Champion trees of Britain and Ireland

[edfrank]

Champion trees of Britain and Ireland
Great old trees are vital to our landscape – a new handbook helps us to understand why

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/plants/trees/8675208/Champion-trees-of-Britain-and-Ireland.html

'Woodman, spare that tree, touch not a single bough! In youth it sheltered me, and I’ll protect it now!”

For centuries, trees have inspired poets such as George Pope Morris. But Owen Johnson has done more than most to protect them. He has recorded the vital statistics of more than 60,000 of them, covering huge distances on foot and public transport (he does not own a car). He has just published Champion Trees of Britain and Ireland: The Tree Register Handbook. The book lists all the species that grow in the British Isles, and gives one or more “champions” for each. He indicates the areas each species flourishes, and where to look for them.

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[James Parton]

The oldest tree is a yew at Fortingall Church, Perthshire, thought to be 5,000 years old.

That is slightly older than the oldest known Bristlecone Pines. This needs verification.

[Ranger Dan]

Seems to me I read about that tree several years ago, that duff from the hollow interior had been carbon dated to that age...but I haven't heard of that being done to any other tree.  I question how accurate that could be, considering all the carbon being brought into the interior hollows of trees by bats, worms, etc.  I know there are several other methods now of dating things...I wonder if there has been any other work dating hollow trees.

Dan

[KoutaR]

According to Giant Trees of Western America and the World by Al Carder, the 5000 y age estimation for the Fortingall Yew is based on the dimensions of its trunk and yew's growth rates. Thus, it is an extrapolation. I think, it is commonly regarded as an overestimation.

Kouta

[jamesrobertsmith]

Whatever the age of that tree, it's a gorgeous thing!

I admire the guy for not owning a car. Good for him.