Taipei: The Taiwan Forestry Research Institute (TFRI) on Thursday presented a full-length photo of Taiwan's tallest tree, a Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides) nicknamed "Heaven Sword," which stands at an impressive height of 84.1 meters.
According to Focus Taiwan, the research was a collaborative effort between TFRI, the "Taiwan champion trees" initiative, a team from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), and Steven Pearce, leader of Australia's The Tree Project. The photographing of the towering tree was completed in January 2023.
TFRI Deputy Director Wu Meng-ling shared at a press event that the research team spent six strenuous days scaling mountains and trekking along the Da'an River to locate the tree. Hsu Chia-chun, another member of the team, mentioned that their journey commenced in Hsinchu County and led them to Taichung.
Steven Pearce noted the difficulty of the expedition, which required trekking up a stream with a strong current. He expressed pride in the accomplishment and admiration for Taiwan's dedication to tree preservation.
NCKU's Professor of Geomatics, Wang Chi-kuei, explained that the tree was located using airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology. This method allows for the acquisition of three-dimensional data over large areas swiftly, facilitating the measurement of tree heights.
In 2023, with sponsorship from Yuen Foong Yu Consumer Products Co., Ltd., the team employed LiDAR to explore the Taiwania hotspot. After extensive compilation and analysis throughout 2024, they confirmed that "Heaven Sword" is the tallest tree in Taiwan.