Longevity Estimates of Canary Palms and Dragon Trees via Radiocarbon Dating: Initial Results.

ABSTRACT: Correctly estimating the maximum lifespan of plant species is a necessary component of demographic and life-history studies, which, in turn, are needed for understanding climatic impacts. Arboreal monocotyledons, which can grow to >30 m in height and >5 m in trunk perimeter, are difficult to age because they do not undergo seasonal dormancy; hence, their longevity has been estimated using various size-related methods. In this study, we tested radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dating with Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) as an additional tool for determining the age of two iconic monocotyledons: the Canary Island palm and the dragon tree. A total of 25 samples were collected from the basal stem of four palms and five dragon trees on Gran Canaria and Tenerife and then processed using the most

SUBMITTER: Biondi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10780642 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature