January 30, 2019

Cloning Ancient Redwoods

Listen Later

2 minutes

During the 19th and 20th centuries, many of the world’s largest and oldest tress were cut down for their lumber. Some of these coast redwoods were 3,000 years old and measured 35 feet in diameter.

Today, giant stumps of these ancient redwoods dot the landscape from

Oregon to northern California and are a remnant of the old-growth forest that once

stretched across much of the Pacific Northwest.

An organization called the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is dedicated

to reestablishing ancient redwood forests to help combat climate change. Coastal redwoods are not only huge but can

grow an average of 10 feet a year. One

of these enormous trees can sequester 250 tons of carbon dioxide over its

lifetime, more than 200 times the amount for an average tree.

While many experts thought that the giant stumps were lifeless,

arborists at Archangel collected DNA from the stumps of five giant coast

redwoods, all larger than the largest tree living today. They then used this genetic material to grow

dozens of saplings, which are clones of the ancient trees, in a process that

takes about two-and-a-half years.

To date, the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive has planted nearly 100 of

these saplings in the Eden Project garden in Cornwall, England, a couple of

hundred in Oregon, and most recently, has planted 75 in the Presidio National

Park in San Francisco.

According to arborists at the nonprofit organization, these saplings

have extraordinary potential to purify our air, water, and soil for generations

to come. Their hopes are that the new

San Francisco ‘super grove’ will be allowed to grow unmolested by manmade or

natural disasters and thus propagate forever.

**********

Web Links

Arborists Have Cloned Ancient Redwoods From Their Massive Stumps

Photo, posted April 8, 2013, courtesy of Michael Balint via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more

View all episodes

View all episodes

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

Earth Wise

By Randy Simon

4.7

1515 ratings

January 30, 2019

Cloning Ancient Redwoods

Listen Later

2 minutes

During the 19th and 20th centuries, many of the world’s largest and oldest tress were cut down for their lumber. Some of these coast redwoods were 3,000 years old and measured 35 feet in diameter.

Today, giant stumps of these ancient redwoods dot the landscape from

Oregon to northern California and are a remnant of the old-growth forest that once

stretched across much of the Pacific Northwest.

An organization called the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is dedicated

to reestablishing ancient redwood forests to help combat climate change. Coastal redwoods are not only huge but can

grow an average of 10 feet a year. One

of these enormous trees can sequester 250 tons of carbon dioxide over its

lifetime, more than 200 times the amount for an average tree.

While many experts thought that the giant stumps were lifeless,

arborists at Archangel collected DNA from the stumps of five giant coast

redwoods, all larger than the largest tree living today. They then used this genetic material to grow

dozens of saplings, which are clones of the ancient trees, in a process that

takes about two-and-a-half years.

To date, the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive has planted nearly 100 of

these saplings in the Eden Project garden in Cornwall, England, a couple of

hundred in Oregon, and most recently, has planted 75 in the Presidio National

Park in San Francisco.

According to arborists at the nonprofit organization, these saplings

have extraordinary potential to purify our air, water, and soil for generations

to come. Their hopes are that the new

San Francisco ‘super grove’ will be allowed to grow unmolested by manmade or

natural disasters and thus propagate forever.

**********

Web Links

Arborists Have Cloned Ancient Redwoods From Their Massive Stumps

Photo, posted April 8, 2013, courtesy of Michael Balint via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more