Counting Tree Rings

Determining the age of a tree by counting the growth rings is often easier in theory than in practice. I photographed a stump from a recently cut tree. The rings are clearly visible – no saw marks or decay to complicate the view. But – the stump is not perfectly round and the rings in the most recent years are tightly spaced (i.e. the tree was struggling as it got older…maybe from disease).

I took zoomed views from various perspectives. How old do you think the tree was?

It’s often easier to use count the rings in tree cookies (cross sections of tree branches less land 5 inches diameter that are round….often less than a decade of growth). This example illustrates the increased challenge counting of rings for the whole tree!