Accurate dating of tropical secondary forests using wood core Δ14C in Malaysia

•We developed a new technique for dating aseasonal tropical secondary forests.•Tree age of the largest individual on each plot was measured using wood core Δ14C.•Estimating the duration after deforestation from Δ14C and time-series satellite data.•Significant relationship was observed between the two estimated forest ages.•Δ14C dating enables us to accurately estimate forest age within 60 years’ duration.