The oldest individual tree in the world is Methuselah, a 4750+-year old bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva (not P. aristata)) in the Shulman grove in the White Mountains of California. Its exact location is a closely guarded secret, as visitors in the past have taken home souvenirs. What is most remarkable about this stand of ancient trees is that they have reached ancient ages while growing on the poorest possible sites. Indeed, the bristlecones on better sites die at relatively young age (e.g. a mere 1500 years). All the really ancient patriarchs are on exceptionally dry, nutrient poor substrate. The bristlecones are not to be missed by any tree enthusiast, well worth the trip. You don't need to see Methuselah itself to appreciate these ancient trees. If you can't get there soon, there is a wonderful Web site devoted to this species: http://www.sonic.net/bristlecone/home.html Cheers, Tom Kimmerer Forest Biologist University of Kentucky 105 TP Cooper Bldg Lexington KY 40546 Ph (606)257-1824 Fax (606)323-1031 tkimmer@pop.uky.edu Visit the TreeWeb at http://quercus.uky.edu
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