Countryfile Ancient Trees

[[email protected]]

Just watched a chap measuring the girth of an ancient sweet chestnut. He stated that the trees girth had increased 10 cm in 10 years but also stated that the girth of ancient trees can often reduce in size over the years?!

Personally never heard of this so has anyone else know of the girth of a tree trunk reducing over years?

[Mark Bolam]

I have reduced the girth of several trees....

 

Seriously, that's interesting stuff. Never heard of it personally though.

[Quercus-90]

Nope

 

Maybe possible by a fraction with less moisture ?

 

 

 

 

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

[Hodge]

Just watched a chap measuring the girth of an ancient sweet chestnut. He stated that the trees girth had increased 10 cm in 10 years but also stated that the girth of ancient trees can often reduce in size over the years?!

Personally never heard of this so has anyone else know of the girth of a tree trunk reducing over years?

 

He said it was due to the tree decaying, if you were to measure a tree while healthy then measure it as it's rotting away the girth may well shrink.

[se7enthdevil]

i've heard this of truly ancient ones like the oaks in Windsor great park and dont see why not.

 

we shrink when we grow old!!!

[treequip]

i've heard this of truly ancient ones like the oaks in Windsor great park and dont see why not.

 

we shrink when we grow old!!!

 

But we aren't made of the same materials, the human body is way more flexible than wood

[[email protected]]

He said it was due to the tree decaying, if you were to measure a tree while healthy then measure it as it's rotting away the girth may well shrink.

 

I heard him say that so I suppose you mean if the whole stem is decaying as in a dead tree, not a tree with the ingress of decay into the heartwood with healthy sapwood as surely the girth of the outer sapwood wouldn't change?

[Hodge]

I heard him say that so I suppose you mean if the whole stem is decaying as in a dead tree, not a tree with the ingress of decay into the heartwood with healthy sapwood as surely the girth of the outer sapwood wouldn't change?

 

That's how I saw it too. I think they were portraying it to the layman who wouldn't pick holes. If you have a living trunk and measure it then go back as its dead and decaying and measure it then it's bound to have shrunk like you say.

[Mark Bolam]

Put that way Hodge, it does sound like my body....

[Hodge]

Put that way Hodge, it does sound like my body....

 

Ha,Ha. Only you mate.