What kinds of memories do trees have?
Trees have an excellent memory that does not lie! As seasons pass, the rate of growth of trees varies. This causes visible “rings” in the cross-section of the tree trunk. Only the outer edge of a tree is alive. Each year, a tree grows a new “skin” and the previous year’s skin becomes a new ring. Thus, each distinct ring indicates a year that the tree was alive. A thick ring indicates a good year for the tree, and a thin ring indicates a lean year. Scientists can also tell various environmental factors from the slight color variations in the rings. Some trees can live over 5,000 years, and scientists have confirmed many ancient global environmental incidents by rings of trees around the world.
