Trees are the lungs of forests and how important trees are for all living creatures. It was 300 million years ago trees started to grow on Earth. Trees give a variety of products which are essential for life on Earth and yet we have failed to show act of appreciation or importance to trees.
Here are some interesting facts about trees spreading some knowledge about trees in order to encourage planting as many as trees possible.
1. Trees root systems vary widely.
Trees roots vary with type of soil, tree species and environment. Some trees grow tall and we might think they would have deeper roots whereas they grow only to the top of the soil. Most of the trees do not have taproot and most roots spread at the top 18 inches of the soil. Most trees roots grow at the topsoil and spread around.
2. Planet Earth has around 60,000 species of trees known.
It has been found that approximately 60,065 species of trees are known according to scientists concluded by searching and compiled data from botanical gardens, agricultural centers, museums and other sources.
3. Trees growth rings can tell you direction and can predict climate change.
Growth rings on the stump of a fell down tree can help you find directions in the forests if you do not have compass or mobile or lost in the woods. If you are in northern hemisphere, thick spot points to the south direction and narrow ring side on stump points to the north direction. It is opposite if you are in southern hemisphere. Trees ring can also help predict climate change. The rings are thick when there is enough supply of resources and it is thin if the resources are scarce in ecosystem. Studies help scientists to understand the impact of climate change.
4. Trees are the living organisms which live the longest and never die of old age.
Trees such as bristlecone pine and giant sequoias live around 4000-5000 years old. California holds the record of oldest living tree on Earth.
5. Trees in forest can talk, share nutrients among each other through an underground internet built by soil fungi.
Th fungi that lives on trees roots helps trees absorb more water and nutrients from the soil. This fungi links each tree in forests forming a huge forest scale network for communication and resource or nutrients sharing.
6. More than half of all species of trees are grown in a single country.
It is according to studies that nearly 58% of all tree species grow at a single country within the borders of it. Brazil, Indonesia, Columbia have the highest total number of endemic tree species found in their native forests.
7. Some of the trees are from dinosaur-era and still living today.
Some of the trees which were thought have been extinct was discovered in a temperate rainforest in Australia which was Wollemi pine. This tree is considered a living fossil but only 80 trees of this along with 300 seedling and juveniles are to be left.
8. Trees can help us relieve stress and helps to recharge and refresh.
It is believed that trees have sensory effects that can help people improve their mind, body and soul. This is the reason people tend to relax in the nature and do nature activities in forests, parks or near trees such as hiking, camping, walking, yoga or meditation. That’s the reason it is said we can find God in nature by meditation.
9. Different parts of a tree grow at different times throughout the year.
It is found by research that different parts of trees grow at different times of the year such as most of the foliage growth happens in spring season, whereas trunk grows in summer season and roots mostly grow in fall and winter season.
10. There are some species of trees which are poisonous
In order to save themselves from various insects or forest creatures, they produce s toxic chemicals from their various parts such as leaves, fruits sap, bark and others. Some of the known poisonous trees includes the manchineel tree, sandbox tree, othalam tree and hemlock. These trees takes their self defense mechanism to the extreme.
These are some of the interesting facts about trees and hoping this will help to gain some knowledge and awareness about planting trees. Hoping this will encourage to search for interesting and weird facts about trees and its importance in our lives and how to preserve our nature by planting as many as trees possible to make this Earth a better place to live.