Coniferous TreesEnvironmental Science

Fireside 2014

Learning Goals

Students will identify 10 species of native conifers in the lab and in the field

Students will use a dichotomous key

The Value of TreesWildlife:

FOOD (nuts & other fruit, twigs, buds roots, wood in living or dead trees)

SHELTER (cover for deer & moose, roosts for birds/squirrels, weasels, or fallen logs for salamanders, mice, martens)

PATHWAYS (tunnels left from decayed root canals are used by rodents, amphibians, and reptiles are used to transport and store food)

SUBSTRATES (nesting, perching for hunting & singing) SUPPORT (lichens, mosses, epiphytic/aerial or parasitic

plants & vines)

The Value of TreesThe Ecosystem:

The capture, storage, & slow release of nutrients in trunks, leaves, roots

A key role in the carbon cycle, water cycle, and nitrogen cycle (thus influencing climate and soil fertility)

Sinks for excess atmospheric carbon (if unburned) Regulators of runoff from precipitation (reduce impact of

rain on the land & act like sponges to release water slowly/prevent erosion)

Air cleaners (produce O2 and capture CO2 in their wood)

Carbon Cycle

Water Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

The Value of Trees People:

Fuel (wood and charcoal) Lumber, Paper, Cork, latex, rubber, cellophane & rayon Essential oils (for aromatherapy and perfumery) Spices (bay leaves, cloves, all spice, cinnamon) Oil and syrup Fodder for domestic animals Resins & gums used in turpentine, lacquer, paint, polishes Methyl alcohol (wood alcohol) used to make degreasing

compounds, silicone, formaldehyde, aerosol propellants & paint removers

Medicines (eg. Pacific Yew for cancer treatments, Ginko for circulatory disorders)

What Are Conifers?

Trees and shrubs in the Class Coniferinae 50 Genera and 550 species in the world today Dominate landscapes in colder & drier climates (Boreal Forests of

Canada, Northern Europe, and Siberia) Largest and Oldest living things in the world (Bristlecone Pine –

Pinus Longaeva is 4 700 years old and growing in the US) Characterized by needle-like leaves with many drought-resistant

features and cones Have flowers! (separate flowers for male and female) Leaves are evergreen in almost all species (except for larches and a

few other groups)

How To Identify Conifers

Use a DICHOTOMOUS KEY…But not this one