Scientists recently found a tree species in Big Ben National Park that was believed to have gone extinct in 2011.
U.S. Botanic GardenThe tree, known as Quercus Tardifilia, was found by researchers on May 25, standing about 30 feet tall but in poor condition. In a, scientists said the tree's trunk was "scarred by fire" and showing signs of "severe fungal infection."
A coalition of more than 10 institutions led by the Morton Arboretum and the United States Botanic Garden in the park are studying the tree."If we ignore the decline of Q. tardifolia and other rare, endangered trees, we could see countless domino effects with the loss of other living entities in the ecosystems supported by those trees," Murphy Westwood, vice president of science and conservation at the Morton Arboretum, said in a statement.
The tree is considered the rarest oak in the world. A drought or a fire has the potential to end the life of the tree, scientists wrote, with climate change making this outcome more likely every year. Conservationists will return to search for acorns and attempt propagation, a process of breeding specimens from a parent plant.
Molecular analysis is underway to determine whether the DNA of the discovered tree matches previous samples of Q. tardifolia, as oaks tend to crossbreed, allowing them to adapt more quickly to changing climate conditions such as extreme heat and new diseases.
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