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The world's oldest tree is found in Chile, and its age is ultra-millennial
A tree first sprouted more than 3,000 years before the birth of Christ. This could be the oldest tree in the world, a majestic cypress tree nicknamed 'Great-grandfather'. The analyses are the result of both direct measurements and approximations and assumptions made taking into account the geography and botany of the place.
Alerce Milenario is its name in the Hispanic language, has survived all these years thanks to its location, at the base of a wet ravine, and could help researchers understand the effects of climate change on flora around the world.
Its incredible record has not yet been officially published, but researchers claim that it is at least 600 years older than the oldest tree thought to be
World's oldest tree found in Chile: its age is beyond belief
A tree first sprouted more than 3,000 years before the birth of Christ. This could be the oldest tree in the world, a majestic cypress tree nicknamed 'Great-grandfather'. The analyses are the result of both direct measurements and approximations and assumptions made taking into account the geography and botany of the place. Alerce Milenario is its name in the Hispanic language, has survived all these years thanks to its location, at the base of a wet ravine, and could help researchers understand the effects of climate change on flora around the world. Its incredible record has not yet been officially published, but researchers claim that it is at least 600 years older than the oldest tree.
The oldest tree in the world
Researchers have dubbed it 'Great-grandfather' and it would be the oldest tree in the world. This magnificent cypress (Fitzroya cupressoides) is 5,848 years old and stands in a remote tropical forest in southern Chile, in Patagonia.
A majestic but deteriorated appearance
This incredible plant organism soars 28 metres into the air, and the diameter of its trunk is an impressive 4 metres. Its appearance, however, is battered, tried and gnarled. In addition, it houses within itself, and around it, many plant species (even other trees) that have grown in its recesses.
How it has survived to this day
The good fortune of this tree was definitely its location. In fact, it is located 800 kilometres from Santiago de Chile, in the Los Rios region. Moreover, it is located within a humid crevasse, which has protected it over the years from both fires and loggers, who have taken large quantities in the past.
The tree needs to be protected from tourists
The location of this tree is known to everyone, since it has been in a park that has been frequented for decades. For this, a large number of forest rangers have been hired, as tourists used to take pieces of its bark as souvenirs.
600 years older than "Methuselah"
Until the discovery of the age of this tree, the oldest tree in the world was considered 'Methuselah', a 4,854-year-old bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) living in the White Mountains in eastern California.
Who determined the age of the world's oldest tree
Antonio Lara, lecturer at the Faculty of Forestry and Natural Resources at the Universidad Austral in Valdivia and researcher at the Chilean Centre for Climate Science and Resilience, was in charge of this wonderful organism. Working with him was Dr Jonathan Barichivich, botanist and grandson of the tree's discoverer in 1972.
How the age of the tree was determined.
Agence France Presse (AFP) reports that, in 2020, Lara actually drilled into the tree to take a sample and study the rings (which are known to be the way to decree the age of a tree). Lara was only able to reach 40 per cent of the trunk's radius, but even so he was able to count no less than 2,400 rings. However, it is not possible to determine the age of these trees with mathematical accuracy, since their centres are 'rotten' from the weather.
Age through comparisons
So how was the age of this tree found? The rings found by Professor Lara were counted and studied, and then statistical studies were carried out based on the observation of other cypresses in the Patagonian area, being endemic to this place between Argentina and Chile.
Important for the study of climate change
Dr Lara himself, to AFP, emphasised the importance of protecting, preserving and studying this cypress. This is because in addition to its historical value, the fact that a single plant has been able to survive almost five millennia could help researchers study the effects of climate change, and even, perhaps, a way to combat it.
Alerce Milenario the oldest "non-clonal" tree
The final consideration is that 'Great-grandfather' is the oldest 'non-clonal' tree in the world, not in an absolute sense. In fact, around the world, there are forests that are up to 10,000 years old, and are the result of cloning from a single, very old tree. This phenomenon occurs quite naturally: one of the oldest examples of this is Pando, a poplar forest in Utah, USA.
