# How can you calculate the age of a tree

## Tree Age Calculator - How Old Is a Tree?

Created by Mehjabin Abdurrazaque

Reviewed by Wojciech Sas, PhD and Rijk de Wet

Last updated: Sep 28, 2022

• How to calculate the age of a tree?
• How to use tree age calculator?
• Tree growth factor chart — the smaller, the faster!
• FAQ

The tree age calculator guides you on how to calculate the age of a tree to understand its ecological and economical benefits, as you can learn at the tree value calculator. Our tool also tells you how much a tree grows in diameter or circumference in the given time so that you can design your yard suitably.

We also try to answer some interesting questions like:

• Do trees die of old age?
• How to tell how old a tree is by counting its rings?

And, don't forget to check our tree growth factor chart to find the fast-growing trees in your neighborhood!

### How to calculate the age of a tree?

The formula for calculating a tree's age is

age=gf⋅dbh\text{age} = \text{gf}\cdot \text{dbh}age=gf⋅dbh

Where:

• age\text{age}age — The tree's age in years;
• gf\text{gf}gf — The tree growth factor; and
• dbh\text{dbh}dbh — The diameter at breast height in inches.

1. Measure the circumference at breast height (cbh) of the tree trunk using a measuring tape at 4.5 feet (1.3 meters) above the ground.
2. Divide the circumference cbh by pi (≈3.14) to obtain its diameter at breast height (dbh\text{dbh}dbh).
3. Convert dbh\text{dbh}dbh to inches.
4. Multiply the diameter in inches with the tree species' growth factor.

Growth factor of a tree
To determine a tree species' growth factor, scientists first estimate the actual age of trees of that species by counting their growth rings. Then, they divide the trees' diameters at breast height (we met this quantity at our tree diameter calculator) with their actual ages to obtain the tree species' growth factor.

### How to use tree age calculator?

It's very simple: select the type of tree and input the tree's circumference or diameter. 😎✨

Suppose you want to know the age of your red maple with a circumference of 6 feet and 3 inches (= 2 feet in diameter). To determine your tree's age using our tool, you'd follow these steps:

1. Scroll down the tree species' drop-down list and select Red maple.
2. To calculate your tree's age from its circumference:
• Choose the unit for circumference at breast height (cbh\text{cbh}cbh) from the drop-down list beside its input box. For your red maple, the unit is feet/inches. Then enter the circumference of 6 feet and 3 inches (if you are not familiar with this way to express length, visit the feet and inches calculator).
• Enter the tree's circumference in the input box — 666 in the box to the left of ft\text{ft}ft and 333 in the box to the left of in\text{in}in.

Ta-da! The calculator shows your tree's diameter at breast height (dbh\text{dbh}dbh) is 61 cm61\ \text{cm}61 cm (you can convert the length to obtain the diameter in feet or feet and inches) and its age 107 years107\ \text{years}107 years! It's a centenarian!

If you want to tell the tree's age from its diameter:

• Choose the unit for diameter at breast height from the drop-down list beside its input box — feet ($$\text{ft}$$).
• Enter your tree's diameter in the input box — 222.

🙋 If you can't find your tree in the list, enter your tree's growth factor in the input box for Growth factor. Most tree species have growth factors of 3, 4, or 5.

Did you know that you can roughly estimate your tree's birthday using our date calculator! Just enter your tree's age in days and today's date in our tool, and you can obtain a date close to your tree's actual birthday.

### Tree growth factor chart — the smaller, the faster!

You can use our tree growth factor not only to calculate your tree's age but also to learn which trees grow faster than your tree. The rule is: The smaller the tree growth factor, the faster the tree grows.

While you are here, check out our tree spacing calculator. It will help you determine the correct distance for planting different types of trees.

The tree growth factor chart for many different species of tree.

Tree species

Growth factor

American beech

6

American elm

4

American sycamore

4

Austrian pine

4.5

Basswood

3

Black cherry

5

Black maple

5

Black walnut

4.5

Black willow

2

Box elder

3

3

Common horse chestnut

8

4.5

Cottonwood

2

Dogwood

7

Douglas fir

5

European beech

4

European white birch

5

Green ash

4

Honey locust

3

Ironwood

7

Kentucky coffee tree

3

Littleleaf linden

3

Northern red oak

4

Norway maple

4. 5

Norway spruce

5

Pin oak

3

Quaking aspen

2

Redbud

7

Red maple

4.5

Red pine (Norway pine)

5.5

River birch

3.5

Scarlet oak

4

Scotch pine

3.5

Shagbark hickory

7.5

Shingle oak

6

Shumard oak

3

Silver maple

3

Sugar maple

5.5

Sweetgum

4

Tulip tree

3

White ash

5

White fir

7. 5

White oak

5

White pine

5

Yellow buckeye

5

### FAQ

#### Do trees die of old age?

As a tree ages, its respiring tissue increases, but the photosynthetic area (leaf surface area) remains somewhat constant. Consequently, an older tree allocates more carbohydrates for life-sustaining respiration and less carbohydrate for root and stem elongation and repair, which initiates its senescence (physiological deterioration) phase. The tree becomes more vulnerable to diseases and other natural enemies and eventually becomes a snag.

#### How can I identify the fast-growing trees near me?

It's easier to find out which trees grow faster than others using the tree growth factor chart. The smaller the growth factor, the faster the tree grows!

#### How do I calculate an oak tree's age by diameter?

To determine an oak tree's age by diameter:

• Convert the diameter to inches.
• Multiply the diameter with the tree species' growth factor.
• The product is the tree's age in years!

For example, the age of your pin oak tree with a diameter of 3 ft at breast height (dbh) is 3 (the growth factor) times 39 (dbh in inches) = 117 years!

#### How do I count tree rings to estimate its age?

Each dark ring of the tree trunk represents a cycle of seasons, or one year. So, the total number of dark rings tells us the age of the tree in years. Count from the innermost dark ring to the outermost.

Mehjabin Abdurrazaque

Tree species

Growth factor

Circumference at breast height

Diameter at breast height

Check out 86 similar biology calculators

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## How to Estimate the Age of a Tree (Without Cutting it Down) – The Forest Guild Estate

### Do you ever wonder about the trees around you? Who they are and what they’ve seen?

#### The species is relatively easy to figure out, thanks to so many key ID characteristics and the fact that there are so many wonderful books and apps out there.

But one thing we really wanted to know was approximately how old the oldest living members of our forest might be…

You’ve probably heard the age-old trick of counting the rings of a tree stump to determine the tree’s age. But, we love our trees and don’t want to cut them down! Luckily, Rod from Bold Point Farmstay just happened to teach me a quick and easy way to estimate the age of live trees so you don’t need to cut them down to count the rings. I am so appreciative that there are people in this world who are more than happy to help on a whim and freely educate others. It is truly a gift to receive knowledge from experienced people!

### HOW TO ESTIMATE A TREE’S AGE:

I’ll walk you through the steps we took to measure ours!  The day we took the measurements, it was cold and snowy so we didn’t get to some of our biggest trees, but we did do our favourite, an unnamed big leaf maple tree who has a face, and he looks as though he could have been in the Lord of the Rings, related to Treebeard. This tree has become our unofficial mascot for the property. He should get a name soon, any suggestions? We also did a couple of Douglas Firs that line the driveway.

Here is “Treebeards cousin” He is a Big Leaf Maple ~ Acer macrophyllum

So, how do you estimate a trees age without cutting it down? It’s really easy!

#### STEP ONE (CIRCUMFERENCE)

First we took a measuring tape and ran it around the tree at least 4.5′ feet from the ground. Note that there are many factors that may contribute to the size of a tree other than age; i.e. the tree may have had major competition, the soil may have been extremely fertile or really crappy, all will contribute to the trees growth.

Our Big Leaf Maple is 11 foot 5 around!

Then comes the math.

Circumference= Inches around the tree

Our tree is 11 foot 5 around. So you need to calculate how many inches that is:

11 feet x 12″ (inches in a foot) =132″

132 + the extra 5 inches = 137″

So our tree is 137″ around. (Circumference)

#### STEP TWO (DIAMETER)

Once you have the circumference, you need to figure out the diameter.

