Portal:Trees
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The Trees Portal
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In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a specified height. In wider definitions, the taller palms, tree ferns, bananas, and bamboos are also trees.
Trees are not a monophyletic taxonomic group but consist of a wide variety of plant species that have independently evolved a trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. The majority of tree species are angiosperms or hardwoods; of the rest, many are gymnosperms or softwoods. Trees tend to be long-lived, some reaching several thousand years old. Trees evolved around 370 million years ago, and it is estimated that there are around three trillion mature trees in the world currently.
A tree typically has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground by the trunk, which typically contains woody tissue for strength, and vascular tissue to carry materials from one part of the tree to another. For most trees the trunk is surrounded by a layer of bark which serves as a protective barrier. Below the ground, the roots branch and spread out widely; they serve to anchor the tree and extract moisture and nutrients from the soil. Above ground, the branches divide into smaller branches and shoots. The shoots typically bear leaves, which capture light energy and convert it into sugars by photosynthesis, providing the food for the tree's growth and development.
Trees usually reproduce using seeds. Flowers and fruit may be present, but some trees, such as conifers, instead have pollen cones and seed cones. Palms, bananas, and bamboos also produce seeds, but tree ferns produce spores instead.
Trees play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store large quantities of carbon in their tissues. Trees and forests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants. Tropical rainforests are among the most biodiverse habitats in the world. Trees provide shade and shelter, timber for construction, fuel for cooking and heating, and fruit for food as well as having many other uses. In much of the world, forests are shrinking as trees are cleared to increase the amount of land available for agriculture. Because of their longevity and usefulness, trees have always been revered, with sacred groves in various cultures, and they play a role in many of the world's mythologies. (Full article...)
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The Bidni, which is also referred to as Bitni, is an olive cultivar from the Mediterranean island of Malta. The fruit is small in size, hearty with a "violet colour", and is renowned for its superior oil which is low in acidity. The latter is generally attributed to the poor quality alkaline soil found on the Maltese Islands. As an indigenous olive cultivar, the Bidni has developed a unique DNA profile, and is believed to be among the most ancient species on the island, triggering local authorities to declare some of these ancient trees as "national monuments", and as having an "Antiquarian Importance", a status which is enjoyed by only a handful of other species. (Full article...)
Did you know? - show different entries
- ... that veneration of the Amla tree (pictured), in particular on Amalaka Ekadashi, is due to the belief that the god Vishnu resides in and near the tree?
- ... that the future of the tropical tree Milicia regia for timber production is threatened by a gall fly, Phytolyma lata?
- ... that the churchyard of All Saints Church, Ulcombe in England contains a yew tree claimed to be more than 2,000 years old?
- ... that seeds of the extinct tree Eucommia eocenica have been found with latex covered fossils?
- ... that the fruits of the Lecythis ampla tree resemble little wooden pots with lids?
- ... that fossilized seeds of the extinct tree Eucommia montana are found from British Columbia to Colorado?
- ... that the Australian tree Agathis atropurpurea is known as the black kauri or the blue kauri because of the colour of its bark?
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The Fab Tree Hab is a hypothetical ecological home design developed at MIT in the early 2000s by Mitchell Joachim, Javier Arbona and Lara Greden. With the idea of easing the burden humanity places on the environment with conventional housing by growing "living, breathing" tree homes.
It would be built by allowing native trees to grow over a computer-designed (CNC) removable plywood scaffold. Once the plants are interconnected and stable, the plywood would be removed and reused. MIT is experimenting with trees that grow quickly and develop an interwoven root structure that's soft enough to "train" over the scaffold, but then hardens into a more durable structure. The inside walls would be conventional clay and plaster. (Full article...)General images
- Image 4Roof trusses made from softwood (from Tree)
- Image 7Selling firewood at a market (from Tree)
- Image 84000 years old Cypress of Abarqu is the oldest tree in Iran and the second oldest tree in the world. (from List of trees of Iran)
- Image 10Share of land that is covered by forest (from Forest)
- Image 19People trees, by Pooktre (from Tree)
- Image 21The Amazon rainforest alongside the Solimões River, a tropical rainforest. These forests are the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems in the world. (from Forest)
- Image 22Tall herbaceous monocotyledonous plants such as banana lack secondary growth, but are trees under the broadest definition. (from Tree)
- Image 26Priest River winding through Whitetail Butte with lots of forestry to the east—these lot patterns have existed since the mid-19th century. The white patches reflect areas with younger, smaller trees, where winter snow cover shows up brightly to the astronauts. Dark green-brown squares are parcels (from Forest)
- Image 31Share of forest area in total land area, top countries (2021) (from Forest)
- Image 33Proportion of forest in protected areas, by region, 2020 (from Forest)
- Image 36Proportion and distribution of global forest area by climatic domain, 2020 (from Forest)
- Image 38World production of selected forest products (from Forest)
- Image 39Spiny forest at Ifaty, Madagascar, featuring various Adansonia (baobab) species, Alluaudia procera (Madagascar ocotillo) and other vegetation (from Forest)
- Image 40Olive trees in Pakistan (from Trees of Pakistan)
- Image 42Even, dense old-growth stand of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) prepared to be regenerated by their saplings in the understory, in the Brussels part of the Sonian Forest. (from Forest)
- Image 45Since the 13th century, the Niepołomice Forest in Poland has had special use and protection. In this view from space, different coloration can indicate different functions. (from Forest)
- Image 51Diagram of secondary growth in a eudicot or coniferous tree showing idealised vertical and horizontal sections. A new layer of wood is added in each growing season, thickening the stem, existing branches and roots. (from Tree)
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