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The tallest trees are not just aesthetically pleasing to look at, but also play an essential role in maintaining the planet’s ecosystem. They help regulate the water cycle, produce oxygen, store carbon and stabilize soil.
The world’s tallest tree is a giant sequoia named Hyperion, found in Redwood National Park in California. It is 115 meters (380 feet) high.
Hyperion
One of the world’s tallest trees is called Hyperion, and it’s located in California’s Redwood National Park. This 380-foot-tall coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is rumored to be 600 or 800 years old.
The tree’s exact location is a secret, but it’s located in a hillside that has been logged many times. According to Guinness World Records, Hyperion is rooted in an area where 96% of the original coast redwood growth has been logged.
This has resulted in a lot of damage to the environment, and it’s not just the tree’s bark that has been sliced off for souvenirs. Visitors and climbers also left garbage and human waste in the area.
As a result, the National Park Service restricted the area around Hyperion and asked hikers not to access it. Anyone who does so will face a $5,000 fine and six months in jail.
Menara
Located in Danum Valley Conservation Area on Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, Menara is the world’s tallest yellow meranti tree. The 100.8-meter tree, which is also known as “tower” in the Malay language, was spotted last year by a team of researchers using airborne laser technology called LiDAR.
The LiDAR data were then used to create a topological map of the tree’s canopy height. Moreover, the researchers carried out 3D scans of the tree and a drone flew over it to confirm its height.
The tree’s height is a record for tropical trees. However, it is facing an uphill battle: One of the challenges tropical trees face is carrying water to their highest branches.
Stratosphere Giant
Until this summer, it was thought that the Stratosphere Giant, a coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), held the title of “tallest tree in the world.” However, it has been trumped by three other trees found in Redwood National Park this year.
In July and August this year, a team of naturalists, led by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor, discovered three trees in a remote area of the park which they believed were taller than the 370-foot Stratosphere Giant. These discoveries pushed the giant to the fourth spot on the list of “tallest trees.”
Yellow Meranti
Scientists have announced that a yellow meranti (Shorea faguetiana) tree in Malaysian Borneo has become the world’s tallest tropical tree. This tree, dubbed Menara and named after the Malay word for tower, stands 100.8 meters (331 feet) high.
Researchers spotted the tree during a research project using an airborne LiDAR scanner to create 3D images of forest structure. The team then visited the tree and sent a local climber up to measure its height.
The new record is a big win for conservationists in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, where logging and land-use change have decimated tropical forests. In recent years, the state has taken a number of steps to protect and restore its forest.
It is hoped that the discovery of Menara will help researchers better understand how trees grow so tall and what keeps them from growing even higher. It is also a reminder of the threats facing these iconic species. Loggers continue to cut down the remaining yellow merantis, which are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.