The Age Of A Tree

Photo taken in Golden Gate Park

If you have ever walked in a forest or redwood grove where tress have been living for centuries you know how beautifully they age. They provide shelter, warmth and shade from the sun. They touch the skies with an everlasting kiss from nature. However did you ever wonder about how old specific trees are?

Now obviously you would not want to cut a tree down to find out its age. So what do you do? You look around for trees that have been cut in the same area with a likeness to the tree you are seeing. If you find one that has been cut or has fallen look closely at the core on the trunk

Photo taken at the San Francisco zoo

This core on the trunk of a fallen tree exhibits the perfect way to determine the age of a tree. From the very middle circle, count outwards the circles around the core. The amount of circles or annual rings as they are called will give you the exact age of any particular tree. In this example, the tree was seventy years old.

Scientists also use this method to determine other factors such as the health of the tree, the climate during any specific color on the annual ring etc...

In short, trees, like any other living species can provide us with useful information. So the next time you are in the woods or around trees, remember that trees tell stories just as any other living species in this world.