http://woodlandtrust.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/the-smallest-veteran-tree/ Jill Butler and Ted Green blog their activities surrounding ancient trees, their preservation and their importance Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:04:36 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://woodlandtrust.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/the-smallest-veteran-tree/#comment-148 Jane Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:20:12 +0000 http://woodlandtrust.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/the-smallest-veteran-tree/#comment-148 Many thanks Jill. Really interesting information... I can go out looking at my trees with "new" eyes. I hope you are getting lots of people looking at your blog... they are missing out if they aren't! Many thanks Jill. Really interesting information… I can go out looking at my trees with “new” eyes. I hope you are getting lots of people looking at your blog… they are missing out if they aren’t!

]]> http://woodlandtrust.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/the-smallest-veteran-tree/#comment-146 Jill Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:15:15 +0000 http://woodlandtrust.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/the-smallest-veteran-tree/#comment-146 Hi Jane - you have got there! For each species of tree it is a different 'age'. The key characteristics of an ancient tree are: 1. numbers of rings for which we use girth - although this is not failsafe as trees don't always grow in good conditions and so the rings can be bigger or smaller depending on the circumstances. 2. the growing downwards of the crown or retrenchment - not necessarily a uniform process and can be triggered by natural or mad made events eg storms or damage to roots 3. hollowing - but this can start earlier than the ancient stage Not an exact science but with a little 'looking' you can get your eye in. Its easy to tell true ancients but the margins of mature to early ancient can be a bit tricky. Hi Jane – you have got there! For each species of tree it is a different ‘age’. The key characteristics of an ancient tree are:
1. numbers of rings for which we use girth – although this is not failsafe as trees don’t always grow in good conditions and so the rings can be bigger or smaller depending on the circumstances.
2. the growing downwards of the crown or retrenchment – not necessarily a uniform process and can be triggered by natural or mad made events eg storms or damage to roots
3. hollowing – but this can start earlier than the ancient stage
Not an exact science but with a little ‘looking’ you can get your eye in. Its easy to tell true ancients but the margins of mature to early ancient can be a bit tricky.

]]> http://woodlandtrust.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/the-smallest-veteran-tree/#comment-144 Jane Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:54:47 +0000 http://woodlandtrust.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/the-smallest-veteran-tree/#comment-144 Great video, really interesting. I have been wondering what makes a tree ancient rather than veteran. So what you're saying is, on the whole, if it's got a big girth and it's hollow... there's a good chance it's ancient? When you say "ancient" what are you saying 200, 300, 400+ years old? or does each type of tree (eg oak, elm, chestnut) have an age when it becomes ancient? I hope that makes sense! I've been adding ancient/veteran trees to my blog and didn't really know what to call them.... Great video, really interesting. I have been wondering what makes a tree ancient rather than veteran. So what you’re saying is, on the whole, if it’s got a big girth and it’s hollow… there’s a good chance it’s ancient? When you say “ancient” what are you saying 200, 300, 400+ years old? or does each type of tree (eg oak, elm, chestnut) have an age when it becomes ancient? I hope that makes sense! I’ve been adding ancient/veteran trees to my blog and didn’t really know what to call them….

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