Diameter = Circumference divided by 3.14 (Pi)

137″ divided by Pi (3.14) = 43.63

#### STEP THREE (FIND GROWTH FACTOR)

Find the growth factor. Below is a list of growth factors for trees that are commonly found here in BC. There are many resources online if you don’t see the growth factor for your particular tree.

 Black Cottonwood 2 Black Walnut 4.5 Colorado Blue Spruce 4.5 Big Leaf Maple 4.7 Western White Pine 5 Douglas Fir 5 Norway Spruce 5 Paper Birch 5 Honeylocust 5.9 Western Flowering Dogwood (Pacific Dogwood) 7 Ironwood 7

To calculate the tree’s age you have to multiply the diameter by the growth factor.

Diameter X Growth Factor = Approximate Tree Age.

Treebeard’s Big Leaf Maple growth factor is approximately 4.7 and  its diameter is 43.63

43.63 diameter X 4.7  growth factor = approx 205 years old.

Wow- He is around 205 years old!

#### More Resources

Here is a great list of trees that we have in BC that I stumbled across on the ‘net:  BC Trees.

And, since math is scary for so many, I found a website that will calculate it for you! Tree Age Estimator

How old do you think this one might be? Get your kids involved even the little ones love hugging trees.

Becky

Becky is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Landscape & Production Horticulturist, Arborist and budding Herbalist, who recognizes and specializes in the link between healthy soil, the gut and the brain. She also loves being the mom to her two wild and crazy kids Brooke & Connor whom keep her and her ever loving, creative husband Jay on their toes.

## Determining the age of trees in different ways

The text of the work is placed without images and formulas.
The full version of the work is available in the "Files of the work" tab in PDF format

We would like to start our research work with the fact that on one of the warm September days we went with our class on an autumn tour of the village of Pilna and looked into the Pilna park, located on the banks of the Pyana River. Our attention was drawn to the fact that the same-looking tree has a different height and thickness of the trunk. We noticed that the park has many different types of trees in good condition. But in the park there are sawn, broken and withered trees, there are overgrowths - and sometimes it’s hard to understand where the alleys are.

While examining the trees in the village and the park, we had a question: how long is the age of a tree? How to determine the age of a tree? The teacher told us that trees, like people, have their age. One tree can grow for several decades, another for several centuries. Throughout life, it is constantly growing, but only slowly.

We live in the countryside. Thousands of cubic meters of wood are burned in the furnaces of saunas and houses. Few of the residents think about what trees were sawn for fireboxes and cut down for household needs and construction. Some residents of the village of Pilna have an idea of ​​the park's trees as a property that does not belong to anyone. It is today that the nature that surrounds us is experiencing the growing influence of man

Purpose

Interest in the study of trees growing in the park and the village of Pilna, and the acquisition of skills and abilities to determine the age of trees in various ways - purpose of our research work.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

Familiarize yourself with various methods of determining the age of trees.

Learn to work with different sources of information:

a) specialized literature on the topic

b) Internet

Select material (saw cuts) for research.

Analyze the collected material for research and make the necessary calculations, formalize the data of your research.

Observe, generalize, draw conclusions that will confirm the hypothesis.

Draw the attention of people or the population to the importance of green trees.

Hypothesis

We assume that the age of a tree can be determined by certain signs.

Research period: from September 20, 2020 to February 20, 2021

Research methods: observation, survey, analysis, photography

Object of research: tree age

90 in the park and in the village of Pilna, tree cuts

Research work on the topic: "Determining the age of trees in different ways" consists of two parts: theoretical and practical.

Chapter 1. Theoretical part.

Research methods. Methods for determining the age of trees.

Eyewitnesses survey

for mutations

BUS

Pressler

according to the characteristics of the bark

in the thickness of the barrel

for annual rings

1.1. Interviewing eyewitnesses

Obtaining information about the date of planting a tree is the most correct source. This can be a survey of old-timers or viewing old photos from eyewitnesses of tree planting, by whom it was planted and when.

