How Old is that Tree?
All trees grow, not only in height each year, but in diameter. Have you seen a tree stump and noticed the light and dark rings on it? These rings represent the annual growth of the tree. In the spring, when the weather is wet, trees grow more quickly than at other times during the year. This rapid growth produces thin-walled (low density) cells. This growth produces the light colored rings, and is called early wood or spring wood. During the summer, when the weather becomes drier, growth begins to slow, and the tee produces thick-walled (higher density) cells which form the thin dark rings next to the light ones. This growth is called latewood, or summer wood. One light and one dark colored band equal one year’s growth. Counting the number or growth rings on a stump will tell you how old the stump was when the tree fell or was cut down. The pattern of the rings will also tell you something about the history of the tree’s life. Rings that appear narrow and bunched together are the result of bad growing conditions, such as drought or unusually cold weather. Rings that are wider than the rest indicate better than average growing condition, such as unusually warm and wet weather, or a fertilization source added to the soil.
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