Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

TREES

531

SeaSonal growth

In temperate regions, where 

there are definite seasons

each year, trees grow during

the spring and summer.

growth occurs mainly at the 

ends of the tree, the tips of

the branches, and the roots.

the twigs lengthen, and

flowers and leaves appear

from the buds. root tips grow

longer and push their way

through the soil. the roots and

branches thicken, as does the tree

trunk, so that the tree’s girth, or

waistband, also increases in size.

Coconut palm tree

The outer husk of the coconut is used

to make coconut matting (above).

Coconuts are a valuable source of

milk, edible fats, and animal food.

Bark

the tree’s bark is its skin. It

shields the living wood within,

stops it from drying out, and

protects it from extreme cold

and heat. Bark prevents damage

from molds, but some animals,

such as deer and beavers, eat

the bark, and a few wood-boring

beetles can tunnel through.

a tree with no leaves can be

identified by the color and

texture of its bark.

The rough bark of the cork

tree is stripped off every

eight to 10 years;

it is used to

make bottle

stoppers and

floor tiles.

Root tips

lengthen.

Bark cambium

(growing area) of

young tree

InSIde a tree

Counting the rings

on a section of trunk

can tell us the age of a

tree. this is a

section of a very

old giant sequoia tree.

Old bark

cracks and

flakes.

Shoot grows

from between

seed leaves.

Root begins

to emerge.

Beech seed (or

beechnut) is contained

in a hard seed case.

First true

leaves develop,

and the seed

case falls away.

Seed

case

splits.

Palm treeS

the 2,700 kinds of palm tree are

found in warm mediterranean and

tropical regions. these tall, straight

trees provide many products,

including palm oils, dates, and

coconuts from the coconut palm.

In the past, loggers

had to float logs

to the sawmill.

Wood

each year we use thousands

of tons of wood in building,

as fuel for cooking and

heating, and to make tools,

furniture, and paper. as the

world’s population grows,

vast areas of forests are cut

down in ever-increasing

numbers, particularly in

South america, where

much of the tropical rain

forest has been destroyed.

Whole tree trunks are used

to make telephone poles.

Roots

become

fatter.

Twig tips

grow.

Native

Americans

carved

whole

tree

trunks

to

create

totem

poles.

Young

bark is

smooth.

Bark grows from the

inside and pushes the

older bark outward.

growth

all trees grow from small

seeds inside their fruit.

each seed contains a food

store and a tiny embryo

tree. the seed begins to

grow when the temperature

and moisture of the soil

are suitable. a young

tree is called a sapling.

tree trunk

during the spring and early summer, when

growth is rapid, tree trunks thicken. large

thin-walled cells form light-colored wood.

Slower growth during the rest of the

year produces thick-walled cells that

make darker-colored wood. one

light-colored ring plus one dark ring

indicates one year’s growth. Some

tropical trees grow all year round;

they have faint rings or none at all.

Trunk and

branches

Root and stem thicken.

of seedling

grow longer.

1400 ce Joan

of Arc burned

at the stake.

1800 ce Washington, D.C.,

becomes US capital.

800 ce

Charlemagne

crowned

emperor.

Native

Americans

used the

smooth bark of birch

trees to make canoes.

New leaves develop

each spring.

Find out more

Forest wildlife

Fruit and seeds

Plants

Soil

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