The world's 10 oldest living trees

[n2doc]

Methuselah
At 4,841 years old, this ancient bristlecone pine is the oldest known non-clonal organism on Earth. Located in the White Mountains of California, in Inyo National Forest, Methuselah's exact location is kept a close secret in order to protect it from the public. (An older specimen named Prometheus, which was more than 5,000 years old, was cut down by a U.S. Forest Service graduate student in 1964.) Today you can visit the grove where Methuselah hides, but you'll have to guess at which tree it is. Could this one be it?



Sarv-e Abarqu
Sarv-e Abarqu, also called the "Zoroastrian Sarv," is a cypress tree in Yazd province, Iran. The tree is estimated to be at least 4,000 years old and, having lived through the dawn of human civilization not far away, it is considered an Iranian national monument. Many have noted that Sarv-e Abarqu is most likely the oldest living thing in Asia.

more:

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/the-worlds-10-oldest-living-trees/

[uppityperson]

1. Thank you, this is very neat. nt

[roguevalley]

30. Methusela looks like a Biblical patriarch raising his arms to God.

Wonderful post, this. Thank you.

[opiate69]

2. Fascinating stuff! thanks!!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Rummy would say, "targets, there are lots of targets in Iran...." starting

with this tree.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

27. That came to mind immediately, only it was McCain singing "bomb Iran."

Despicable MFers.

[TexasObserver]

4. amazing

[fishwax]

5. cool!

:thumbsup:

[Odin2005]

6. That chestnut tree on Mt. Etna is really pretty!

[csziggy]

7. Very cool - makes our stand of beech trees look like saplings

Although they are among the largest American beech trees in the state of Florida.

Thanks for posting this!

[LiberalFighter]

8. Did McCain plant them?

[AnArmyVeteran]

62. Liberals see the Majesty of that tree. Conservatives see Firewood...

Liberals have reverence for such a beautiful tree. Conservatives would pave over it if it would lead to a dollar being made.

[MissDeeds]

9. Thanks for sharing this

Beautiful, and a bit humbling.

[depakid]

10. Outstanding!

B-)

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Breath-taking, mind-boggling, jaw-dropping, awesome, amazing, incredible.

[BrklynLiberal]

12. Some asshole U.S. Forest Service graduate student cut down a 5000 year old tree?????????????????????

I hope Mother Nature and Mother Earth get together to make sure that person gets the fate they deserve.

[supernova]

14. Ditto

:grr:

Wonder if that moron ever realized what he did?!?

[thelordofhell]

19. Yeah, but have you SEEN his cool furniture?

:sarcasm:

[Xithras]

50. Yes. He died recently too. I feel kind of sorry for him.

The guy was a graduate student studying climatology who was trying to take core samples of the trees in order to better determine past rainfall and weather patterns. At the time, people knew the trees were old, but very few people understood HOW old the trees actually were. When his coring drill broke, the Forest Service rangers (it wasn't a national park at the time) suggested that he simply cut the tree, and then the FS itself cut the tree down for him. It wasn't until they counted the rings later that they realized what they had done.

In some ways, the cutting turned out to be a good thing. At the time, the value of the recently passed Wilderness Act was still being debated in the U.S., and there were a lot of real questions about whether there should be "set asides" in the national forests. This incident really raised awareness of the types of damage that can occur without regulations, and the felling of Prometheus virtually eliminated opposition to the acts enforcement. It also gained the rest of the grove almost immediate legal protection (prior to the cutting, the grove was treated just like any other grove of trees), and later to national park status. The Audobon society once called it "A martyr that saved its species".

As for the grad student, he went on to become a university professor and environmentalist, and never stopped apologizing and grieving for what he had done. He genuinely had no idea that they were dropping a 5000 year old tree, and he personally testified before Congress in order to get all bristlecone pines federal protection to keep it from ever happening again. As the story goes, he also never cut another tree in his life.

[mainer]

55. wow, thanks for the info. How sad for him.

It'd be like living with the knowledge that you accidentally killed your own mother.

[kurtzapril4]

80. Another result of the unfortunate demise of this tree

Was that the National Park Service started tightening up on who could collect materials from national parks, i.e., no more grad students running around, willy-nilly, harvesting whatever they liked with no oversight.

On the otherhand..in IL it is illegal to collect ANYTHING from a state park, forest preserve, nature reserve, etc. But it IS legal to collect from Shawnee National Forest. Go figure.

[BrklynLiberal]

87. Thank you very much for this info.

At least it was not some arrogant schmuck who did not care, or even understand what he had done.

