Publication Date:
2022-10-26
Description:
© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Patrut,Roxana T.; Patrut,Adrian; Pock-Tsy,Jean-Michel Leong; Woodborne,Stephan; Rakosy,Laszlo; Danthu,Pascal; Ratiu,Ileana-Andreea; Bodis,Jeno; Von Reden,Karl. Radiocarbon investigation of a superlative Grandidier Baobab, the Big Reniala of Isosa. Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Chemia, 64(4), (2019): 131-139, doi:10.24193/subbchem.2019.4.10.
Description:
The article discloses the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating results of the Big Reniala of Isosa, which is a massive Grandidier baobab (Adansonia grandidieri Baill.) of Madagascar. The investigation of this baobab shows that it consists of 5 perfectly fused stems and exhibits a cluster structure. The calculated wood volume of the tree is 540 m3, which makes the Big Reniala of Isosa the largest individual of all Adansonia species and also the biggest known angiosperm in terms of volume. Several samples were collected from the outer part of the stems. The oldest dated sample had a radiocarbon date of 934 ± 24 BP, which corresponds to a calibrated age of 845 ± 25 years. This value indicates an age of 1000 ± 100 years for the big Reniala of Isosa.
Description:
The investigation and sampling of the baobab was authorised by the Forestry Direction of the Ministry of Environment, Ecology and Forestry of Madagascar and by the Madagascar National Parks. The research was funded by the Romanian Ministry of National Education CNCS-UEFISCDI under grant PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0776, No. 90/2017.
Keywords:
AMS radiocarbon dating
;
Adansonia grandidieri
;
Tropical trees
;
Multiple stems
Repository Name:
Woods Hole Open Access Server
Type:
Article
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