The Malaysian side of the island of Kalimantan is home to many huge plants, and last week scientists discovered the tallest tropical tree known to science here. The height of the yellow Shorea, which locals have long called the Tower, is about a hundred meters, that is, more than that of the famous Big Ben.
By turning on the video below, you can see the 3D model of this giant, obtained with the help of a drone.
The authors of the find were researchers from the University of Nottingham, led by Dr. Doreen Boyd. According to her, taller trees are likely to exist in the tropics. Yellow Shorea is actively cut down in Kalimantan, but the Tower is located in the Danum Nature Reserve - this allowed it to achieve such an impressive growth.
The local resident Unding Zhami, who is an experienced climber and therefore managed to climb this tree, says that the ascent was incredibly difficult. The view from above turned out to be amazing, but the human psyche was clearly not designed for this, so the man soon hurried downstairs.
However, despite the striking size of the Tower, it is still not the tallest tree on the planet. This title still belongs to the evergreen sequoia Hyperion, which grows in the American Redwood National Park in northern California. The height of this giant is just over 115 meters!
Author: Daniil Myslinsky