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October 28, 2007 : Pinus longaeva
Keywords: Pinaceae | Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey | Great Basin National Park, Nevada, USA
In its high mountain habitat, Greast Basin bristlecone pine is subject to weathering from ice crystals and dust, particularly from the direction of the prevailing wind. On the side of the tree away from the wind, the individual continues to eke out an existence, but on the side of the tree facing the wind, the trunk tissue is subject to a “death by a hundred million cuts”. This abrasion over hundreds of years will first wear away the living tissue of the trunk and then begin work on polishing and sculpting the dead interior wood, as is shown in today's photograph.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at October 28, 2007 9:01 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Sue at October 28, 2007 9:47 AM
Wow, that's cool.
I thought we were looking at a fossilized something or other.
Posted by: Adriel at October 28, 2007 10:59 AM
In bonsai, there is a word for a part of the tree that has died, but because of its beauty they don't cut it off, but leave it, and it enhances the tree's overall aesthetic beauty...sure wish I could remember that word. Great photo and a great entry.
Posted by: sinagua at October 28, 2007 12:13 PM
I hope that someday I can see these ancient trees for myself. So interesting! p.s. also enjoyed the link to seaweed lady yesterday. Beautiful photos.
Posted by: Bobbie at October 28, 2007 12:21 PM
Thank you for detailing the cause of what we are seeing, and providing such a detailed photo! I love the background information and botanical insights we get with the lovely photos on this site.
Posted by: Robin Winburn at October 28, 2007 12:32 PM
the wind is one of nutures
artists reading this tree would be intersting
on a lighter note the photo reminds me of a
google map search i like to follow daniels
yellow brick road if storm noel arives our trees
here in florida will be wind impinted its still
the season
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at October 28, 2007 2:28 PM
If the weathering is so severe, how does the tree manage to grow and generate a layer of bark on the windward side that can eventually be subject to fissuring by the weather ?
Posted by: Knox at October 28, 2007 3:28 PM
The Bristle cone is also one of the oldest dated species, I believe one in Colorado has been dated at 3500 years old
Posted by: larry at October 28, 2007 5:13 PM
Actually, there are 2 Bonsai words. If the dead wood is on the trunk it is called shari. If it is a branch it is called jin.
Posted by: Trudy Anderson at October 28, 2007 5:51 PM
Looking at this photograph it does seem to be anything alive. Very interesting.
Thank you for a new learning esperience.
Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at October 28, 2007 6:13 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.
MOST INTERESTING.
I was curious as to what in heck the photo was, and it was not even close to what I suspected.. an arial view of a peculiar forest, ha ha ha.
Apparently the tree is still living on the other side, so it must be very strange, and very hardy to withstand such weather. Amazing.