1. 2. Determining the age of a tree by the features of the bark

The age of a tree can be determined by the features of the bark. If you look closely, you can see that the bark of young trees is thin, smooth and clean. And with age, the bark of trees changes, becomes dark, becomes covered with cracks, not only the color changes, but also the bark. It becomes thick with old trees and begins to crack.

1. 3. Determining the age of trees by trunk thickness

To do this, measure the circumference of the tree trunk at 1.5 m above the ground. From the scientific literature, we learned that each tree, on average, is 2 cm-2.5 cm thick per year. And if the forest is frequent, then this figure is 1 cm-1 cm. 5 mm. This method of determining the age of trees does not disturb the growth of trees.

1. 4. Determination of age by tree rings

Tree rings - a layer of wood growth for 1 year. An accurate way to determine the age of trees is to count the growth rings on the log cabin of the trunk. How many rings - so many years for a tree. It should be noted that trees always form one annual ring per year. Weather conditions and other reasons lead to the formation of several rings or, conversely, the absence of rings in a year. From the log cabin of the trunk, you can find out in which year the conditions for growth were favorable.

Studying the literature on this topic, we learned that growth rings are counted at a height of no more than one and a half meters (50 cm). You need to count from the center. Rings can be of different sizes depending on weather conditions. On the saw cut, you can see dark and light rings, they alternate. We count only light rings or dark ones. In some trees, the core begins to rot with age. Annual rings that are inside the trunk are destroyed, forming a hollow. It is impossible to determine the age of such a tree.

1. 5. Determining the age of trees using the Pressler age drill.

The drill is screwed into the trunk to its very core, then the drill is removed. When screwing in, wood gets inside the drill, which shows the number of growth rings. How many rings - so many years for a tree. From the Internet, we learned that a drill is required for measurement, the length of which is not less than seventy-five percent of the diameter of the trunk. When determining the age of a tree with a drill, a small hole is formed in the tree, not through. But the trees themselves heal the wounds inflicted on them, since they secrete sap, resin in the place of the wound and fill the wound-hole with it, which prevents insects from penetrating inside the tree - this does not harm the tree.

1. 6. Determining the age of trees by whorls.

Whorls are used to determine the age of coniferous trees (spruce, fir, pine). Whorls are a group of branches that diverge in a peculiar way on a tree trunk. Every year, the trees grow several branches at the same level. If we count the number of whorls and add 3 years for pine, 4 years for spruce, because such branches do not form in the first years. By counting the whorls, we got the approximate age of the tree.

Whorl is a group of leaves, branches or flowers located on the stem at the same height in conifers.

Chapter 2. Practical part

Research results.

Conducting a survey.

Trees always attract attention and amaze with their size. We became very interested in what our classmates and students of other classes know about the age of trees and by what signs. We compiled a small questionnaire, which reflected the following questions: How many years do you think trees live? Name what trees? What do you think, what external signs indicate the age of trees? Do you think it is possible to determine the age of trees without cutting them down? Should old trees be preserved? We interviewed the guys 16 guys from their 2nd "G" class and 14 people from the 5th grade. A total of 30 people were interviewed (Appendix 1). The data obtained during the survey, we analyzed and entered into the table.

Analysis of the results of a survey of students in our school (30 students).

 No. Questions Answer options Number of students % 1 How many years do you think trees live? Name what trees? 1000 (Oak) 1 3. 33% 500 (spruce) 2 6.67% 150 (birch) 4 13.33% 100 (aspen) 15 50.00% 50 (apple) 8 26.67% 2 What external signs do you think tell about the age of trees? Number of branches Height Bark type Girth of the trunk Crown size 5 16. 67% 15 50.00% 3 10.00% 7 23.33% 0 0 3 Do you think it is possible to determine the age of trees without cutting them down? Yes 19 63. 33% No 11 36.67% 4 Should old trees be preserved? Yes 28 93.33% no 2 6.67%

As a result of the analysis of the answers, we found that many students approximately know how many years trees live, from 50 to 1000 years.

