Trees are some of the most enduring and iconic creatures in the world. They sprout and spread creating and changing environments, turning arid plains into lush forests.
Almost all creatures in the world depend on a form of plant life to survive and without them, oxygen consuming creatures – such as ourselves – would cease to exist.
Trees are so big, strong, and immovable that it seems almost impossible that they can die without something attacking them, either externally or internally.
But like everything in this world, trees do eventually cease to be, and their loss has far-reaching consequences in the environment they dominate.
Still, it is unusual to see a tree die of old age or at least it is not something that we can immediately recognize when you see a downed tree.
So, just how long do trees live? Surely they outlive even the oldest of mobile animals, right? And, if not, why?
In this article, we will take a closer look at tries and discover just how long they can live.
What Is The Lifespan Of A Tree?
The average lifespan of a tree varies depending on factors including its location, climate, soil type, and other environmental conditions.
However, it is estimated that an individual oak tree lives for about 250 years while a giant sequoia may live up to 2,000 years.
The longest living known species of tree is the bristlecone pine which has lived for over 4,300 years. This makes them one of the oldest-living organisms in the world.
So what happens to trees after they pass away? Well, there are two main causes of death: natural causes and man made causes.
When trees die from natural causes they decompose quickly and usually within 1 year of dying.
However, there are also many types of diseases and pests that kill trees by causing them to wither and die.
One of the deadliest diseases to affect trees is the emerald ash borer (EAB). EAB was first discovered in Michigan in 2002 and since then has been spreading across North America killing millions of trees and threatening to wipe out entire forest ecosystems.
It kills trees by boring into the stem where it eats away wood tissue. One of the symptoms of EAB is that dead branches fall off the tree and rot.
In addition to EAB, another major cause of death among trees is fire. Fire can damage a tree by burning through the bark and exposing the inner tissues of the tree.
If left untreated, the exposed parts of the tree can dry up and burn. Trees can also die due to drought, disease, insects, fungi, wind damage, and storms.
While these factors play a role in the mortality of trees, humans also play a significant part in the destruction of trees.
We cut down trees for use in building materials, fuel wood, paper, lumber, etc.
Many times we chop down trees in order to clear land for agriculture and urban development. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that cutting down trees is bad for the environment.
Cutting down trees releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destroys habitat for wildlife.
It is important to remember that trees are one of the keys to our planet’s survival. Without them, mankind would not be able to breathe, and we wouldn’t be able to survive.
Therefore, it is imperative to protect our forests so that future generations can enjoy them as well.
What Is The Oldest Living Tree?
The oldest tree in the world is called Methuselah’s Tree. It is located in California and is believed to be more than 4,400 years old.
Since ancient times, this tree has stood guard over the San Bernardino Mountains.
According to legend, Methuselah planted the seed himself and named the tree after his father who had died before he was born.
Methuselah is said to have grown the tree from a tiny acorn until it reached a height of 150 feet tall.
Over time, the tree became covered with moss and lichen. Eventually, the tree lost its leaves and only grew spindly branches.
After centuries of neglect, the tree began to grow again, and today it is once again covered with lush green foliage.
In 2004, scientists examined the tree using advanced technology and confirmed that it was indeed alive and thriving at a whopping age of 4,853 years!
A tree’s life span depends on its location.
For example, a tree growing in temperate climates will typically live longer than one found in tropical regions where temperatures fluctuate greatly throughout the day.
Some trees also thrive in different geographical locations such as deserts and mountains.
Climate changes, pollution, and other outside influences can all contribute to reduced longevity.
Why Do Trees Live So Long?
Trees live long because they are very efficient at converting sunlight into energy.
Trees create their own food supply using photosynthesis which is basically the process of turning light energy into chemical energy.
This happens when plants take water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients from the air and combine them together to make sugars.
These sugars are stored inside the cells of the plant and used to fuel growth. The sugar is converted back into oxygen and carbon dioxide during respiration.
When there isn’t enough sunlight or water, or if the temperature drops too low, trees may begin to starve.
However, even when suffering from nutrient deficiency, trees continue to produce new shoots and leaves because they still need to grow and expand to maintain their size.
Over time, trees can experience severe damage due to drought conditions and disease, but they continue to put forth new growth in an effort to recover.
Since their ability to consume and produce is much more effective than most creatures, and they do not waste energy or time on other functions that other creatures have, like movement or the using of the senses, they can stay alive for far longer periods than other creatures.
Conclusion
Some trees live for an extraordinarily long period, with the oldest of them being thousands of years old and sprouting their roots around the time when humanity was still establishing civilizations, language, and even unified settlements.
This is obviously incredible, given that the average human lives for between 50 and 80 years of age.
Even though trees are long-lived and strong, they can be fragile as well, and it is important to recognize our impact on them and how humanity is causing a lot of trees to never reach these ages.
Thank you for reading!
Slowing down the process of global warming can allow them to have all of the amazing experiences that I had with my children, but with theirs.
It’s too late to stop global warming altogether, but we can slow it down. If everyone were to live a greener lifestyle, we might be able to help the younger generations just a little bit in the future.
We have already made irreparable damages to our planet, so can’t we all band together and commit to slowing down the consequences?
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