The real name of the world's oldest tree
Researchers have nicknamed him 'Great Grandfather', obviously because of his advanced age, but the name in the original Spanish language, his home, is Alerce Milenario.
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28/11/2023
We are all realising that our way of life, the one our parents, who were born and raised especially after the Second World War, taught us, is no longer sustainable. There are too many of us in this world now, and nature can no longer provide us with everything we need.
Capitalism, or consumerism for short, is forcing us to submit to environmentally worn-out logics that would not be sustainable even in the long run, but are even less so in the short time we have left before everything falls apart. Our way of life must change radically if we are to allow the survival of mankind. For example, the introduction of the law in Europe allowing the sale of insect meal aims at exactly that, at sustainability.
Therefore, it is necessary for all of us, while there is still time, to change certain behaviours to help the world. Here, then, are some tips for leading a greener and more sustainable life.
Natural Events
27/11/2023
Europe is historically a continent where we do not see extreme natural events, such as tornadoes, massive floods and earthquakes. However, events happen every now and then that are so strong and destructive that they go down in history.
Some of these disasters, which occurred even several centuries ago, are still remembered today for the number of victims claimed and the destruction wrought among the population. Weather, it is known, is unpredictable, and even in a relatively calm region like Europe, it can do damage.
The magazine Focus has listed the 10 worst natural disasters in the history of the Old Continent, some of them very recent, others dating back many centuries as well.
From the Road
25/11/2023
According to theMain Streets Across the World 2022report, which analyzes the main shopping areas of 92 cities around the world, New York Fifth Avenue is the most expensive route in the world followed by Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui. Post pandemic, the most expensive street in Hong Kong loses the top of the ranking and records the worst drop ever, -41%.
In detail, with an average annual fee of 14,547 euros per square meter, the Via Montenapoleone in Milan ranks ahead of New Bond Street in London and Avenue des Champs Élysées in Paris, respectively in fourth and fifth place in the global ranking of the most expensive streets in the world.
Via Montenapoleone in Milan, has earned the title of the most expensive shopping street in Europe and the third overall worldwide, with a jump of two positions compared to the last research of 2019.
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23/11/2023
This is a list of the most populous cities in the world, defined based on 2018 United Nations estimates, official census estimates, and the 2021 "Demographia World Urban Areas" report.
"World Urbanization Prospects," a publication by theONU, defines the population of a real city as "the population living within the administrative boundaries of a city." For many of the metropolises, however, the metropolitan area is administratively distinct from the urban agglomeration proper. For this reason, ONU recent estimates distinguish three definitions of cities: cities proper, urban areas and metropolitan areas.
According to the definition of "city proper", based on administrative uniqueness, the Chinese city of Chongqing is the largest in the world.
According to the other two definitions, Tokyo, despite being divided into several administrative units, is the most populous "urban agglomeration" (i.e. the agglomeration without rural areas) in the world, while the Chinese city of Shanghai is the most populous "metropolitan city" (i.e. the area interconnected by common infrastructure and frequent transport).
The data in this gallery include the total population of agglomerations in their highest estimates, thus also including metropolitan areas.
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20/11/2023
Carnival is one of those festivals that have united people through folklore for centuries. It is usually celebrated following the Christian calendar, and comes before the period called Lent (the 40 days before Easter). Its history originates from some pagan holidays, such as the Roman Saturnalia or the Greek Dionysia.
Each country, over the centuries, has come to celebrate it in different ways, but in general you can find, everywhere, some things in common: the floats, the masks, the flowers, the dancing and the parties. It is a time when anyone can be whoever they want, and it once served to subvert, momentarily, existing social orders.
The magazine Forbes has compiled a ranking of what are the 8 best carnivals in the world to take part in. Alongside the most famous, we also find lesser-known but equally beautiful festivals.