Ancient woods in Upstate New York have made a significant impact, leading scientists to proclaim it as the “world’s oldest forest.” Binghamton University revealed that this forest, located in Cairo, New York, was first identified in 2009 by Charles Ver Straeten, the curator of sedimentary rocks at the New York State Museum. Found at the base of an abandoned municipal highway department quarry in the Catskills, traces of roots from the oldest trees in the world were found beneath a ridge and forest pool 387 million years ago. This finding means that the site in Cairo is two million years older than the Gilboa fossil forest, which is nearby.Since its discovery, paleobotanists from Binghamton University and the University of Cardiff in Wales have been examining the fossilized woody roots of the very early plants that were characteristic of the Middle Devonian period. By tracing the root impressions, researchers have been able to map out the world’s oldest forest tree by tree.During the Middle Devonian period, New York had a desolate landscape and warmer temperatures than today, as it was located south of the equator. The atmosphere also had three to five times the level of carbon dioxide. As trees and forests like the ones found in Cairo evolved, their roots helped to extract carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and store it away, leading to a significant change in the climate and the formation of the cooler atmosphere we have today. Ancient forests such as the one in the Catskills also played a part in the transition of fish to tetrapods — and eventually to the emergence of dinosaurs and all subsequent land animals, as per Khudadad, who earned his doctorate in biological sciences from Binghamton University. Presently, Cairo’s fossil forest is off-limits to the public and is accessible only for scientific research. In the future, the town is considering the establishment of an educational center and working lab on the site, which would make it accessible to the public.Khudadad mentioned that preserving the area is a significant contribution to the study of the early evolution of trees, forest ecosystems, past climates and landscapes, and potentially the earliest land animals. In the meantime, visitors interested in viewing some of the oldest fossils in the world can visit the Gilboa Museum in Schoharie County.READ MORE Updated list of New York’s largest trees contains a few surprises, including a ‘devil’s walking stick’Where can New York’s largest trees be found? Hint: two are in Onondaga CountyThese nature programs at Baltimore Woods are tailored for both zen-seekers and survivalists
