Árbol del Tule
| Tule | |
|---|---|
 Full width of trunk | |
  Tule Location within Mexico | |
| Species | Montezuma cypress (Taxodium mucronatum) |
| Location | Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico |
| Coordinates | 17°02′47.4″N 96°38′10″W / 17.046500°N 96.63611°W |
| Girth | 42.0 m (137.8 ft) |
| Date seeded | 400 – 600 |
El Árbol del Tule (Spanish for The Tree of Tule) is a tree located in the church grounds in the town center of Santa María del Tule in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, approximately 9 km (6 mi) east of the city of Oaxaca on the road to Mitla. It is a Montezuma cypress (Taxodium mucronatum), or ahuehuete (meaning "old man of the water" in Nahuatl). It has the stoutest tree trunk in the world. In 2001, it was placed on a UNESCO tentative list of World Heritage Sites, but was removed from the list in 2013.[1]
Dimensions and age
In 2005, its trunk had a circumference of 42.0 m (137.8 ft), equating to a diameter of 14.05 m (46.1 ft),[2] an increase from a measurement of 11.42 m (37.5 ft) m in 1982.[3] However, the trunk is heavily buttressed, giving a higher diameter reading than the true cross-sectional of the trunk represents; when this is taken into account, the diameter of the 'smoothed out' trunk is 9.38 m (30.8 ft).[2] This is slightly wider than the next most stout tree known, a giant sequoia with a 8.90 m (29.2 ft) diameter.[4]
The height is difficult to measure due to the very broad crown; the 2005 measurement, made by laser, is 35.4 m (116 ft),[2] shorter than previous measurements of 41–43 m (135–141 ft).[3]
It is so large that it was originally thought to be multiple trees, but DNA tests have proven that it is only one tree.[5][6] This does not rule out another hypothesis, which states that it comprises multiple trunks from a single individual.[7]
The age is unknown, with estimates ranging between 1,200 and 3,000 years, and even one claim of 6,000 years;[7][8] the best scientific estimate based on growth rates is 1,433–1,600 years.[9] Local Zapotec knowledge holds that it was planted about 1,400 years ago by Pechocha, a priest of the Aztec wind god Ehecatl – this age is in broad agreement with the scientific estimate; its location on a sacred site (later taken over by the Roman Catholic Church) would also support this.[7][8]
In 1990, it was reported that the tree is slowly dying because its roots have been damaged by water shortages, pollution, and traffic, with 8,000 cars travelling daily on a nearby highway.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ "The Ahuehuete Tree of Santa María del Tule - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". UNESCO. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- 1 2 3 Earle, Christopher J., ed. (2018). "Taxodium mucronatum". The Gymnosperm Database.
- 1 2 Mitchell, A (1983). "Trees in Mexico". Int. Dendrol. Soc. Yearbook: 88–95.
- ↑ Earle, Christopher J., ed. (2018). "Sequoiadendron". The Gymnosperm Database.
- ↑ Dorado, O; Avila, G; Arias, DM; Ramirez, R; Salinas, D; Valladares, G (1996). "The arbol del Tule (Taxodium mucronatum Ten.) is a single genetic individual". Madroño. 43 (4): 445–452.
- ↑ Hall, Gustav W. (January–March 1990). "Genetic Uniformity of El Arbol de Tule". Madroño. 37 (!): 1–5.
- 1 2 3 Debreczy, Zsolt; Rácz, István (Winter 1997–1998). "El Arbol del Tule: The Ancient Giant of Oaxaca" (PDF). Arnoldia. 57 (4). Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: 3–11.
- 1 2 Pakenham, T (2002). Remarkable trees of the world. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
- ↑ Conzatti, C (1921). "Monograph on the Tree of Santa Maria del Tule". Translated by Ralph Summers. Mexico: Imprenta Mundial.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ "Famed 2000-year-old tree dying". The Press-Courier. 1990-07-11. p. 9.
External links
- . Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.