Towards the clouds, the "towering giants" in the green kingdom

In the green kingdom of the earth, trees are like giants striving to be the first, competing to stretch towards the sky. The best among them are the amazing "towering giants". Today, let us unveil their mysterious veils and explore the legendary stories of the world's tallest trees.

North American Redwood - Hyperion: King of Giants

Hyperion, a North American redwood growing in Redwood National Park in California, USA, stands tall above the earth like a silent giant. It was discovered in 2006, and its height is 115.92 meters. Imagine that, it is equivalent to the towering height of a 39-story building! It is proudly crowned as the world's tallest tree by the Guinness Book of World Records. The redwood named "Hyperion" is 378.1 feet tall, 8 feet taller than the previous world record holder "Cloud Giant", a coastal redwood growing in the national park 90 miles south of "Hyperion".

The park where it is located is located on the west coast of the United States. It seems that nature has specially created a gentle place for redwoods. The climate is mild and humid, like a treasure trove of water vapor that never dries up. The abundant rainfall continuously supplies the "water of life" for the redwoods to thrive. Moreover, it is cleverly rooted in the valley, and the surrounding mountains are like loyal guards, blocking the raging wind and the disturbance of thunder and lightning, allowing it to sprint towards the sky without distraction.

How was it so tall that it was accurately measured? It turned out that it was measured with the help of modern high-tech "artifacts" - laser radar (LiDAR) and drones. The laser radar is like a sharp-eyed measuring elf, emitting a precise laser beam to Hyperion, and then quickly capturing the reflected signal, thus cleverly calculating its astonishing height; the drone is like a smart sky photographer, hovering at different altitudes and taking panoramic pictures, adding a double insurance to the accuracy of the measurement results.

Cypress in Southern Tibet: Asia's Green Beacon

In May 2023, in Tongmai, Bomi County, Nyingchi City, Tibet, the Tibetan cypress tree appeared like a bright new star, breaking the record of the tallest tree in Asia. Its historical height was 102.3 meters, and its current living height is 101.2 meters, like a 36-story green beacon, illuminating the forest skyline of Asia.

It is fond of the river valley area in southeastern Tibet, China, where the climate is just right, the temperature is like a comfortable cradle tailor-made for it, and the fertile soil is a "nutrient treasure house" for its thriving growth. The winding and complex valley terrain is like a natural barrier set by nature, greatly reducing the threat of howling winds and lightning, allowing the southern Tibetan cypress to pursue its dream of the sky with peace of mind.

When measuring its height, drones and LiDAR technology worked together. The drone was like a light bird, taking beautiful "portraits" of it at different heights; the LiDAR was like a rigorous scientist, accurately measuring its height data. The researchers also worked tirelessly to conduct a detailed investigation of its canopy, carefully collecting plant specimens and precious germplasm resources, as if they were interpreting an ancient and mysterious book of nature.

Abies yunnanensis: the elder of China's forests

In October 2022, in the depths of the primeval forest in Zayu County, Tibet, China, the Yunnan Huangguoshan fir was discovered by the Chinese Giant Tree Expedition Team like a respected elder. It is 83.4 meters tall and stands quietly in the river valley floodplain forest beside the Gangrigabuqu River, a tributary of the Zayu River. At about 380 years old, it has witnessed the vicissitudes of time, but still maintains its vigorous vitality.

This primeval forest is its paradise, with a mild climate like a mother's embrace, annual rainfall as abundant as a feast of moisture, and moderate sunshine as a perfect sunbath. The unique coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest ecosystem is like a harmonious and symbiotic big family, with gentle terrain and highly intact forest environment, paving a smooth road for the growth of Abies yunnanensis.

The scientific expedition team adopted the international standard tree climbing direct measurement method. Professionals transformed into brave "treetop explorers", climbed to the top of the tree with difficulty, and then slowly lowered the metal tape measure from the treetop to the ground, as if performing a sacred measurement ceremony. At the same time, drones also hovered in the air to assist and ensure the accuracy of the measurement results.

Parashorea chinensis: the guardian of the rainforest

Parashorea chinensis is undoubtedly one of the tallest trees in China. It is like a tall rainforest guard, with a maximum record of 88 meters and a breast diameter of about 3 meters. It is mainly distributed in the mysterious tropical rainforests of Yunnan and Guangxi, and has deep roots in valley rainforests, mountain rainforests and limestone forests at altitudes of 300 to 1,100 meters.

