An unusually old tree has been found in Finland by researchers of the Finnish Forest Research Institute. The pine, which was found in Finnish Lapland, is estimated to be 780 years old.
The tree is believed to be the oldest known living forest pine in Finland. The age was confirmed late in the spring.
The pine continues to grow in the Urho Kekkonen National Park in Finnish Lapland less than a kilometre from the Russian border.
The tree was found in connection with studies into fire history. About 1,000 samples were taken in the Nellim and Kessi areas.
Researcher Tuomo Wallenius of the Finnish Forest Research institute describes the tree as being "like a pepper mill - fairly thick and short".
The tree began its life in the early 13th century when Chingis Kahn and his followers were riding roughshod in Europe and Asia. It was well over 100 years old when the Europe was ravaged by the bubonic plague in the mid-14th century.
The slow rate of growth has helped the tree survive to its old age. Growth was especially slow in the 15th century. In the past 100 years, the growth rate has increased.
The crack left in the trunk of the tree, resulting from the taking of the core sample might weaken its viability. However, researchers emphasise that without the sample, it would not have been possible to date the tree through tree ring analysis.
