So Many Trees, So Little Time: Part 2

Trees change very slowly so that sometimes you can’t notice them at all until the last second. My first gigapan was taken when all the trees were a deep and vibrant green. Now, my class has gone out to take more gigapans to show the gradual changes. As you can see below not all of the trees have started to change. Many are a deep green while others are just about to transition from green to yellow. Specifically, I would like to focus on the trees that I described in my previous post.

The Durand Oak is at the far right corner of the section of trees and is just at the edge of where the tree line recedes away from the camera. It can be seen that the oak’s leaves have changed color. The green in some places has been replaced by a faint gold while in others a light green. The foliage of the oak has also been reduced by leaf fall. Before, you could barely see the branches of the tree while now, the branch skeleton is prominent.

The young Yellow Poplar is to the lower right of the power pole. The leaves as a whole have only gotten lighter. If you look on the right side of the tree, you can see the yellow beginning to show. The leave seem to have fallen also but to a much lesser degree than the Durand. None of the skeleton is showing but the leaves seem to be drooping much more than the previous picture. This is an indicator that the leaves will soon begin to drop.

The Black Locust is to the left of the power pole and is distinctly noticeable from against the bare trees in the background. It’s leaves have very little green left in them and are a bright orange/gold. The foliage, like the Durand, has been greatly reduced. The innermost skeleton is present while a majority of the leaves frame the tree.

As stated in my previous post, there are many theories as to why the leaves change color. But why don’t they all change at the same time? There are many different factors that determine when a tree will change color or drop its leaves. One of which is that the type of ideal environment of the tree. If a tree has been moved out into an unknown environment then it is probably going to have a harder time surviving than others. This tree’s stress might induce its leaves to drop earlier to avoid the even harsher environment of that area’s winter. Another factor is that different species of trees determine the time and color. Oak usually aren’t very colorful while the maples are very vibrant. I know that the oak doesn’t have something called an abscission layer and therefore the leaves usually stay attacked to the tree all winter. These are only two of the many factors that prompt the tree to change for the winter. None the less, the leaves changing colors is a beautiful sight and a tedious mess to pick up.

So Many Trees, So Little Time: Part 1

Out of the many places I could have taken a picture of trees, I chose right on top of Observatory Hill looking towards Guion. There is a multitude of greenery in which I could observe but there was also a large number of vines. These vines scaled the trees as they hunted for more sunlight and have taken over any trees. But there was hope. I found smaller trees among the shrubs that hadn’t been consumed by the climbers. This being said, I was able to find a few Durand Oaks, one Yellow Poplar, and one Black Locust.

Durland Oaks is often mistaken when identified because it can look so much like a white oak. This tree has leaves that are slightly shiny like plastic and the acorns they produce have very little tannins and therefore are a favorite of wild life to eat. This oak is very tolerable to many types of soil and weather conditions.

The Yellow Poplar can grow up to 120 feet tall and have tulip-shaped leaves. The flowers on these trees are famous since they are a beautiful yellow with orange accents. Unfortunately, when I started to observe this tree, all of the flowers were gone. Their seeds are wing shaped and eaten by a variety of animals.

The Black Locust stuck out to me because of the pods that were falling off of it. Another peculiarity was how the leaves (elongated ovals) were opposite of each other on the spine. Upon further investigation online, I found out that this tree also has very beautiful flowers, abate white. I seem to have bad luck when it comes to observing beautiful flowers.

The age old question has been posed yet again. Why do the leaves change color? Chlorophyll, the green coloring, is used in photosynthesis in order to create glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide during spring and summer time. When autumn comes along, there is less sunlight and therefore less energy to be made. The chlorophyll then fades aways so that the bases of yellows and oranges (which has always been there) can be seen. These yellow and orange pigmentations are from carotenoids. Anthocyanins, the red and purple pigmentation, is produced during the summer. This is all how the leaves change color but now why. That is because it is relatively unknown why they change colors. Some scientists believe it is a sign to animals and insects that winter is coming while others believe is just an occurrence that use to have significance in the past (like our appendix) but no longer does. There are still studies going on to explain the beautiful phenomenon but there has yet to be any concrete evidence.