Transcript Tree Identification - Michigan State University

Tree
Identification
Written by:
Heather Dombroski
July 2005
History
 Web reading assignment
 http://forestry.msu.edu/uptreeid/default.htm
 Here I want you to go to History of Michigan
Forestry
 Read #1, Logging Era and #2, Conservation
Why is important to be able to
distinguish between different
types of trees?
1. So that people can have a common point of
reference.
2. When working with trees, you may want to be
able to do the appropriate work on the correct
tree.
3. Trees are like people, similar in some
characteristics but very different in others.
After your finished . . .
 Grab a clip board, paper, writing utensil
 We will head outside to collect 5 leaves
from DIFFERENT TYPES of trees
 Describe one fern you spotted
 DO NOT PICK THE FLOWERS!
 Describe two wildflower you spotted
Ways to Identify









Leaves
Twigs
Buds
Bud scars
Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Growing place
Branching pattern
Leaves





Simple; one
Compound; more than 1
Margins; smooth, serrated edges
Lobes; Spacing of leaves
Sinus; Indentation
 Shapes; Oval
Triangular
Elliptical
Leaf branching
 Opposite
 Alternate
 Whorled
Buds & Scars
 A bud is where the leaves
will eventually grow
 They can be pointy, blunt,
shiny, dull, smooth, hairy,
and come in many colors.
 A bud scar is where last
year’s leaf fell off.
 Bud scars are unique for
every species.
Fruit & Flowers
(inflorescence)
 Fruit is the matured ovary of a
flowering plant – the seed
bearing product of the plant. In
conifers the fruit is called a
cone.
Samara
Thin papery wing
Fleshy outside, hard inside
Drupe
Pome
Several seed chambers
Growing Environment
 Where are you?
 Depending on your surroundings
some trees are unable to grow
there
 Example – NO American Beech in
the western U.P.
 Example – Jackpine need extreme
heat for cones to open
Native Gymnosperm
Clustered needles
White Pine – 5 per bunch
Jack Pine – 2 per bunch
Red Pine – 2 per bunch
Scotch Pine – 2 per
bunch/twisted
 Austrian – 2, very similar
to red pine
 Tamarack – Many
needles




Single needles
 Spruce (white, black, blue)square needles
 Hemlock – flat w/ white strips
 Firs (frasier, white, douglas,
balsam) - flat
 Yews - flat
Cedar (red/white) - Scaly and flat
Native Angiosperm
Simple leaves
 Leaves lobed
Compound leaves
 Horse Chestnut – fan shaped
 > 5 leaflets (smooth)
 Honey locust, Black locust
 > 5 leaflets (teethed)
 Staghorn sumac, Mountain
ash, Butternut, Black walnut
 < 4 leaflets (teethed)
 Elderberry, Boxelder
 < 4 leaflets (smooth)
 Ash (green, white, black)
 Bitternut
 Rounded; White, Bur oak
 Pointed, w/ teeth; Hawthorn, Red,
Mountain & Striped Maple
 Pointed w/o teeth; Silver, Norway
& Sugar Maple, Red & Scrub Oak
 Leaves unlobed
 Oval; Apple, Buckthorn, Aspen,
Cottonwood, Lilac
 Elliptical (toothed); Elm,
Hackberry, Tag alder, Hawthorne,
Beech, Balsam Poplar, Ironwood,
Musclewood, Birch, Cherries,
Juneberry
 Linear; Willows, Basswood,
Witchhazel
Identification Tool
 http://forestry.msu.edu/uptreeid/default.htm
 Identify your 5 trees
 Receive Tree ID Key Hand-out
 http://www.mywildflowers.com/
 http://www.realtimerendering.com/flowers/fl
owers.html
 Identify your 2 Wildflowers
Walk through the woods
 You will need, covered toes, safety
glasses and helmets, clipboards, pencil
and paper
 We will be practicing knowledge just
covered
 You will all need to correctly answer ten
questions on what we just covered when
we return
QUIZ
 #1, What's the difference between an Angiosperm and
Gymnosperm?
 #2, Name 3 ways to identify a tree.
 #3, What is a sinus?
 #4, What are our two main ferns?
 #5, Name 2 trees we saw today in our woods
 #6, What is the key called to categorize things?
 #7, Name one type of fruit?
 #8, I gave you an acronym to remember opposite
leaved trees
 #9, Tell me one thing you learned in the logging era
section in your website reading and one thing from
you learned about conservation. 2pts
Picture Citations
 Pictures in this document were taken from the:
Upper Peninsula Tree Identification Key from
Michigan State University Extension
The site was created and is maintained by
Bill Cook, MSU Extension Forester for the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan.