to 20 kg of fruit. AT wild environment lives up to 5 years longer.
Sweet cherry
This thermophilic tree lives 25-30 years. Much sweeter than cherries. Gives tasty and juicy fruits. In height reaches 8-12 m.
Apricot
Lives up to 100 years. It reaches a height of 5-8 m. It is not able to regulate fruiting - because of this, there is an overabundance of fruits. Drought resistant.
Rowan
Lives 50-80 years. It happens that some individuals live up to 200 years. It has 190 species. It comes in tree and shrub form. Height - 8-12 m.
How to find out the age of a tree?
Receiving energy from the sun, trees grow at different rates - depending on solar activity. There are two ways to determine the age - accurate and inaccurate, consider both.
Precise - by annual rings
To determine the exact age of a tree, you must first cut it down. Let's see why.
The trunk expands due to the cambium - a special tissue that creates cells in both directions - inside the trunk and out. How the cambium develops depending on the season:
- Spring. Cambium produces cells characterized by large width and narrow walls. Such cells deliver nutrients more efficiently. Fabrics formed in spring have a lighter shade.
- Autumn. Cambium at this time of the year produces thick-walled cells, giving the wood increased strength. The autumn layer differs from the spring layer in a darker color.
By the number of stripes - light and dark, you can find out the age of the tree. To accurately determine the number of years lived, experts use:
- microscope;
- coloring agents.
If the dark stripe is wider than usual, it means that the tree survived a cold autumn and a long winter that year.
By the number of dark and light rings, you can determine:
- how old is the tree;
- in what climatic conditions the tree grew.
Inaccurate - by indirect signs
But how do you know the age of a tree without cutting it down? In this case, a calculation based on average statistics is used:
- Determine the circumference of the trunk at a level of 1.5 m from the ground.
- The resulting value is divided by 3.14 - the number "Pi". The result is the barrel diameter.
- The diameter is divided by the value of the average annual growth of a particular tree in the region under study.
The result obtained is not accurate, the error can be 20-30%.
Tree Life Tables
The average life expectancy of some deciduous trees are shown in table 1.
Table 1
Name | How long does a tree live (average/maximum), years |
Alder gray | 50-70 (150) |
Black alder | 100-150 (300) |
Aspen | 80-100 (150) |
Warty birch | 150-300 |
common ash | 150-200 (350) |
Elm smooth | 150 (300-400) |
Rough elm | up to 300 |
Linden small-leaved | 300-400 (600) |
Forest beech | 400-500 |
Pedunculate oak | up to 1500 |
Maple | 100 (300-400) |
Poplar | 100 |
Hornbeam | 300 |
Ash | 300 |
Elm | 300 |
Chestnut | 300 |
The average lifespan of some common conifers is summarized in Table 2.
table 2
Name | How long does a tree live, years |
European spruce | 300-400 |
Spruce blue | 400-600 |
European larch | 400-600 |
Siberian fir | 700 |
Common juniper | 500 |
Scotch pine | 100 |
European cedar pine | 1000 |
Siberian cedar | 1000 |
150-200 | |
Yew berry | 1500-2000 |
The average lifespan of fruit trees is summarized in Table 3.
Table 3
Name | How long does a tree live, years |
wild apple tree | up to 200 years |
home apple tree | 100-120 |
Plum | 15-60 |
Pear | 150 |
Peach | 5-20 |
Apricot | 100 |
Rowan | 80-300 |
Sweet cherry | 25-30 |
Cherry | 20-25 |
What affects lifespan?
The main factor affecting the life of a tree is its type. So, fruit trees live the least - their life span is calculated in decades. But deciduous and coniferous trees can live for hundreds and even thousands of years - they are the basis of the "evergreen" forests of our planet.
The life span of coniferous trees is longer than that of deciduous counterparts. Reasons for longevity:
- Representatives of conifers are easier to tolerate the harsh climate.
- Unpretentious in relation to the soil. Can grow on poor sandstone and clay soils.
- Thanks to the branched root system, coniferous trees are hardy - they absorb water well from the soil.
- Due to the special shape of the crown, they receive maximum solar energy even at high growth density.
- The needles, unlike the leaf, have a small surface area and are covered with wax - this contributes to the retention of moisture in it.
The life expectancy of coniferous trees can be influenced by such factors:
- Genetics. Each plant has certain adaptation possibilities.
- Soil characteristics– the impact is much less than on the growth of deciduous trees.
- Humidity and temperature has little effect - coniferous trees grow in their usual environment. Only what can affect their lifespan global changes climate.
- terrain- plains, slopes, mountains. It depends on the strength and direction of the wind.
- forest density- coniferous trees are minimally affected, since their crowns are adapted to difficult conditions.
- Diseases and pests. Fungal and bacterial infections can drastically shorten the lifespan of any tree.
The lifespan of deciduous trees can vary greatly even within the same species. The life expectancy can be affected by the following factors:
- Soil characteristics- its density, composition, saturation with nutrients and microelements.
- Climatic conditions - humidity, mean annual temperature, strength and direction of the wind, other indicators.
- Environment How close are neighboring trees? If the growth density is high, then only the strongest individuals live long.
- Insects and other pests.
- Location – habitat or urban setting. It is clear that in a city where the air is polluted, trees live less.
Fruit trees
The lifespan of fruit trees is affected by:
- Type of fruit tree.
- Soil quality and
- , treatment, warming for the winter and other care activities.
- Destruction of pests, especially bark beetles, which are capable of destroying a tree in a couple of years.
Why, despite increased care, fruit trees live so little? Large yields are expected from fruit trees. By artificially accelerating the growth of a tree, a person forces the tree to spend its resources - having used up its reserve of strength, it weakens ahead of time and dies.
The oldest trees
Under favorable conditions and appropriate genetic capabilities, some trees can live for thousands of years:
- Pine Methuselah. The record holder among centenarians is growing in the western United States. Its location is California, national reserve, White Mountains. The tree is located on a hill - 3000 m above sea level. His exact location location is a mystery. The staff of the reserve protect the tree from tourists who will definitely want to cut off a piece of bark from it or take a picture with it. The old tree needs rest.
The Methuselah pine is 4580 years old. This is the oldest tree on the planet.
- Sequoia General Sherman. Location - USA, California national park Sequoia. This is the oldest and most high sequoia in the world. Her age is 2300-2800 years. The height of the tree is 84 m. In girth, it reaches 31 m - at the base. Near the tree is always full of tourists.
The oldest sequoia in the world continues to grow - every year it adds 1.5 cm in girth.
- Skhtorashen plane tree from Nagorno-Karabakh . Its age is 2000 years. The height of the plane tree is 54 m. At the base is a giant hollow, its area is about 45 square meters. m. Plane tree leaves reach 50 cm in length. Crown area - 1.5 thousand square meters. m, so the old plane tree is visible to astronauts in orbit.
- Chestnut Tree of a Hundred Horses. Growing on Mount Etna, Sicily. The trunk in girth is 58 m. Its approximate age is 2000-4000 years. The relic chestnut is located 8 km from the mouth of the volcano, how he managed to live so long is amazing!
- Cypress "Zoroastrian Sarv". Location: Yazd Province, Iran. Age - 4000-4500 years. It was then, scientists believe, that the wheel was invented.
- Yew in the village of Hyangernyf, North Wales. Age - 4000 years.
- El Tikko. This tree is a clone of an old spruce that is 9500 years old. Rather, it is the age of its roots. The current trunk was eaten for several hundred years, its height is only 5 m. When the relict tree died, its roots sprouted.
Video about long-lived trees. Watch an interesting video about the five oldest trees in the world:
Table 4 shows the life span of long-lived trees:
Table 4
Name | Average life expectancy, years |
Sequoia | 5000 |
Baobab | 5000 |
Yew | 3000 |
Cypress | 3000 |
Cedar pine | 1200 |
Pedunculate oak | 1000 |
Silver poplar | 1000 |
Sycamore | 1000 |
Trees are priceless - this is the beauty of our planet, clean air and a source of all kinds of benefits. Years pass before a tree grows. The task of man is to increase natural and artificial plantings. When planting trees for a specific purpose - decorative or economic, it is useful to know how many years it will decorate your garden, yard, city, world.