Trees: A Celebrity for More than a Day

 Trees:  A Celebrity for More than a Day

 

Thinking about 2015 and the NEW YEAR got me thinking about our human ‘three score and ten’ lifetimes, and comparing that to the lifetime of trees. Then up came a story on BBC about an oak tree in England that was going to be nominated for the Tree of the Year Contest. This oak is said to be more than 1,000 years old!

Major Oak

Probably more than 1,000 years old and weighing in at an estimated 23 tonnes, it has been said that Major Oak is like "a stately home" in the forest. As ancient tree specialist Jill Butler,of the Woodland Trust put it, the oak being nominated is "as stunning as many of our palaces or man-made wonders like Westminster Abbey."

Named after historian Major Hayman Rooke, who wrote about it in the 18th Century, its history can be traced back as far as William the Conqueror. Reputedly used as a hideout by Robin Hood and his merry men, Sherwood Forest's Major Oak has been picked as England's ‘Tree of the Year’. It will take on 13 trees from across Europe in what has been dubbed ‘Eurovision for trees’.

Tallest and Oldest

Methuselah

Major Oak is not the only old tree as trees tend to be long-lived, some reaching several thousand years old. Methuselah, a bristlecone pine tree in California is thought to be almost 5,000 years old.

The exact location of the gnarled twisted Methuselah is kept secret by the Forest Service for its protection (that might not be it above).

Hyperion

The tallest known tree, a redwood called Hyperion stands 115.6 m (379 ft) high. Because of their longevity and usefulness, trees have always been revered and they play a role in many of the world’s mythologies. The tree is estimated to contain 18,600 cubic feet of wood, and to be roughty 700-800 years old.

The Botany of a Tree

In botany a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, supporting branches and leaves. Trees include a variety of plant species that have independently evolved a woody trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. Thus Wikipedia tells us that, in a looser sense, the taller palms, the tree ferns, bananas and bamboos are also trees. Most trees are surrounded by a layer of bark which acts as a protective barrier. The bark of some eucalyptus trees is especially noticeable in warm weather when the trees shed large sheets of bark.

Trees and CO2

Trees play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store large quantities carbon in their tissues. A Nasa study shows tropical forests absorb 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 a year.

Rainforests absorb more than half of CO2 taken up by vegetation globally. In parts of the world, forests are shrinking as trees are cleared to increase the amount of land available for agriculture. Researchers now claim findings emphasise the need to protect rainforests from deforestation to help counteract human greenhouse gas emissions.

Trees and Birds

Trees and forests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants. Tropical rainforests are one of the most biodiverse habitats in the world.  

Here in our Australian gardens we love looking at the various parrots that come to our bird feeders. A friend, who lives close to a nearby nature park, has a greater variety of birds visit her bird feeders.

 

Even in our cleared and cultivated garden we are awakened by the Kookaburras and Blackbirds every morning, and we love watching the rainbow Lorikeets and Rosellas eating the seeds we have put out. 

A King Parrot 

Currawong

Now and then a flock of Cockatoos will come screeching past the house. Right  now we have a huge untidy nest in on of the camellia bushes that belongs to a Currawong family, whose youngster is making a great deal of noise as it begs its parents for food!

A Family of Kookaburra's (a local photographer)