Ancient Trees Portraits
of Time
Beth Moon
Ancient Trees
Portraits of Time
Beth Moon
2 Title | G r e at Br i ta in
Ancient Trees
Portraits of Time
Beth Moon Abbeville Press Publishers New York   London
Contents Preface By Beth Moon 00 Adapted to Endure: The Form and Function of Ancient Trees By Todd Forrest 00 Plates Great Britain 00 United States 00 Israel 00 Socotra 00 Southern Africa 00 Cambodia 00 Captions 00 Eternity in Present Tense: Beth Moon and the Art of the Tree By Steven Brown 00 Acknowledgments 00 Index 00
Adapted to Endure The Form and Function of Ancient Trees Todd Forrest Old trees are doomed to annual rebirth, New wood, new life, new compass, greater girth, And this is all their wisdom and their art— To grow, stretch, crack, and not yet come apart. —Richard Wilbur, from “A Black Birch in Winter”
T
here is something reassuring about Beth Moon’s stunning portraits of ancient trees. Her images convey the resiliency and nobility of living organisms that have survived the relentless forces of climate, gravity, and commerce for centuries. The form of each tree, so clearly documented in the photographs, reveals something about its enduring character, whether it is a massive yew with a hollow trunk large enough to serve as a nook for a bench for two, a lone bristlecone pine with a twisted trunk sculpted by alpine winds, or an elephantine baobab emerging from desert sands. Immobile and exposed to the inevitable gales, droughts, deluges, frosts, fires, or plagues that eventually topple even the mightiest tree, how have these veterans persevered? Fortunate to survive nature’s vagaries, how have they escaped axe, saw, or plow? Some of these trees have endured because they are adapted to thrive in extreme environments that sustain few other living things. Others have been nurtured to fill a fundamental human need for food, shelter, or inspiration. Moon’s photographs provide insight into the remarkable stories of her subjects and reveal some of the secrets of their persistence. In introducing us to these silent survivors, Moon connects us to something hopeful, lasting, and greater than ourselves.
Holding on For Life
The Great Basin bristlecone pines (Pinus longeava) of California, Utah, and Nevada are the oldest verified trees on Earth. Growing in unimaginably harsh conditions at elevations between 7,000 and 12,000 feet, these trees can survive for more than 5,000 years. In 1957, dendrochronologist Dr. Edward Schulman counted more than 4,600 annual growth rings on a sample he removed from a bristlecone pine growing in the White Mountains of California. This tree, which Schulman named “Methuselah,” was touted as the world’s oldest until 2012, when scientists discovered a 5,061-year-old pine that Schulman had sampled but not aged before his death in 1958. 7
The extreme conditions these pines endure contribute to their longevity. In California’s Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, the oldest trees grow in sparse groves on alpine slopes where they are besieged by constant gales, winter temperatures that plunge to more than -20°F, and severe summer drought. The conditions are so trying that the insect pests and fungi that plague other species of pine in the American west do not take hold. Stunted by their environment, the bristlecones grow very slowly, adding only fractions of an inch to their girth and height each year, and retain their needles for forty years—ten to twenty times longer than most other species of pine. The trunks of the oldest trees are often mostly dead and sun-bleached, with only narrow strips of living tissue connecting a few living branches to the roots. By avoiding pathogens and investing hard-won resources in survival rather than rampant growth, the oldest bristlecone pines live far longer than trees of the same species that grow in more benign environments nearby.
Titans
Although not as old as the bristlecone pines, the giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) of the western Sierra Nevada of California are the most massive living things on Earth. Growing in scattered stands in moist, fertile soil at elevations of between 3,000 and 7,000 feet, these arboreal titans can live for 3,000 years and grow to nearly 300 feet tall with trunk diameters of 10 feet or more. Although some species grow taller and others achieve greater trunk diameters, no other tree in the world combines such lofty height and remarkable girth. Before a hunter stumbled upon a grove of giant sequoias in 1852, the greatest natural threats to these trees were flame and wind. Black scars mark the trunks of many of the oldest trees, indicating that they have survived many of the lightning-ignited ground fires that occur so regularly in the Sierra Nevada during the dry summer months. Moon’s photographs of General Sherman and General Grant, the two largest giant sequoias by volume of wood, reveal the species’ primary adaptation to regular fires: deeply furrowed, fibrous bark that can be almost three feet thick. This thick bark protects the fragile water and nutrient-conducting tissue within the trunk, allowing mature trees to survive blazes that clear the understory of organic material and give sequoia seedlings the open conditions they need to germinate and grow. The discovery of giant sequoias created new challenges that put these arboreal wonders at risk. Just after they were discovered, loggers felled some of the largest trees and clear cut some of the most impressive groves. Slabs taken from some of the largest trees still reside in natural history museums in London and New York. In the earlytomid-1900s, well-meaning efforts to suppress ground fires led to the accumulation of organic material, which prevented the germination of new generations of sequoias and increased the frequency of catastrophic canopy fires. Fortunately, giant sequoias are now protected from logging and their habitats in the Sierra Nevada are actively managed to preserve the few remaining populations of these grand trees.
