Millennium Populus euphratica, is it really 1,000 years old?

It is the most famous tree in Xinjiang. At this moment, the Tarim River Basin is covered with a thousand miles of golden color, magnificent from a bird's eye view and lively from a close distance. It is Populus euphratica.

At present, more than 50% of the world's natural Populus euphratica forests are distributed in China, and more than 90% of China's Populus euphratica forests are distributed in Xinjiang. Among them, the Tarim River Basin is the area with the largest and most concentrated distribution area of ​​Populus euphratica, and is the world's natural "gene bank" of Populus euphratica.

This most important tree species in southern Xinjiang holds secrets beyond your imagination.

“If you are alive, you will not die for a thousand years. If you die, you will not fall for a thousand years. If you fall, you will be immortal for a thousand years.” Most people who have heard this have fallen into a beautiful lie.

The research team of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences proved with facts: this is just a beautiful legend.

So far, the longest-lived poplar tree that researchers have found is only about 300 years old.

But the legend is not groundless. Zhu Chenggang, an associate researcher at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained that, for example, the main reason why the poplar trees can stand for a thousand years is that their taproots can penetrate more than 8 meters underground, and their lateral roots are densely woven like a net, which can be tens of meters long. This is also an instinct of the poplar trees to absorb water and maintain their survival. It is precisely because of the huge root system that the armored poplar forests have stood firm despite the raging wind and sand, blocking the expansion of the Taklimakan Desert. Who can not be moved by this scene?

We have all heard that "girls change a lot when they grow up", and the same is true for poplars! When young, the leaves on the tender branches are narrow and long, like willow leaves with curved eyebrows, while the leaves on the old branches of large trees have many notches on the edges, a bit like maple leaves. Zhu Chenggang explained that since the root system of young plants has not yet fully developed, the absorption of water is limited, and the slender leaves can reduce water evaporation. As the root system further develops, the leaves will gradually become fuller. So under its fickle appearance, it is full of wisdom for survival.

This beautiful tree is not only fickle, but also a "crybaby". If you walk in a poplar forest, you will often see liquid oozing out of the cracks of the poplars, which people call "poplar tears". These are salts excreted from the secretory glands of the poplars' stems and leaves. The main components are sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate. This poplar alkali can be used to make dough, wash clothes, and treat stomach problems. It is said that a larger poplar tree can produce dozens of kilograms of poplar alkali a year, which is enough for a local family to consume for several years. You see, this "crybaby" poplar has a good relationship with humans.

What's more, Populus euphratica is also good at giving birth. There are two types of its "children". One is the wandering type. When the Tarim River floods in summer, hundreds of millions of seeds on a tree fly in all directions like paratroopers with the help of wind. Once they fall into the moist sand, they can germinate in a few hours, and they can sprout and take root in time within 24 hours, and soon they will become a thriving young Populus euphratica.

The other type is the home-loving type, which sprouts seedlings directly from its own horizontal roots, and the trees grow roots, and the roots grow trees, forming a piece of poplar forest. But like most children who rely on their parents for protection, the seedlings sprouting from the roots are relatively weak. Most of these spectacular poplar forests stretching for thousands of miles were created by those "children" who left home to make a living. Does this look like a human?