Saturday 4 May 2013

TREES



TREES

TREES


                                              a "Moreton Bay Ash" tree, & me
                                                                                    -photo by KerryAnne
                                              my favourite tree, & type of tree - they stand so elegantly.........
                                             
(the farmer took this tree out shortly afterward - life is so ephemeral........)

A definition:
Although "tree" is a term of common parlance, there is no universally recognized precise definition what a tree is, - neither botanically nor in common language.

In botany, a tree is a plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, supporting leaves or branches.

In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants, only plants that are usable as lumber, only plants above a specified height or only perennial species. At its broadest, trees include the taller palms, the tree fernsbananas and bamboo.    

                                                                                                                                                                             (Wiki.)

         Trees tend to be long-lived,  some reaching several thousand years old. The tallest known specimen on Earth is 115.6 m (379 ft) and they have a theoretical maximum height of 130m (426 ft).  Trees have always been in existence on the Earth . Trees are not a taxonomic group but are a number of plant species that have  a woody trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants and make full use of the sunlight.

         Flowers and fruit may also be present, but some trees such as conifers instead have pollen cones and seed cones, and others such as tree ferns produce spores instead.         

 

    The roots of a tree serve to anchor it to the ground and gather water and nutrients to transfer to all parts of the tree, and for reproduction defense, survival, energy storage and many, many other purposes. The first root produced by a newly germinated seedling is a taproot which goes straight downwards. Within a few weeks lateral roots branch out of the side of this and grow horizontally through the upper layers of the soil. In most trees, the tap root eventually withers away and the wide-spreading laterals remain. Near the tip of the finer roots are single cell root hairs. These are in immediate contact with the soil particles and can absorb water and nutrients such as potassium in solution. The roots require oxygen to respire and only a few species such as the mangrove and the pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) can live in permanently waterlogged soil.

In the soil, the roots encounter the hyphae of fungi. Many of these are known as mycorrhiza and form a mutualistic relationship with the tree roots. Some are specific to a single tree species, which will not flourish in the absence of its mycorrhizal associate. Others are generalists and associate with many species. The tree acquires minerals such as phosphorus from the fungus while it obtains the carbohydrate products of photosynthesis from the tree. The hyphae of the fungus can link different trees and a network is formed, transferring nutrients from one place to another   

Trees are the source of many of the world's best known fleshy fruits. Apples, pears, plums, cherries and citrus are all grown commercially in temperate climates and a wide range of edible fruits are found in the tropics. Other commercially important fruit include dates, coconuts and other nuts, figs and olives. Palm oil is obtained from the fruits of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). The fruits of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) are used to make cocoa and chocolate and the berries of coffee trees, (Coffea arabica) and (Coffea canephora), are processed to extract the coffee beans. In many rural areas of the world, fruit is gathered from forest trees for consumption.

Many trees have flowers rich in nectar which are attractive to bees. The production of forest honey is an important industry in rural areas of the developing world where it is undertaken by small-scale beekeepers using traditional methods. ]The flowers of the elder (Sambucus) are used to make elderflower cordial and petals of the plum (Prunus spp.) can be candied.

The leaves of trees are widely gathered as fodder for livestock and some can be eaten by humans but they tend to be high in tannins which makes them bitter.  Leaves of the curry tree (Murraya koenigii) are eaten, those of kaffir lime Citrus × hystrix (e.g., Thai food])  Ailanthus (e.g., in Korean dishes such as bugak) and those of the European bay tree (Laurus nobilis) and the California bay tree (Umbellularia californica) are used for flavouring food.  Camellia sinensis, the source of tea, is a small tree but seldom reaches its full height, being heavily pruned to make picking the leaves easier.

 

 The Oldest Tree in the World

oldest treeGetty Images

It's not always easy to date a living tree, but most experts agree that a bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva) in California's Inyo National Forest, nicknamed Methuselah, was 4,843 years old in 2012

 

 

 

 The Largest Tree in the World

largest tree in the worldGetty Images

In terms of sheer volume, the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) known as General Sherman is a monster of a tree -- at 52,508 cubic feet, it's the world's largest tree.

 

 

 

 

 

The world's widest tree
The Great Banyan is a banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) located in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic GardenHowrah, near Kolkata, India. It was the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of the canopy and is estimated to be about 200 to 250 years old. It became diseased after it was struck by lightning, so in 1925 the middle of the tree was excised to keep the remainder healthy; this has left it as a clonal colony, rather than a single tree. A 330 m long road was built around its circumference, but the tree continues to spread beyond it.

http://bits.wikimedia.org/static-1.21wmf6/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png

The Great Banyan Tree has a hole in the middle where the main trunk once stood.

 

A search of the net will give you some amazing facts. Worth a look!!

 

There are so many good books on trees:   for example:

1.


 


 

2.                                               ...........  such a fun book!!!

B008K3HRF0  

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax                        go to:

 


 

Amazon has 198,772 entries in the section "books on trees". 
Go there.....While you are there - take a look around - just type anything into the search box - they have  tons of cool stuff!!

                                     <><><><><><><><>

 

And, here is a site with stacks of interesting info:

 


More on trees:

                                <><><><><><><><><><><>

 

You probably read this on some sort of computing device:

Such things need maintenance.  There is a totally inappropriate sexist joke, in some quarters, about a little old 'person'' who wondered why the car would not go. When asked about when maintenance was last done - "What is that?"                  .............................................

 

Personal experience:

Yes, I lost my most precious photos. Because I did not have them copied, or backed up.

I now have them, (what I have left!!), copied, and backed up - I used:


 

Please back-up your precious documents - don't loose them, like I did.

And, please tell a friend - may save their .........

(The way it happened, wasn't even someone hacking! Some computer "tech" was eliminating some old files from my computer - to help it run faster. Bingo!! Photos gone!!!)

 

Concerning hacking.....

Did you know that there are now more than 220,000 new attempts to interfere with computers, created every day. Most are destroyed pretty quickly. BUT>>>>>>>>>    NOT all of them

Made me rethink my computer protection.

It is now, not a question of "ïf" they will take out my computer, it is a question of "when".........

 

So, I now use, and I recommend for you:

PC DEFENDER:         http://gojvz.com/c/48000/20846

and,   BLOG DEFENDER:         http:com/c/48000/20094//gojvz.

and, this one is good:

        UniBLUE speed up my computer:        


Some old sage said something about being prepared, & vigilant.........yes......

 

 

As you know, sales may generate commissions......

 

 

Here is that info site again:


 

Go and hug a tree now!!

IMPORTANT  NOTICE:
You may have noticed that I have not asked you for your email......
I do not send pesty repeat emails to try & get you to buy........
(I personally find them annoying - and I don't do it to you.........)

In return, may I ask a favour??
If you would care to reconsider the information above, and purchase something - it would make us both happy!!    

 U R worth it!!!!!!

enjoy...................

 

 

 


 

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