Step 1: Understanding the Question:
This question relates to Dendrochronology, the science of determining the age of trees and past environmental events by analyzing growth rings.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
• In temperate regions and some tropical regions with distinct dry/wet seasons, trees produce a new layer of wood every year.
• This creates visible "Annual rings" in the cross-section of the stump. By counting these rings from the pith to the bark, the age of the tree can be precisely determined.
• False rings (A) are caused by mid-season stress (like drought) and can lead to overestimation of age.
• Many tropical trees do not show distinct annual rings due to the lack of seasonal variation in climate, making it difficult to determine their age through ring counting.
• Therefore, the presence of distinct, well-defined annual rings is a prerequisite for age determination.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The age is determined by counting distinct Annual rings.