Virtually anyone event centuries ago perceives as a fascinating tale, not believing what was happening in the reality of thousands of years ago.To judge of the existence of the ancient world can be found in different parts of the world evidence.One of them - the oldest plants on Earth, some specimens of which we have successfully survived to this day, witnessing the birth and decay of civilizations, surviving not one historical epoch.
modern representatives of ancient times
oldest plants on Earth - is found during excavations in China seaweed.Approximate their age, according to scientists, it is from 580 to 635 million years.Determine its great minds were able to depth layers of rock found with the remains of brown, reminiscent of branches and plates.
on virtually every continent remained the oldest plants in the world - silent witnesses of bygone eras.This Antarctic moss, which is 5500 years, plant Lomatia tasmanica, having presumable age 43 600 years, the grass of the Mediterranean Posidonia oceanic, has 100 000 years.By the way, she was back in the days when the ancestors from Africa began to expand into other lands.
oldest plants of the planet - a colony of poplars in the US state of Utah.50 thousand of genetically similar trees with a common root system make up the entire organism that is constantly reproduced and thus provides its own immortality.Approximate age of the society - more than 800 000 years.
Cryptomeria - the world's oldest cedar
the highest mountain of the Japanese island of Yakushima is growing huge pine - cedar, which reaches a height of 25 meters, and the value is equal to the circumference of 16 meters.This ancient giants 7,000 years.Some scholars argue that the age of green handsome 2.5 times less.Tourists seldom visit such a distant and remote places, allowing coniferous old resident humbly observe the passage of time.
And yet: what is now the oldest plant on our land?Not long ago, a group of experts has found growing in Sweden Canadian spruce.
slender and youthful-looking tree was a new escape ancient ancestor that grew at the same place, and there are about 9550 years old.Today it is the oldest free-standing on the planet spruce.Near other clones towering tree whose roots are from 5000 to 9000 years.
famous pine-timers
Dramatically cut short the fate of pine called Prometheus - old resident of the non clone trees - felled in the 60s of the last century with a light hand of some American students.After the death was exactly the age of the tree is installed, amounting to 5,000 years.Pine has been a historic landmark of the National Park of Nevada.
Another conifer-old resident was found in California in the Inyo National Forest.In conducting the study in 1957, it was found that there was a pine tree on the earth in 2832 BC, that is, at the time the age of the tree was 4789 years.It was called Methuselah - in honor of one of the biblical figures who lived 969 years.Today, after the death of Prometheus, this pine is the oldest plant in the world.Its location is securely hidden from the rest of the trees, age and has about 2000 years.The tree is carefully guarded in order to prevent attempts at vandalism.
The oldest plant in the world (after the centenarian Methuselah) - fitsroyya kiparisovidnaya.Her age was defined in 1993 by counting annual rings and has made 3622 years.It grows in a coastal nature reserve in southern Chile.In the Atacama Desert in the same country more than 2,000 years growing shrub Yareta - a relative of the modern parsley.
Historical pride UK
In the courtyard of the parish church of the village Llangernyu in Wales you can admire the huge yew, numbering 4,000 years.Such a long life, he was able to survive thanks to the new shoots that grow even in the time of the withering away of the main trunk.In June 2002, during the celebration of the "golden jubilee" of Queen Elizabeth II this historic monument was recognized as a national heritage of the UK.
Baobab - a brilliant representative of ancient plants
oldest plants on Earth - baobabs.A good representative of this type of tree is growing in Africa, a giant tree whose trunk consists of two parts with large cavities within each.The diameter of the baobab tree is 10.6 meters in the trunk circumference of 47 meters and a height of 22 meters.Age of a tree, identified by the radiocarbon analysis, is 6000 years old;that is, a tree older than the Egyptian pyramids.Giant hollow detected inside it successfully settles many generations.There's not just the case of fire.Can accommodate 20-30 people inside, in different times it was used by people as a temple, bus stop, prisons, water storage and public toilets.Contemporary its purpose - nice bar - pub.Being so popular and beloved tree, baobab tree continues to grow;in its crown is living large number of different birds.
human negligence towards nature
Relations "man - nature" is far from ideal, and the initiator of the negative in the majority is the first party, irresponsible and permissive attitude dooms the oldest plants on Earth with extinction.For the purpose of construction of roads and fields of organization it was coldly treated with chemicals underground forest, located in South Africa.Being a massive root system draws deep underground nutrients and water, it is a guaranteed protection against possible fires.
In Florida, with a light hand of man burned unique cypress, whose age has reached 3,500 years.One of the oldest trees in the world, it bore the name in honor of Senator Moses Overstreet - Senator Legislature of Florida, who gave the land to the Seminole district Cypress for the establishment of the Natural Park.Initially, Senator height was 50 meters;in 1925, due to the hurricane struck, lost the top of the tree and was reduced to 38 meters.