Tropical Giants
Fire poses less of a threat to trees in moist tropical forests, although plentiful water and temperatures suitable for constant growth provide a different set of challenges for trees. In tropical rainforests, every square inch supports some sort of plant life and little light penetrates the continuous canopy of leaves. Even the most shade-tolerant seedlings will often languish for decades after they germinate, springing toward the sun only when a windstorm or another disturbance lifts the veil of constant shade. When a gap in the canopy opens, a race for life-giving sunlight ensues. The victors will emerge from the dank forest to become behemoths. Kapoks (Ceiba pentrandra) are tropical giants. Fast-growing and long-lived, mature kapoks can eventually become nearly 200 feet tall, emerging from the forest canopy to hold their branches high above 8 Adapted to Endure
G r e at Br i ta in | Wakehurst Path 21
22 The Knaphill Weeping Beech | G r e at Br ita in
G r e at Br i ta in | The Wittinghame Yew 23
28 The Queen Elizabeth Oak | G r e at Br ita in
Gr e at Br i ta in | The Queen Elizabeth Oak (Back) 29
36 The Sentinels of St. Edwards | G r e at Br ita in
G r e at Br i ta in | The Crowhurst Yew 37
50 Bristlecone Pine in Schulman Grove | Unite d State s
Unit ed Stat e s | Bristlecone Pine with Leaves 51
52 Joshua Tree at Dusk | Uni ted State s
Un i t ed Stat e s | Joshua Tree Weeping 53
58 Shade of the Dragon’s Blood Tree | So cotr a
S o cot r a | Frankincense Tree 59
60 Desert Rose (Erher Beach) | So cotr a
So cot r a | Desert Rose (Wadi Fa Lang) 61
The Nantglyn Pulpit Yew Nantglyn, Wales, 2008
The Devil’s Pulpit Chepstow, Wales, 2004
Throughout history the yew has had many spiritual associations, but none so strong as this tree alludes to. St. James churchyard in Nantglyn, a small village in North Wales, is the home of this unique tree. During the 18th century, a pulpit was built into its hollow trunk. Local Welsh slate was used to make the rough steps that lead up to a seat and pulpit at the top of the tree. From this vantage point a panoramic view of the churchyard can be seen. According to legend, the tree was used by the famous Methodist minister, John Wesley, to preach his sermons in the open air. Judging by its 26 foot girth the tree is thought well over 1,000 years old.
After a three mile hike near the River Wye, above the ruins of Tintern Abbey, I found this ancient yew growing on top of a pillar of rock, on a podium-like structure. The rock must have been covered with soil at some point, but hundreds of years of wind and rain have washed away the earth, challenging this resilient yew to find creative ways to survive. Standing on the pulpit, local legend claims, the devil preached to the monks in the abbey below, tempting them to leave their lives of obedience and join him in the woods in a life of sin. The view from this perspective is breathtaking and it is easy to see why this spot is regarded as the location that inspired both the paintings of William Turner and William Wordsworths’ famous romantic poem, Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey.
The Much Marcle Yew Much Marcle, Herefordshire, England, 1999
The Linton Yew Linton, Herefordshire, England 2003
In St. Bartholomew’s graveyard is a gargantuan yew tree measuring 31 feet at the base. It is as close to a living shrine as you will find. To step inside the hollowed trunk is to step into a Gothic cathedral, a world unto itself. On the outside of the trunk, is a facade of gnarled and twisted wood. By contrast, its interior is pink with new growth, polished and smooth like marble. Inside the tree is an area large enough for twelve people to stand. A wrap around bench has been built, presumably for parishioners, creating a kind of meditative alcove. The tree is estimated to have lived more than one millennium.
The massive Linton yew is estimated to be at least 2,000 years old. It is probably much older, but it is difficult to reliably establish an exact age since the trunk is hollow. Approximately 300 years ago, the tree sent down an aerial root to support the crown. That root now measures seven feet in diameter and with time the root will eventually develop into a firm new trunk. This regenerative tactic allows the tree to rebuild itself from the inside out!
32 Captions | G r e at Br i ta in
Kings Canyon Sequoias Kings Canyon National Park, Sierra Nevada, California, 2004
The Cathedral Tree Klamath, California 2004
Giant sequoias, adorned with old man’s beard lichens, speak of centuries of growth. There is tranquility in this ancient forest. Only seventy-five old growth groves in the world are left. Known as the “Land of Giants,” Kings Canyon National Park and the Sequoia National Park lie next to each other. John Muir, the naturalist and early preservationist, believed in the beauty of these forests and worked hard to conserve the area for future generations.
The height of these trees direct our eyes upward in reverence and wonder. It is easy to imagine these nine trees, growing in an old grove forest, as a cathedral. Between 800 to 1000 years ago a very large redwood stood in the center of this formation. When it fell, the roots of the stump sprouted and nine trees grew together side by side, forming a semi-circle around the original tree.
General Sherman Sequoia National Park, Sierra Nevada, California, 2006
General Grant King’s Canyon National Park, Sierra Nevada, California, 2006
Dominating the Sequoia National Park in California, this enormous, giant sequoia is named after General William T. Sherman, a brutal union commander in the American Civil war. I craned my neck to look 274 feet straight up to find the jagged, storm battered top. The fire-resistant, cinnamon colored trunk measures 85 feet at the base, and weighs 1500 tons. Each year the tree adds enough new wood to make a 60 foot tree. A monument within the forest, this grizzled old titan is considered to be the largest living tree in the world, and is believed to be around 2,500 years old.
Located in the King’s Canyon National Park in California, this gigantic sequoia rises to a height of 270 feet. It was named in homage to the 18th President of the United States and army general, Ulysses S. Grant. Due in part to its huge trunk with a girth of 107 feet, the General Grant tree was thought to be the largest tree in the world prior to 1931. More precise measurements have indicated that rival giant sequoia General Sherman is slightly larger. This tree deserves its position as a “National Shrine.” In 1956 President Eisenhower dedicated General Grant to all those who died in war. This imperial giant has escaped storm damage throughout its long life. The crown is still large and full with burly branches that are themselves as large as tree trunks.
Un i ted Stat e s | Captions 33