Since childhood, the scientist Jonathan Barichivich I felt it wasGrand grandfatherThe larch, which his family took great care of in Los Ríos (southern Chile), was special. Now, more than thirty years later, he has discovered why: At around 5,500 years old, it may be the oldest tree in the world..
The discovery happened almost by chance while Barichivich was studying. the impact of climate change on larchesA coniferous species native to Patagonia and threatened by different factors such as fires, logging or drought.
“We took a small sample of the tree and were able to estimate its age, although that wasn’t the original purpose of the study. We were very surprised to see that. much older than we thinkBecause we believed it was between 3,500 and 4 thousand years old,” he said.
Become the star of Alenen Costero National Park, 800 kilometers south of Santiago.Grand grandfather’ would be older “Methselah”California pine (USA), which holds the record so far 4,853 years.
Professor Antonio Lara Southern University of Chile and co-author of the investigation, to Efe that both “uncloned” examplesi.e. they are not connected to other trees by a common root system, for example spruce Norway ‘Stale Tjikko‘, at least 9,550 years. “Uncloned trees live less, so this finding is very unusual,” he says.
Although the final result of the study will be announced in the coming months, ‘magazine’Science’ recently released a preview that revolutionized the scientific world.
an unusual method
Dendrochronology, among other aspects, is the science that studies. from the age rings of trees. To count these, the stem is normally drilled down to the center and a specimen no wider than five millimeters is removed. So it was done with “Methuselah“.
In the case of ‘millennial larch‘ aspectGreat Grandfather‘, piercing device He couldn’t reach the center because of the vastness of his trunk, which was more than 4 meters in diameter..
“We’ve only reached 40% of the total radius. We counted 2,400 years in this small example. The question is how many years we haven’t reached in the other half, and the answer is not a simple sum,” says Barichivich. currently working at the Climate and Environmental Sciences Laboratory in Paris.
Using a larger drill to reach the center would put the tree at risk, so a statistical model to calculate the remaining years by combining and estimating information from hundreds of other larches in the park ‘There is an 80% chance of being older than Methuselah..
Barichivich realizes that his method will not be liked by the entire scientific community, but says skepticism about what is new is “the natural process of science”: “There is a kind of American colonialism in science, in how we construct knowledge and how it is validated”.
“It’s not a championship, we don’t like records. This tree has a lot more value beyond its age,” adds Lara.
Three generations of “protectors”
‘Great Grandfather’ is closely linked to his family’s history. barichevichknown as ‘they’ in the regionyour parents.
The grandfather of the scientist who “met” with larch was Aníbal Henriquez. ten years 1970 when he works as a park ranger. Then his mother, who is also a ranger, took over, and now it’s her turn. “It’s been a part of our life, and maybe we’ve become a part of the tree’s life too,” she says.
Its privileged location in the Valdivian forest, in a sort of valley an hour’s walk from the park’s entrance, with no other larch trees around it, has protected it from logs and fires. weak structure and only 30% alive.
Now their biggest enemies are climate change and tourism.has increased significantly recently. For the first, the solution seems complicated.
For the latter, the state-owned National Forestry Agency (Conaf) decided. temporarily close the park until they devise a new strategy that allows visitors to arrive without jeopardizing the sample.
“Tourism and conservation are completely compatible, but the former must be regulated and regulated.”Accepting Pablo Cunazza from Conaf. “Great-Grandfather,” concludes Barichivich, It’s a “time capsule”“Our role is to protect it and let it continue to move forward with its message.”
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Contact details of the environment department: [email protected]