Science reports:

About 800 years ago, a giant oak tree in England’s Sherwood Forest helped shelter Robin Hood from the corrupt sheriff of Nottingham. Though the tale is likely a myth, the tree is not: It still stands as one of the world’s oldest oaks.

Such ancient trees—some dating back more than 3000 years—are key to the survival of their forests, new research shows. Rare trees—some so scarce scientists have yet to find them—are also critical to forest health, another new study reveals.

Together, the research suggests conservationists should do more to protect the world’s oldest and rarest trees, says William Laurance, an ecologist at James Cook University, Cairns, who was not involved with the work. Because forests are such important ecosystems—storing carbon, curbing water runoff, and providing food and shelter for many species—such a strategy isn’t just good for the health of the forest ecosystem, he argues, it’s critical for the health of the planet.

In the old trees study, Charles Cannon, who researches ecological evolution at the Morton Arboretum, wanted to get a sense of the percentage of ancient trees in an average forest. “Ancient” is a matter of perspective and species, however. In oak forests, where most trees live less than 100 years, the ancient ones survive to almost 1000; with longer lived bristlecone pines, ancient trees can exceed 3000 years. [Continue reading…]