Nearly 5000 years old: Ancient Bristlecone Pines
Larry spent the day and evening of 1 October 2019 in the Great Basin National Park near in Nevada, near the California border where he photographed some of the incredible bristlecone pine trees (Pinus longaeva).
Nerd Alert: These trees are remarkable for being the oldest non-clonal species on the planet. These strange trees, shaped by the wind, snow, and rain have survived over thousands of years, overseeing the rise and fall of great empires, growing through ice-ages and catastrophic volcanic eruptions. But their ability to survive these harsh environments and adverse growing conditions is exactly their secret to great longevity.
The conditions in which Bristlecone pines in Great Basin National Park grow are harsh, with sub-freezing temperatures, a short growing season, and high winds that twist the trees into almost human-like forms along their limestone ridges. Because of these conditions the Pinus longaeva grow very slowly, and in some years do not even add a ring of growth.
This slow growth makes the wood very dense which provides resistance from insects, fungi, rot, and erosion. And at high elevation the Great Basin Bristlecone pines spiral out from seemingly impossible soil of limestone rock; this too proves favorable for the ancients. They grow where most other vegetation cannot, limiting the impact that a forest fire might havoc on their near-eternity.
Information above from the Great Basin National Park website:
https://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/identifying-bristlecone-pines.htm
