Trees :: essays research papers

TreesTrees argon woody represents with a discrete report, or trunk. They ar usually the tallest of plants, and their meridian and single main stem differentiate them from shrubs. Trees are perennials that live at least three years. nigh tree species are extremely short but others may take place a height of more than 367 feet. The General Sherman Tree, a giant sequoia in Californias Sequoia study Park, has a height of 275 feet and a diameter of 37 feet. The largest trees are not always the oldest. The bristlecone pine, for example, develops to a height of only 30 feet but one specimen has been date to be at least 4600 years old.There are twain general types of trees, angiosperms and gymnosperms. Angiosperms are flowering plants that have a seed. They include maples and oaks, which are dominant species in Kentucky. Gymnosperms, on the other hand, do not back flowers. Their seeds lie exposed in structures such as cones or grievous cups called arils. This group includes conif ers, gingkos, and cycads.Trees grow throughout the world, from the icy regions near the Arctic to the horny tropical regions near the equator. They may grow along steep cliffs, in swamps and deserts, and on mountaintops at even the highest of elevations. Although trees can grow alone, most grow in strands, which consists of one species or a mixture of species. A wood is a plant community that is made up of the trees, shrubs, and herbs that cover an area. Forests set aside many social, economic, and environmental benefits. Forest provide wild life sentence habitat and recreational opportunities, obstruct soil erosion and flooding, and help to provide clean air and water. Forests are also an important defense against global climate change. Through a process known as photosynthesis, plants exchange the oxygen that is necessary for life with carbon dioxide, the chemical most responsible for global warming. By diminish the amount of carbon dioxide forests may reduce the effects of g lobal warming.In the United States, forests are threatened by extensive logging, called clear-cutting, which destroys much of the plant and animal habitats and leaves the landscape bare. Until the 1990s, the U.S. Forest Service was directed by sex act to maximize the amount of timber harvested in order to provide jobs. In the late 80s and early 90s, environmentalists sued the government for violating the National Environmental Policy Act. As a result, the amount of timber harvested was reduce and foresters were directed to follow a policy known as ecosystem management.