Tree
hideA tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to 6 m; some authors set a minimum of 10 cm trunk diameter (30 cm girth). Woody plants that do not meet these definitions by having multiple stems and/or small size, are called shrubs. Compared with most other plants, trees are long-lived, some reaching several thousand years old and growing to up to 115 m (379 ft) high.
Trees are an important component of the natural landscape because of their prevention of erosion and the provision of a weather-sheltered ecosystem in and under their foliage. Trees also play an important role in producing oxygen and reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as well as moderating ground temperatures. They are also elements in landscaping and agriculture, both for their aesthetic appeal and their orchard crops (such as apples). Wood from trees is a building material, as well as a primary energy source in many developing countries. Trees also play a role in many of the world's mythologies (see trees in mythology).
For more information about Tree, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with trees
Scientists works to develop Christmas tree that doesn't shed needles
Dec 17, 2009 |
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After chasing the perfect Christmas tree for three decades, Gary Chastagner could be getting close.
Low-cost temperature sensors, tennis balls to monitor mountain snowpack
Dec 14, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Fictional secret agent Angus MacGyver knew that tough situations demand ingenuity. Jessica Lundquist takes a similar approach to studying snowfall. The University of Washington assistant professor ...
Understanding apples' ancestors
Dec 11, 2009 |
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Wild Malus orientalis -- species of wild apples that could be an ancestor of today's domesticated apples -- are native to the Middle East and Central Asia. A new study comparing the diversity of recently acquir ...
Carbon and oxygen in tree rings can reveal past climate information
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 03, 2009 |
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The analysis of carbon and oxygen isotopes embedded in tree rings may shed new light on past climate events in the Mackenzie Delta region of northern Canada.
Forests of Artificial Trees Could Slow Global Warming
Aug 28, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study on how technology could help to regulate climate change has studied hundreds of ideas, and selected three considered practical and able to be implemented quickly. The report's ...
Ancient high-altitude trees grow faster as temperatures rise
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 16, 2009 |
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PIC=32536:left]Increasing temperatures at high altitudes are fueling the post-1950 growth spurt seen in bristlecone pines, the world's oldest trees, according to new research.
Ancient Maya Practiced Forest Conservation -- 3,000 Years Ago
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Jul 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- As published in the July issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science, paleoethnobotanist David Lentz of the University of Cincinnati has concluded that not only did the Maya people practi ...
At Long Last, How Plants Make Eggs
Jun 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A long-standing mystery surrounding a fundamental process in plant biology has been solved by a team of scientists at the University of California, Davis.
Time of day matters to thirsty trees, researcher discovers
Nov 23, 2009 |
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The time of day matters to forest trees dealing with drought, according to a new paper produced by a research team led by Professor Malcolm Campbell, University of Toronto Scarborough's vice-principal for research and colleagues ...
Like a hungry teen, life on Earth had big growth spurts
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 27, 2009 |
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Twice in the Earth's history, living creatures underwent astonishing growth spurts, and each time, new organisms emerged that were a million times larger than anything that had existed before.
Scientists Cryopreserve Pest-Imperiled Ash Trees
Oct 28, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Using cryopreservation methods, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have devised a procedure for storing frozen budwood from ash trees (Fraxinus) and thawing the delicate buds for ...
Cooling the planet with crops
Biology /
Jan 15, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- By carefully selecting which varieties of food crops to cultivate, much of Europe and North America could be cooled by up to 1°C during the summer growing season, say researchers from the ...
Trees facilitate wildfires as a way to protect their habitat
Oct 28, 2009 |
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Fire is often thought of something that trees should be protected from, but a new study suggests that some trees may themselves contribute to the likelihood of wildfires in order to promote their own abundance ...
Purchase Carbon Offsets at the Airport
Sep 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the activities that puts a great deal of carbon dioxide into the environment is air travel. Air travel is one of the ways that individuals contribute to an increase in pollution and ...
Scientists announce unique acacia tree's promise to revive African soils
Aug 24, 2009 |
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Scientists said today at the 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry that a type of acacia tree with an unusual growth habit—unlike virtually all other trees—holds particular promise for farmers in Africa as a free source of nitrogen ...