At least there was some longterm good that came of this..

[On the Road]

76. I Read a Letter to the Editor in Harper's by the Grad Student

There are a small number of bristlecone pines the service was allowed to harvest. They chose this one and only realizes afterwards that it was the oldest.

[supernova]

13. Pretty sure that's not Methuselah

That pic looks dead.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

35. It's not dead. It's resting.

[Toasterlad]

94. Look, Matey, I know a dead tree when I see one....and I'm lookin' at one right now.

[Xithras]

51. No, that's not Methuselah

I had the privilege of hiking out there and seeing the real deal about 10 years ago. It's not marked on any map, and there is no trail to the tree, but it's not really that hard to find it. The location (including the exact GPS coordinates) are on the Internet. The NPS realizes that they can't stop all visitors from going out there, but the current "open secret" status keeps the numbers low enough to prevent damage to the area. It is NOT easy to reach.

Funny thing is, the real one looks just as dead as the one in the picture above. Because of the way they grow, bristlecone pines often look dead, even when they're not. In the case of Methuselah, there is only one tiny strip of living tissue left. The tree is dying of old age, but "dying" is a gradual and relative process. Absent any lightning strikes, it probably has a few hundred years left.

[dotymed]

65. bush would "clearcut" this

tree so it wasn't a "fire hazard." drill baby drill...:sarcasm:

[stevedeshazer]

15. Thanks for the link, love it.

k/r

[jberryhill]

16. Those Bristlecone Pines Burn Well

...and the briquets add a great flavor to polar bear meat.

[geardaddy]

63. lol

Isn't that what they used to eat the last Dodo?

[progressoid]

17. Too damn cool.

[amborin]

18. k&r those bristlecones are amazing, so are the others! thanks for posting

[AlbertCat]

45. those bristlecones are amazing,

Hell, the Dogwood outside my window is amazing!

Have you seen David Attenborough's "The Private Lives of Plants"? Of course...it's only on DVD region 2.... like "Life on Earth" which runs through evolution. Can't have any of that on region 1!!! Too much high falootin' learnin'!

[shireen]

49. i got my copy on Ebay

i think the seller was in Hong Kong, and he insisted that i would have no problem watching in in region 1. He was right.

[AlbertCat]

73. i got my copy on Ebay

I watched my region 2 on the computer. I'm thinking of getting an all region player... there are lots of good things not on DVD region 1.

My version of "The Ipcress File" came from Hong Cog. ( I love Cold War yarns!)

[Lucky Luciano]

20. Bookmarked for later.

Really cool...I was at the Bristlecone pine forest in Cali - very nice up there- lots of peace and solace.

[kestrel91316]

21. The OLDEST bristlecone, Prometheus, was on Wheeler Peak in eastern NV.

I've heard that story about it all my life. Wheeler peak is where my great-grandfather used to run his cattle back in the 1800s and into the 1900s - now it's a national park and the cattle are gone.

[bridgit]

22. That's pretty cool, thanks for posting...

:kick:

[applegrove]

23. That's so cool!

[arcadian]

24. I could easily find that tree with that pic

assuming that pic is of the tree.

[dbmk]

33. Likely not that one

Afaik, the grove is public knowledge - which tree in the grove is the oldest is not.

[arcadian]

46. Yeah, I've been to the grove.

I justed posted that because whenever I see a news article "keeping things secret" I see it as a challenge.

[D23MIURG23]

25. magnificent, thanks.

[laughingliberal]

26. Wow! That is the coolest thing I've seen in a while! Thanks! nt

[canetoad]

28. Thank you

Magnificent things. Could almost turn me Pagan.

[Quantess]

29. Those trees need to be protected!

We all know that almost every other giant tree has already been cut down for a conquest of show-and-tell, already.

[OneBlueSky]

31. the "Chestnut Tree of One Hundred Horses" might just as easily have been . . .

the "Chestnut Tree of One Hundred Barbecued Knights" . . . especially with all that armor . . .

"The tree's name originated from a legend in which a company of 100 knights were caught in a severe thunderstorm. According to the legend, all of them were able to take shelter under the massive tree."

guess they never heard of Lou Christie, huh? . . .
(younger DUers will probably have to look that one up) . . . ;-)

[PSzymeczek]

79. Lou Christie

and Frankie Valli are the founding members of the Falsetto Hall of Fame.

"I can't stop! No, I can't stop!"

I was in Junior High when that song came out. ;)

[Toasterlad]

95. Glad I'm Not the Only One to Think That Metal-Clad Knights Sheltering Under a Tree In a Rainstorm

was not the brightest of idead.