Many students wrote that the age of trees can be determined by the height of the tree. 63.33% of children believe that it is possible to determine the age of trees without cutting them down, while 11 people believe that they cannot. Almost all students believe that old trees should be preserved, because by preserving trees, we save nature. They are not only monuments of wildlife, but also witnesses of extraordinary events that took place in the history of the Pilna land.

We examined the age of trees in several ways.

2.1.1. The first method is a survey of other people. We investigated when birch trees were planted in our Pilnin park. After interviewing the oldest resident of the village of Pilna, Ekaterina Grigorievna Galkina, we learned about the history of the Pilna park.

In the 50s the last street of the village was Rechnaya street. Follow her to the river. Piana was a huge wasteland with thorny vegetation. In 1956, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of October, the authorities thought about this territory.

GV Voronin was the surveyor at that time. He was instructed to measure the wasteland and draw a plan for the proposed park, which, in honor of the approaching date, they decided to call 40 years of October.

One autumn day in 1957, an activist gathered in the Leninsky garden to discuss everything related to the planting of a new park. Voronin's plan was approved, and it was decided to plant birches. The seedlings were taken in the Zhdanovsky and B-Andosovsky forests. The inhabitants of our village lovingly nursed their birch trees and watered them. After 5-8 years, a young birch round dance began to be visible in the wasteland.

According to eyewitness accounts, the birch trees in the Pilna park are 64 years old (2021-1957=64 years). And they interviewed the supply manager of our school Kazachkov E.G. We were interested to find out how old the birches that grow near the school are. The birch trees were planted in 1998 and were looked after by the students of the school in the first years. We calculated 2021-1998=23 years (Appendix No. 2).

2.1.2. The basis of the second research method lies in the analysis of the features of the cortex. Examining the birch bark near the old school, we noticed that the bark in the lower part of the trunk up to a height of 2.5 meters is completely black. It is covered with cracks and grooves, uneven and hard. There are a lot of lichens on the birch. This indicates that the tree is old. And on young birch trees, we saw a white, smooth and thin bark (Appendix No. 3).

2.1.3. We determined the age of the trees near one of the houses in the village and in the park by the thickness of the trunk. Together with the teacher, we measured the thickness of the trunk with a tape measure at a height of 1.5 m above the ground. The thickness of the willow trunk turned out to be 210 cm. It is believed that, on average, a tree grows in thickness by 2-2.5 cm per year. The teacher helped us calculate the age of the willow 210:2.5=84 years (Appendix 4, 5).

2.1.4. The next method of studying age is the study of saw cut. The study of saw cut is based on the method of ring analysis. From the sources, we found out that trees have the property of growing every year for a one-year ring.

We tried to determine the tree's age and growing conditions from the rings.

For the study, we took a cross cut of a linden tree. First, we carefully examined the saw cut with a magnifying glass, tried to make out the rings on the log cabin of the tree. We counted 5 annual rings. In the center they saw a loose core. The age of the tree is approximately 4-5 years. The width of the annual rings on different sides of the tree turned out to be approximately the same. The tree, apparently, grew on moist soil, fed enough. The condition of the wood was helped to determine the biology teacher of our school (Appendix 6).

We have noticed that some trees seem to start to rot at the core with age. Annual rings that are inside the trunk begin to collapse, forming a hollow. It is impossible to determine the age of such a tree. We were not able to count the number of growth rings in the old tree, because the wood in the center rotted, a hole formed (Appendix 6).

2.1.5. We learned from the Internet that it is possible to determine the age of a tree without damaging it with a device called a drill.

Use it to remove a pencil-thick piece from the trunk and count annual rings from it. Trees do not suffer from this. But we, unfortunately, could not find such a device in the Pilnin forestry.

2.1.6. Whorl age determination. To determine the age of the coniferous tree near the administration, we used whorls. This method is applicable only for coniferous trees that are no more than 30 - 40 years old. Whorls are a group of branches located on the stem at the same height. From the scientific literature, we learned that every year a tree grows several branches at the same level. We counted the number of whorls, it turned out to be 40, and 4 were added to the result, because branches are not formed in the first years. By counting the whorls and adding 4, we got the approximate age of the spruce: 40 + 4 = 44 years. So, they ate near the administration for about 44 years (Appendix 7).