The warm and humid climate and fertile soil of the tropical rainforest are the dream home of the Parashorea chinensis. Its straight trunk is like a sword pointing to the sky, never forking easily, and its dense crown is like a huge green umbrella, becoming the most iconic scenery of the tropical rainforest.

When measuring its height, traditional tape measures and triangulation were once common methods, just like ancient surveying craftsmen performing their craft. Today, the addition of drone and lidar measurement technology has made the measurement more efficient and accurate, as if a high-definition 3D biography was filmed for this rainforest guardian.

The ceiling of tree growth: an insurmountable limit

You may be wondering, if these trees work so hard to grow, why can't they grow infinitely taller? It turns out that they also face many "growing pains".

The first problem is water transportation. Tree growth is like a difficult "water relay race". The stomata on the surface of the leaves generate power by evaporating water, allowing the root tubes to work hard to transport water to the branches and leaves, and then combine with photosynthesis to obtain growth nutrients. However, the naughty guy of the earth's gravity is messing with it, making it difficult to transport water to the top of the tree. Some trees actually need more than 20 days to transport water from the roots to the top. This long transportation time is like an invisible yoke that firmly limits the height of the tree.

Secondly, photosynthesis will also be restricted. Carbon dioxide, the "delicacy" for tree growth, is denser than air. As the altitude increases, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere drops sharply, just like riding a slide. The concentration of carbon dioxide around the treetops is pitifully low, just like a famine year with food shortages. Naturally, photosynthesis is greatly reduced, and the growth of trees is therefore hindered.

Furthermore, the structure and wind resistance of the trees themselves also face challenges. As trees continue to grow taller, they are like a skyscraper that keeps getting taller. They need more power to support their own weight and resist the invasion of strong winds. Otherwise, once a strong wind hits, they may be blown down like a building block. Moreover, trees that are too tall will also face the limitations of insufficient sunlight, oxygen, water, nutrients, and temperature. They are like a warrior fighting alone at high altitudes, facing many difficulties.

A magic toolbox for measuring tree heights

In the journey of exploring the height of trees, humans have also invented many ingenious measurement methods.

Traditional measurement methods are like ancient magic. Tape measurement can barely cope with shorter trees, just like using a small ruler to measure small objects, but when it comes to tall trees, it is like trying to shake a tree with an ant, which is extremely difficult and dangerous to operate; the triangulation method is like using geometric magic, selecting two points on the ground with known distances, measuring the angle between the top of the tree and the line connecting the two points, and then using the magical formula of trigonometric function to calculate the tree height; the comparison measurement method is like an interesting visual game, find a shorter comparison tree, when a person stands in the same straight line so that the tops of the two trees overlap, measure the distance between the person's position and the comparison tree and the distance between the two trees, and then calculate the height of the big tree in proportion.

Modern measurement technology is like a magic artifact with high-tech blessing. LiDAR measurement is like emitting a magical laser beam, emitting a laser beam to the tree, receiving the reflected signal, and calculating the distance from the tree to the measuring instrument according to the constant magic formula of laser round-trip time and light speed, and then obtaining the tree height. It has extremely high measurement accuracy and can quickly obtain a large amount of data; drone measurement is like sending out smart elves in the sky, taking photos or videos of trees at different heights by drones, and using image analysis software or professional measurement tools to measure and analyze the height of trees, which not only avoids the danger of manual climbing, but also allows for all-round observation of trees from all angles; although the direct tree climbing measurement method is a bit primitive, it is full of courage and exploration spirit. Professionals climb to the top of the tree like brave Spider-Man, and lower measuring tools such as metal tape measures from the treetops to the ground for measurement. The accuracy is naturally not a problem, but it requires extremely high technical and safety guarantees for personnel, just like an adventure of high-altitude tightrope walking.

These world's tallest trees are not only magnificent natural landscapes, but also vivid witnesses of the miracle of life on Earth. They have been growing hard over the long river of time, and each of them carries countless ecological mysteries and life codes, waiting for us to further explore and discover.