Publication Date:
2019
Description:
Bald cypress trees over 2,000-years old have been discovered in the forested wetlands along Black
River using dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating. The oldest bald cypress yet documented is at
least 2,624-years old, making Taxodium distichum the oldest-known wetland tree species, the oldest
living trees in eastern North America, and the fifth oldest known non-clonal tree species on earth.
The annual ring-width chronology developed from the ancient Black River bald cypress trees is
positively correlated with growing season precipitation totals over the southeastern United States
and with atmospheric circulation over the Northern Hemisphere, providing the longest exactly-dated
climate proxy yet developed in eastern North America. The Nature Conservancy owns 6,400 ha in their
Black River Preserve and the North Carolina legislature is considering establishment of a Black
River State Park, but ancient forested wetlands are found along most of this 106 km stream and
remain t...