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A 2,624 year old tree was found alive in an American swamp, but scientists believe that climate change could kill the old plant
- Geologists found bald cypress trees in 2017 while they were studying dark circles
- They reveal drought and rainfall when trees lived thousands of years ago
- The species is heavily exploited for wood and only 1% of its forest survives
- Water pollution, sea level rise and logging could kill them in the future
One of the oldest living trees in the world was discovered in a swamp in North America at least 2,624 years old.
The bald cypress, also the oldest known wetland tree species, has been found in the North Carolina Forest.
Scientists established their age using carbon dating and ring measurements, which also revealed ancient weather patterns.
The species is however threatened by illegal logging, water pollution and sea-level rise resulting from climate change, scientists warned.
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One of the oldest living trees was discovered in a swamp in North America at least 2,624 years old. The picture shows a researcher standing next to a bald cypress
Geologists from the University of Arkansas discovered centennial trees in 2017 while they were studying dark circles in the Black River swamp in North Carolina.
The old trees are part of an intact ecosystem that covers most of the 65 miles (105 km) of the Black River.
Using ring and radiocarbon dating, they found that bald cypress trees, also known as Taxodium distichum, were one of the oldest sexually reproducing non clonal trees in the world.
One of the oldest living trees was found in a swamp in North America at least 2,624 years old. The bald cypress shown in the photo above is a large number of those found in the Black River Reserve in North Carolina.
Professor David Stahle, who made the discoveries, has been working on the Black River Reserve, covering an area of 16,000 hectares, since 1985.
In 1988, he listed 1,700-year-old bald cypresses.
Professor Stahle said, "It is extremely unusual to see an old stand of trees running the length of a river, as it has observed.
"Bald cypresses are valuable for wood and have been heavily exploited.
"Well under 1% of the original virgin cypress forests survived."
Trees like the bald cypress are valuable for rebuilding old weather conditions and the oldest trees in the area have has allowed geologists to reconstruct the 900-year history of the eastern US climate.
Scientists established the age of the bald cypress using carbon dating and ring measurements that also revealed ancient climate patterns. Trees are however threatened by loggers for their timber as well as for water pollution and sea level rise.
They testify to periods of drought and major floods during the colonial (1492-1763) and pre-colonial (before 1492) periods.
The work of the University of Arkansas has also contributed to the preservation of the former swamp.
Katherine Skinner, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy, owner of the Black River Reserve, said, "Dr. Stahle's original works on the Black River, which showed trees dating back to Roman times, prompted us to begin the conservation of the Black River more than two decades ago.
Geologists from the University of Arkansas discovered centennial trees in 2017 while they were studying dark circles in the Black River swamp in North Carolina. Professor David Stahle, who made the discoveries, has been working on the Black River Reserve, covering an area of 16,000 hectares, since 1985.
"This ancient forest gives us an idea of what a great part of the North Carolina coastal plain looked like thousands of years ago.
It's a source of inspiration and an important ecosystem. Without Dr. Stahle, he would have remained unprotected and probably destroyed.
The full report was published in the journal Environmental Research Communications.
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