You might have passed it if you ever went for a walk in the Muir Woods of California. It’s that very tall and thick redwood tree that has managed to majestically survive hundreds of years.
Once you see it you cannot help but ask yourself “How old is that tree?”
Until recently, scientists believed the one of the tallest tree in California’s Muir Woods was approximately 1,500 years old.
But according to a new study, researchers concluded that the giant redwood tree is younger than that; the tree is about 777 years old.
The study was conducted by a team of specialists from the Humboldt State University and it’s actually the first time someone tries to scientifically determine how old are the trees in the Muir Woods located north of San Francisco.
The recent findings mean that the 249 foot tall redwood tree named “Tree 76” appeared into this world seven centuries later that it was previously assumed, which means the tree dates back to the beginning of the Inquisition era, in the 13th century.
According to the researchers who wrote the study, the tallest tree in the California’s Muir Woods is just a toddler compared to other massive trees that live farther north.
The researchers at Save the Redwoods League in San Francisco are keeping a record of the trees’ age, size and tree ring history as part of a statewide environmental project.
The purpose of the project is to identify the patterns of tree rings and determine whether the trees are reacting to climate change.
According to the tree experts, the rings are bigger when the seasons are wet and smaller when it’s a dry year.
Tree ring analysis was also used to determine the age of the coast redwood tree near Crescent City. The results showed that the tree is approximately 2,520 years old.
But one of the oldest trees in the old is the giant sequoia that lives in the Sierra Nevada: 3,240 years old.
Prior to this study, researchers believed some of the tallest trees in the Muir Woods were aged between 1,200 and 1,500 years old, but the new study suggests the tree is 777 years old.
Emily Burns, one of the researchers at the Redwoods League, explained that the other trees that are related to Tree 76 are probably younger than it was believed.
Burns believes a natural catastrophe like a flood or a fire may have struck the area and forced the forest to regenerate.
Image Source: marvinmorris
