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Early Veteranisation
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The Ancient Tree Forum 

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One Veteran Tree is More Valuable Than Many Young Ones

A veteran tree is one that is uncommonly old for its species. As a consequence of its age it is likely to have a suite of characteristic features. In most respects a veteran tree will look ancient.
 A veteran tree may have a trunk that is of great girth for the species; it will probably have an irregular or gnarled appearance with cavities and pockets of decayed wood where former branches have detached. Very likely the centre of the tree will be decayed if not hollow. The crown is often smaller than might be expected for the size of the trunk and it might contain large pieces of deadwood and shattered branch stubs. Despite these features, or maybe because of them, many veterans show surprisingly vigorous living parts.
Precisely as a consequence of the size and variety of the features common on veteran trees, they often support a fabulous diversity of wildlife. Lichens and mosses can live on the ancient surfaces, while numerous species of fungi live on dead wood inside and outside the tree. A whole food chain of insects and other invertebrates may be associated with the decaying wood. Little known flies and wasps may inhabit holes, water pockets and slime fluxes. In the canopy, there will be sawflies, leaf miners and caterpillars eating leaves. There are numerous cavity nesting birds and several tree roosting bat species all of which are more likely to find a place in a veteran tree than a younger one.

Early veteranisation

It is possible to create veteran characteristics in trees which themselves are not particularly old. Species such as willow, sycamore and horse chestnut, having non-durable heartwood, can be cut in ways that promote decay but do not threaten their life. This process can provide a valuable bridge between existing and future veterans for specialist wildlife