Skip to Main Content
U.S. Forest Service
Caring for the land and serving people

United States Department of Agriculture

Home > Search > Publication Information

  1. Does bristlecone pine senesce?

    Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on Twitter
    Dislike this pubLike this pub
    Author(s): R.M Lanner; Kristina F. Connor
    Date: 2001
    Source: Experimental Gerontology 36: 675-685
    Publication Series: Miscellaneous Publication
    PDF: Download Publication  (557 KB)

    Description

    We evaluated hypotheses of senscence in old trees by comparing putative biomarkers of aging in great basin bristlecone pine ( Pinus longaeva) ranging in age from 23 to 4713 years. To teast a hypothesis that water and nutrient conduction is impaired in old trees we examined cambial products in the xylem and phloem. We found no statiscally significant age-related changes in tracheid diameter, or in several other parameters of xylem and phloem related cambial function. The hypothesis of continuously declining annual shoot growth increments was tested by comparing trees of varying ages in regard to stem unit production and elongation. No stastically significant agre-related differences were found. The hypothesis that aging results from an accumulation of deleterious mutations was addressed by comparing pollen viabilitym seed weight, seed germinability, seedling biomass accumulation, and frequency of putative mutations, in trees of varying ages. None of these parameters had a statistically significant relationship to tree age. Thus, we found no evidence of mutational aging. It appears that the great longevity attained by some Great Basin bristlecone pines is unaccompanied by deterioration meristem function in embryos, seedlings. or mature trees, In intuitively necessary manifestation of senescence. We conclude that the concept of senescence does not apply to these trees.

    Publication Notes

    • You may send email to pubrequest@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication.
    • (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
    • We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

    Citation

    Lanner, R.M; Connor, Kristina F. 2001. Does bristlecone pine senesce?. Experimental Gerontology 36: 675-685

    Keywords

    Bristlecone pine, senescence, longevity, physiological aging, aging, Pinus longaeva

    Related Search

    XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
Jump to Top of Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/20264