This 1,000-year-old oak tree survived Hurricane Harvey

The Big Tree at Goose Island State Park was named the State Champion Coastal Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) in 1966. It was dethroned in 2003 by the San Bernard Oak on the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge.

Goose Island State Park

Hurricane Harvey first made landfall in the town of Rockport, Texas last Friday night. The 108 mph winds and more than 40 inches of rain destroyed houses, churches and schools. But a 1,100-year-old oak tree was left standing at Goose Island State Park.

The “Big Tree” has a diameter of 11 feet and a circumference of more than 35 feet. The community of Rockport has appreciated the tree for more than a hundred years, calling in experts like Appel to help care for it. And it’s not the only tree that survived—many younger, less remarkable live oaks survived the hurricane. And, with the way the climate is changing, some of them may thrive there for another 1,000 years.

Areas that already have plenty of rainfall, like East Texas, should expect to see more. Trees that can withstand more extreme wind, temperatures, and fire could benefit from the extra water. In one experiment in Boston, researchers planted 12 different species of trees and watched how each dealt with increased heat. The researchers gave some a little more water than nature would provide, and other trees less. They found that the warmer temperatures made moisture more important. “A dryer year can really stress out the plants,” said Jeffrey Dukes, a forestry researcher at Purdue University and a leader on this project. “In a wet year, the plants can grow really, really well.”

Read More at:
https://www.popsci.com/oak-tree-survived-hurricane-harvey

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