As you can see, there are several methods for determining the age of trees. Some of them are quite correct, while others are not very accurate. These methods require damaging or cutting down the tree, while others require determining the age by calculating or collecting information about the tree's planting date. We believe that it is better to use methods that allow you to know the age of a tree without destroying it.

So, our hypothesis was confirmed: the age of trees can be determined by certain signs.

In the course of our research work, we studied the age of trees in the Pilna park and in the village of Pilna and found out that the oldest tree is a willow that grows on one of the streets of the village. She is 84 years old, according to the stories of old-timers, she was planted by one of the residents of the village (Appendix 5).

During the search and study of the age of trees:

learned to determine the age of trees in different ways

learned what types of trees grow in the park and on the territory of the village of Pilna

learned a lot of new and interesting things while researching the history of tree planting

Conclusion

In the course of doing research, we learned that trees are the lungs of our planet, and thanks to them we breathe. But most importantly, we realized that by preserving our trees and nature, we are not only protecting it, but also preserving history.

We presented our research first in front of the class, and then at the school scientific and practical conference. Then they conducted a survey in the class. We asked our classmates why it is necessary to protect green spaces-trees? Most of the guys answered that without a reason it is impossible to cut down trees, as they grow very slowly. Each person should take care of the trees and take care of those trees that grow nearby and have their own history. They are of great benefit. And we came up with a proposal to hold community work days in the Pilninsk park every spring to clean up the park area and participate in the Feed the Birds in Winter campaign - after all, birds are orderlies of forests and parks (Appendix 8, 9).

References:

Anuchin N. A. Forest Encyclopedia: In 2 vols. V.1 / Ed. G.I. Vorobyov, N. A. Anuchin, V. G. Atrokhin, V. N. Vinogradov and others - M .: Sov. Encyclopedia, 1985.

Bedouer K. Trees//Mini-encyclopedia in pictures. – M.: Makhaon, 2001.

Vohrintseva S.V. Trees and Leaves//The World Around: Fantasyland, 2003.

Golovkin B.N., Mazurenko M.T. I cognize the world//Encyclopedic edition - M.: LLC Astrel Publishing House, 2002.

Trees [Electronic resource]: Wikipedia. Free encyclopedia. – URL: http :// ru . Trees. - M.: Ast-Press, 1996.

Kozlova T. A., Sivoglazov V. I. Plants of the forest -. In 2 hours - M. "Enlightenment", 2014.

Tikhonov A.V., Rysakova I.V. Nature of Russia- Definition. - V. Rosman, 2009.

Appendix 1

Providing

Appendix 2

On LUNDERS

9000 9000 9055 90AL

We interviewed the supply manager of our Pilninskaya secondary school No. 2 named after. A.S. Pushkina Kazachkova E.G.

 Birches were planted in 1998 by schoolchildren. We calculated: 2021-1998 = 23 years old birch near the school.

Appendix 3

Determining the age of trees by the features of the bark

Judging by the features of the bark, this tree is old, it has formed a hollow, ants have made their dwelling there.

Young birches have thin, smooth and clean bark. These are young birches.

Annex 4

Determining the age of trees by stem thickness

 The birch in the park is about 40 years old. The age of the birch near our school is approximately 23 years 58 cm:2.5 =23 years
 Determining the age of trees by trunk girth

Appendix 5

The oldest trees in the village

The oldest tree in the village of Pilna is the willow, it is 84 years old.

This is a poplar, he is 82 years old.

Appendix 6

Determining the age of trees by annual rings

 A saw cut of a fallen linden tree. The tree is about 5 years old. Examined barrel samples

Studying tree rings

Some trees begin to rot with age. In this case, the inner annual rings are destroyed, forming a hollow. It is impossible to determine the age of such a tree.

Appendix 7

Determining the age of coniferous trees by whorls

 We counted 40, 45 whorls near the fir trees near the administration of our village, 40 + 4 = 44 years. Eliam is about 44-45 years old.