[FiveGoodMen]

96. "idead"?

Is that something new from Apple?

(Afterlife with an intuitive interface, maybe?)

[Toasterlad]

97. No, That Was Pogo-Speak For the Idea That Led To Their Deaths.

Or it was a typo. Either way is good.

[raouldukelives]

32. Thanks for this!

[Stuart G]

34. Great Post...thanks for posting...

[DFW]

36. I have actually stood in front of one of them

The General Sherman tree in Sequoia National Forest.

A truly awesome sight to behold. To cut down such a tree is a crime against humanity (as well as against botany).

[FailureToCommunicate]

37. Walking among the giants of Sequoia Nat'l Forest -as we did recently- you wonder at

their age compared to tiny humans, and get a real sense that WE are the guests here on this earth, and should behave like guests...

To visit, to be in, some of these spectacular National Parks is truly a life changing experience. They are treasures beyond value that we MUST protect for future generations.

Thanks Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, Aldo Leopold and many others for your foresight.

and thanks n2doc, for posting this.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

43. Sequoia National Forest is like going to Church --

a completely cool, deeply spiritual Church. :loveya: I have had the pleasure of visiting there twice, including staying in the park for several days at one of the lodges. Standing near those ancient trees one cannot help but be filled with thoughts of the history they have witnessed, and understand why the indigenous Peoples thought they had Spirits. To be in that space is to be truly humbled by Nature.

Thank the gods for our National park system -- they are the most precious gems our People have.

[FailureToCommunicate]

58. If you have found a church like that you are lucky. Nature's cathedrals they certainly are.

You are fortunate to have so many of those natural wonders closer to you. We had to travel much of the country (by train) to visit them.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

38. Thank you!

If only we could communicate with trees...How much we would learn!

[Canuckistanian]

39. Amazing

I thought only bristlecone pines lived 1,000 years or older.

[Bette Noir]

41. Coast redwooods do, too, but only 2-3,000 years, afaik.

[Shell Beau]

40. Very fascinating!!

I can't believe that graduate student cut down that tree!!! What a shame.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

60. What the hell was he thinking?

I'm stunned.

[14thColony]

66. See post #50 for a good explanation (nt)

[tclambert]

74. At that time, they didn't know how old the bristlcone pines were.

This is apparently how they found out.

[eppur_se_muova]

42. Book rec--Pakenham's "Remarkable Trees of the World"

http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-9780393325294-4

and some related titles
http://www.powells.com/s?author=Thomas%20Pakenham

[liberation]

44. We live in such an amazing planet...

... when are humans going to learn to accept it, and stop wasting their existences f*cking it all up in the name of abstract concepts like "capital." It is beyond me, really.

[cherokeeprogressive]

47. Methuselah's location is hardly a secret. It's at the edge of a parking lot.

Take US 395 to Big Pine, CA. Turn east on highway 168. Take a left on White Mountain Road. Methuselah will be on the right. It's between 10 - 15 miles out of town.

Open up Google Earth and type "methuselah" in the fly to box. See for yourself.

Here are the coordinates: lat=37.385667, lon=-118.178639

[Xithras]

52. Methuselah is not at the edge of a parking lot.

Be aware that there's a lot of disinfo on the Internet. Lots of pointers to incorrect trees, bad coordinates, etc. Some of this is deliberately put out there by the NPS, some by people trying to protect the tree, and others who simply became confused and thought they were at the tree, when they were really looking at a different specimen. The Methuselah Grove has a parking lot nearby, but the tree itself is nowhere near anything, on the side of a slope that can only be reached through a bit of off-trail hiking. There is absolutely nothing there to identify it either.

[underseasurveyor]

48. If trees could talk.......n/t

[tclambert]

75. They'd probably gripe all day about squirrels and woodpeckers.

[snooper2]

53. I'm seeing some really bitchin bar countertops

:evilgrin:

:hide:

[AnArmyVeteran]

57. That's funny, but you better not get close to that tree!!!

I'll shove that countertop up your tree-hating ass! :) I know you are kidding, but a conservative wouldn't think twice about cutting down such a majestic tree.

Have you ever read or seen the movie written by Ernest Hemingway called "The Old Man And The Sea"? It's about a man who tried all of his life to catch the big fish that had eluded him all his life. But he finally did catch the fish and as it slowly died on the side of his boat the old man realized that his dream of catching the fish was met with the realization that he just killed his dream. He died sad and lonely and regretting he killed what he searched for all his life. It isn't a story a conservative would read, or even understand, because they see no value in the majesty of a wonder of nature. To them, everything on the planet is for sale, to be exploited or defiled. Sadly, their 'values' are in wealth and accumulation of things. Maybe some day their hearts will finally be opened, as the heart of old man in the story was opened. But for conservatives, I hope they realize it before it is too late.

