53010
W. Britain
The majestic oak has a life expectancy of 150-300 years, sometimes longer. They reach a moderate height of 65-85 feet upon maturity, which takes about 20 years. They are exceptionally disease resistant and, once established, drought tolerant. The broken oak tree here was most probably struck by lightning. Oak trees tend to be hit more often than other species. They are superior conductors of lightning because of their height and are full of moisture and sap that is better at conducting energy than the shorter trees nearby. The amount of moisture in an oak log means it won’t fully decay for 15-20 years even if it comes into contact with wet soil – a log that is kept above ground or in an arid location will last almost forever.