Transcript Tree day - WordPress.com

Tree day
Why are trees important?
Canaries palm tree
Trees provide…..
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Oxygen that we need to
live.
Protection for the soil.
Homes for many animals
and insects.
Shade in hot countries.
Wood for building.
Food – fruits and nuts.
Medicines.
Slow down climate
change.
Absorb pollution.
They are pretty!
Imagine the world without
trees!
The importance of trees.
Pollinators
and
Seed dispersers
Insects and birds help trees
disperse and reproduce
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New plants are grown from seeds of their
parents.
Some seeds stick to the fur and feathers
of animals and birds as they go past.
Seeds can be moved to new homes by the
birds, animals, insects, water or wind.
Some seeds are really big, for example
the coconut.
Other seeds are so small you cannot see
them, for example orchids.
How do trees grow?
Some plants spread
there seeds using the
wind, for example
Diente de leon.
 Some plants need
water to disperse
their seeds, for
example the coconut.
 Some plants spread
their seeds using
animals, for example
the Oak (el Roble).
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Cycle of pollination and dispersal
What functions do
they have?
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Roots
Trunk
Branches
Leaves
Presa de las ninas.
The main parts of a tree….
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth at
all levels.
 Species diversity – how many different
plants there are in a chosen habitat.
 Genetic diversity – the variety of genes
found in a given species.
 Ecological diversity – how many different
components there are in a chosen habitat.
Biodiversity is…….
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A unique species
that is only found in
one given region or
location and found
nowhere else in the
world.
Laurel from the
Canary Islands.
What is an endemic species?
Why are the
Canary Islands
biologically
important?
Lots of endemic
species.
• Diversified habitats
in a very small area
– mountains, valleys,
sea level.
• Climate – wet and
dry areas.
• Isolated evolution
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Pinus Canariensis
Phoenix canariensis
Endemic trees of Gran Canary.
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In the past Gran Canaria was mostly
populated by huge forests of Laurel and Pine
trees.
After the conquest lots of trees were cut
down for boats and housing.
As a result there was lots of soil erosion and
loss of valuable forest habitats.
Now there is not much forest left and you can
only find these forests in La Cumbre.
The Pinzon Azul is one bird now threatened
with extinction because of the loss of pine
trees.
The History of Gran Canaria
El Pinzon Azul is now very
rare!
To save trees and energy.
 Buy recycled paper – its cheaper and just
as good quality.
 Its not just recycling. Think about the
paper you use, including toilet paper,
writing paper, magazines.
 Use double sided photocopies.
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Recycling paper – Why and how?
Only buy wood and furniture that has a
certificate proving it was forested legally.
 Wood can be forested in a sustainable
way or an non sustainable way. What
happens if all the trees are cut down at
the same time? It is much harder for
trees to regenerate.
 Conserve forest habitats to
prevent extinctions.
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Conservation – why is it
important?
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You can help!
Think about what you buy.
Buy certificated wood.
Try not to buy products that have
excessive packaging.
Re-use plastic bags.
Buy local products to save air miles.
Purchasing power!
My experience! Conservation in
the UK.
Scottish Forests
What determines a tropical
rainforest?
The forest layers
Emergent canopy, shrub layer, ground
layer, soil.
Thin smooth bark (no frost protection
necessary)
Buttress and stilted roots
Leaf shape – drop tips
Lianas
Epiphytes (orchids and bromeliads)
Vegetation characteristics
Aerial
plants
Some plants
(epiphytes) live in the
trees where there is
more light.
Their aerial roots never
touch the ground.
Material on their roots
act like a sponge,
absorbing any
available moisture. Mist
and fog provide enough
water for these plants
to survive.
Plant-animal
interactions
The star orchid in
Madagascar can only
be pollinated by a
hawk moth with a
proboscis over a foot
long!
Many bizarre looking
features have
evolved in both
animals and plants
over millions of years
because of these
interactions.
The importance
of Animals
• Animals disperse the
seeds of plants
helping plants spread
into new, more
favourable habitats.
• Many fruits have
evolved due to plantanimal interactions.
• At the top of the food
chain, differing
animals help keep
the ecosystem in
equilibrium.
• Animals provide meat
for indigenous
peoples to eat.
Human uses of plants
in the rain forest
Foods, such as spices
Vanilla, Coffee, chocolate, bananas,
mangoes, avocado and sugarcane all
originally came from tropical rainforests
• Medicine
• Life! Tropical rainforests produce 40% of Earth's
oxygen
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World destruction rate
‘Get
Growing!’
TREES ARE IMPORTANT!
Any Questions?