Using Charlton Heston's words from the Planet of the Apes movie, "Take your dirty paws off of that tree, you damned, dirty ape!"

[snooper2]

64. :)

I'll have to check that movie out...thanks for the pre-view :)

[texastoast]

68. +100 n/t

[AnArmyVeteran]

54. Reagan said TREES CAUSE POLLUTION

And Reagan's secretary of the interior, James Watts, would have liked to have mowed down every tree in the country if he could. He was a corporate prostitute who eventually got into trouble with his colorful language describing blacks, handicapped and women. What the hell is with conservatives anyway? They all seem to have the same defects.

[FailureToCommunicate]

56. The old joke for Watt was "What does James Watt consider a 'jungle'...

...a parking lot without lines!"

[AnArmyVeteran]

59. LOL, I forgot that one!

[xxqqqzme]

84. If you've see one redwood,

you've seen them all!

[AnArmyVeteran]

90. Yeah, take a picture then get out your chainsaw. Screw mother nature...

[AnArmyVeteran]

61. What about genetically engineering the longevity of that tree into humans?

Something genetically about that tree sustains its life for thousands of years. Isn't it possible to find the genetic markers that allow the tree to survive such a long time and combine it with the DNA of human beings? Perhaps within that tree lies a lot of promises for longer life, and a more disease resistant life. No, I'm not talking about creatures walking around looking like a mutation between humans and trees, but rather just the genetic makeup to allow humans to live longer, healthier lives.

Ok, you can go back to your thoughts about the trees in the Wizard of Oz throwing apples at Dorothy and Toto now...

Related story: Conservatives see nothing wrong with the elimination of rain forests which have been on earth for tens of thousands of years. Limbaugh openly laughs when he says things SHOULD become extinct. But contained within all of the tens of thousands of plant species are unique attributes that could possibly cure every disease. But conservatives laugh at the environment, looking at it only with dollar signs in their eyes.

[snooper2]

67. people live long enough as it is...

nt

[texastoast]

69. NOOO!

We live plenty long enough and do plenty of damage while we are here, mostly by not limiting our numbers.

[AnArmyVeteran]

88. But it would be pretty cool being a treehuman doing nothing all day but standing there ...

You dont have to go get groceries, they come to you in the form of carbon dioxide, water and minerals. It'd be kind of cool to live to be 10,000 and watch all the things going by... Each one of your 10,000 rings would mean something different, and you would remember each one... just imagine...

[texastoast]

91. Does the name Charles Hurwitz mean anything to you?

Ha! As long as we produce human beings like him and tolerate their actions, don't count on old age as a tree, which means, of course, eventually old age as any species.

:hi:

[RedCloud]

70. Some forests are actually 1 interconnected tree!

[malaise]

71. Beautiful

K & R - Thanks

[LynneSin]

72. Alot of the notable redwoods in california are kept secret for fear of harm to them

it's sad that has to be done that way instead of making the trees available to be enjoyed by all.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

77. Great post.

TY

[PSzymeczek]

78. The Angel Oak

on Johns Island, South Carolina, is between 1,500 and 2,000 years old and huge.
http://www.angeloaktree.org/

[BlueIris]

81. Amazing these beautiful trees have managed to survive. nt

[asdjrocky]

82. That is way cool.

[DemoTex]

83. Within view of my Oregon fire lookout tower are some of the oldest juniper's in the world.

One juniper, on Horse Ridge to the southeast of Bend (and 12 miles from my fire lookout tower), is over 1600 years old. Many other ancient junipers thrive in the Oregon Badlands near Horse Ridge and in the FS-18 road vicinity between China Hat butte and Fort Rock.

The largest juniper in Oregon is near the Green Mountain fire lookout (with which I often cross-azimuth on fires). Did you know that coyotes eat juniper berries? Thought not. You just think they sip gin.


A wise old western juniper tree.

[Uncle Joe]

85. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, n2doc.:thumbsup:

[sdnewbie]

86. This TreeHugger...

...wants to hug all of them

[AnArmyVeteran]

89. John McCain planted that tree when he was a boy!!!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

92. A tree hugger hugging a tree. It's not very far from where I live.

I may take an extended weekend and take a trip to Santa Rita do Passa Quatro one of these days.

[ceile]

93. Very interesting!