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Deep underground, in the temperate rainforests of Chile’s Alers Costero National Park, lies an ancient conifer called ‘Gran Abuelo’ that has been guarding a hidden secret for thousands of years. A recent study published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation<\/a> It turns out that a tree’s greatest value lies in what lies beneath its surface. Researchers examined soil samples taken from Gran Abuelo and found an unseen world of life within. By examining soil samples, they identified a community of more than 300 fungal species, many of which are unique to this ancient soil and not found anywhere else on Earth, forming a mycorrhizal network along Gran Abuelo. This mycorrhizal network not only provides Gran Abuelo with essential nutrients and water; It also serves as the foundation of the entire forest’s microbial ecosystem. All experts emphasize that if we lose one of these ancient trees, it can create a domino effect on the entire carbon cycle of the forest.<\/p>\n Gran Abuelo \u2013 or ‘Great Grandfather’ \u2013 is a giant Alers (Fitzroya cupressoides) tree located in Alers Costero National Park, Chile. Its height exceeds 60 feet and the diameter of the trunk exceeds 13 feet. Alers are native to the temperate rainforests of Patagonia and have existed for thousands of years. While some researchers still debate its age, the environment scientist jonathan barichievich<\/a> Gran Abuelo has recently been estimated through computer modeling and partial core sampling to be approximately 5500 years old. This would make it older than the bristlecone pine ‘Methuselah’ located in California and perhaps the oldest living individual tree on Earth.<\/p>\n The incredible discovery wasn’t just how old the tree was; However, how much it supports underground life! as written physioorg<\/a>The researchers used a genetic technique called DNA sequencing to map the ‘mycorrhizal’ (fungal) network around the Gran Abuelo tree. They discovered that the soil beneath this ancient giant was 2.25 times more biodiverse than the soil beneath other more recently grown trees in the same forest; In fact, they discovered over 300 species of fungi in this ‘microbial metropolis’, many of which you can’t find anywhere else in the world.<\/p>\n This discovery shows that the Gran Abuelo tree is not just a plant but serves as the center of a biological support system. expert of Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew<\/a> These fungi are said to form a mutualistic relationship with the tree \u2013 the tree provides sugar (carbon) to the fungus through photosynthesis, while the fungus acts as an extension of the tree’s root system by reaching deep enough into the ground to provide phosphorus, nitrogen and water to the tree during periods of severe drought. Therefore, it is likely that it is this ancient network that has kept this tree alive against fire, climate change and centuries of environmental stress.<\/p>\nWhat exactly is ‘Gran Abuelo’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Incredible discovery beneath Earth’s oldest tree<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
How a fungus kept the world’s oldest tree alive<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
30,000 year timeline<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n