Three years after their discovery, they manage to reach the tallest tree in the Amazon

It was born before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America, and it grows taller than any other tree in the Amazon. At last we can contemplate it from the base of the trunk. And it is huge.

The tallest tree in the amazon it’s a angelim vermelho (scientific name Dinizia excelsa) that has been growing for 500 or 600 years in the National Reserve of the river Iratapuruin Brazil.

It was discovered three years ago using 3D mapping software, but it’s in such a remote region of the Amazon that it’s taken this long to get to it.

It’s about a angelim vermelho. Measure 88.5 meters high and its trunk reaches a diameter of 9.9 meters. It is estimated that it has between 400 and 600 years.

The odyssey of reaching the tallest tree in the Amazon

According to the website ScienceAlertafter its discovery in 2019, an expedition made up of scientists, ecologists and local guides was formed to reach the tree, with the aim of studying it.

After ten days of expedition, tired, with almost no food reserves, and with a member of the team sick, they had to return home.

Three other expeditions tried again, without success. On September 25, a huge party of 19 members navigated 250 kilometers down a dangerous river full of rapids, and walked 20 kilometers along mountainous paths in the middle of the tropical forest. One of them was even bitten by a poisonous spider. But finally, they achieved their goal.

so here it is the tallest tree in the Amazon, in all its glory:

You can also see it in the opening photo of the news.

After camping under the huge tree, the group collected leaves, soil and other samples, which will now be analyzed to study the exact age of the tree, possible diseases, and why such large trees grow in that region.

This type of flora it is vital to reduce the pollution of the planet, and delay climate change. Half the weight of the trees in the Amazon is due to the carbon they absorb, and that is why the larger they are, the more they help maintain the health of the planet.

Despite its immense height, it is still far from the tallest tree in the world, a sequoia called Hyperion that is 115 meters tall. Her location, in the United States, is a secret.

Unfortunately, the tallest tree in the Amazon is not safe. The reservation of Iratapuru is harassed by illegal miners who destroy the environment in the areas where they mine, and in the last three years Amazon deforestation has increased by 75% compared to the past decade, according to Science Alert.