Appendix 8

Research work and community work in the park

 We came up with a proposal to hold community work days in the park every year to clean up the park.
 Trees are the lungs of our planet
 The oldest birch in the park
 We found out what trees grow in the park

Appendix 9

Feed the Birds in Winter Campaign

Participate in the school Feed the Birds in Winter campaign.

## How to determine the age of an oak tree

How to determine the age of an oak tree, a question that sooner or later gardeners or just passers-by face when a huge and powerful representative of this type of tree has caught their eye. And since oaks are long-lived and have a fairly strong trunk and a luxurious crown, it’s not so easy to answer the question about age. For all the time of the existence of mankind, there are only a few ways to find out this information. Let's consider them in more detail.

Since childhood, we were told that the age of any tree can be determined by counting the annual rings on the cut of the trunk. Yes, this is true, but the method, firstly, is too radical, because it is unlikely that someone will cut down an oak tree just to find out its age. There are other, less radical methods that can provide information of interest to us. These include:

• whorls count;
• stem diameter measurement;
• Pressler drill application.

But none of the methods described above will help to determine the age of a tree with an accuracy of 99%, why we will consider this further.

Therefore, if the question is quite fundamental, then in addition to the methods described, it is necessary to resort to searching for information about the oak you are interested in. It is collected in several ways. The first is a survey. It is necessary to interview local residents, for sure someone has information about when the tree was planted or maybe knows for sure that it grew in this place when his grandmother was a child (such information gives certain ideas about age). The second way is to study documents and photographs. These can be newspaper archives, home photo albums, and if the tree grows in a park area, then you can try to find information from the city authorities. After all, most likely the alleys and parks were planted during subbotniks or were timed to coincide with some memorable events. It happens that the tree of interest grows on the territory of someone's former estate or church, then it is worth looking for information about the owners of the estate or studying historical data about the church and talking with the priest. Sometimes the search for the necessary information allows you to get the most reliable data, and besides, to learn a lot of new things, and not only about the tree.

But if it was not possible to determine the age of the oak by information, then it is necessary to proceed to the biological one.

And so, counting whorls. What it is. Simply put, it is necessary to count the number of tiers of tree branches that are located around the trunk. Every year the tree forms a new ring of branches. Having counted the whorls, it is necessary to add the number three to their number, since the oak only in the third year begins to form branches that form the annual circle. The added numbers are the age of the tree. But, since the oak belongs to the centenarians, and today individual specimens are known that are already more than a thousand years old, this method of determining the age of it is suitable only for young trees. This is due to the fact that after thirty years of life, the lower branches of oaks begin to die off and fall off, and its size can reach fifty meters in height, so it is almost impossible to correctly calculate whorls.

The next way to determine the age of an oak tree is to measure the diameter of its trunk. This will require a special device - a forest measuring fork, but you can also use a regular tailor centimeter for measurement. Measurements are taken at a distance of one meter thirty centimeters from the ground. Having measured the circumference of a tree, simple mathematical calculations determine the diameter through the circumference and the number pi. Next, you need to know the data on the average annual growth. Oak grows on average by forty-four millimeters. To calculate the age, the diameter is divided by a factor of 44. This is how we find out how old the tree is. But it should be noted that melon calculations have a mathematical error of five to fifteen percent. Since it is impossible to give exact figures on annual growth. These natural processes depend on the environment and conditions in which the tree grows.

The indicated methods for determining the age of a tree are quite loyal and allow you to determine the age without cutting down the trunk.

Less loyal, but still not so cardinal, is the use of a Pressler drill. With it, you can take a sample of wood from the bark to the core. Rings are counted on the obtained sample. Now a few words and technique. The drill must be suitable in size, its length is seventy-five percent of the diameter of the tree. Wood sampling is carried out at a distance of one meter thirty centimeters from the ground. The drill must be screwed into the barrel with translational movements. After receiving the wood, it is inspected for growth rings. Although this method harms the tree trunk, it allows you to more accurately determine the age without destroying it. In addition, oak has a good ability to recover. The place where the wood sample was taken will soon be overgrown.