23 Tree Facts: Interesting Things Your Kids Should Be Aware Of

Trees are plants that have a woody stem, known as trunk.

Trees are usually perennial in nature. In most of the trees, the trunk splits into many branches.

The branches of a tree bear all the leaves, fruits, and flowers. The parts of the tree that remain under the soil are known as tree roots. The roots fix the tree in the soil and help it stand erect. They also absorb minerals and water from the soil and transport them to other parts through stem (trunk).

There are about 60,000 to 100,000 species of trees on our planet. Experts had found tree fossils that were about 365 trillion years old.

These are believed to be the oldest tree fossils ever discovered. These special trees are known as "Moon trees". These trees were taken to the moon in the year 1971 by NASA astronauts in the Apollo 14 mission, hence the name.

They were taken to the moon just to see if the moon's orbit and atmosphere had different effects on the growth of these plants. Later in the year 1975, the trees were donated to the State Forestry Services.

Classification And Evolution

Just like other animal species, tree species have also gone through many evolutionary changes. Trees have evolved themselves so that they can adapt to the changing environment and climate of this planet. These evolutions provide the base for the classification of the trees. Accordingly, trees can be classified into two broad categories known as coniferous and deciduous trees.

Everything, including leaves, tree bark, body structures, and ways to reproduce a tree, has undergone major evolution through millions of years.

In the Devonian period, the first kinds of trees came into existence that had the ability to produce seeds.

Palm and cycad trees are believed to have appeared in or around the Tertiary period.

Trees can be further classified into hardwood trees and softwood trees.

Hybridization And Uses

Hybridization is the process when two different species of trees come in contact with each other and end up reproducing a new tree species. The purpose of producing hybrid trees is to generate plant species that are superior to the parental tree.

The size, shape, and color of the fruits and flowers can be controlled by the farmers with help of hybridization.

There are diverse methods by which one can perform hybridization on mature trees as well as young trees. They are Inter-varietal Hybridization, and the other one is Distant Hybridization.

Inter-varietal Hybridization can be further classified into two categories which are simple cross-hybridization and complex cross-hybridization

Trees and plants like corns, soybeans, and ferns are a few plants that are reproduced by hybridization.

Biodiversity And Ecology

Mature trees play a very important role in saving our biodiversity and ecology. Trees play an important role in preventing the rapid loss of biodiversity due to human interventions. Also, as trees provide the entire world which food, clothes, and oxygen so, trees are very important for ecology as well. Most importantly, they control air pollution.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmospheric air and release oxygen, thus reducing air pollution to a great extent.

Trees also help in regulating the rainfall. We all know trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen and water vapor while performing various life processes. In very dense forests, large amounts of water vapor is formed. Such forests receive regular and heavy rainfall. Such forests are termed rainforests.

Network of roots prevent soil erosion by holding the topsoil. Soil erosion is the phenomenon when the fertile topsoil gets washed or blown away by water or wind, a common problem in barren land.

Significance

There are numerous benefits of trees. From producing oxygen to providing essential day-to-day products, trees are very important for each and every living being.

The most important use of trees are that they provide food to all other living beings, either directly or indirectly.

Trees act as homes or provide shelter to wildlife like animals and birds.

Many trees have medicinal properties. Trees like neem and eucalyptus are known to have medicinal value.

A person's blood pressure can be controlled naturally with the help of trees. According to some experts, spending time in nature looking at trees and flowers helps control the blood pressure of an individual.

Trees produce fresh air that is oxygen and reduce the effect of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Trees helps to regulate Earth's temperature. Trees maintains Earth's temperature by providing shade and by absorbing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which is one of the main reasons behind global warming.

Trees also play an important role in the water cycle and control rainfall. During transpiration, water evaporates from the tree leaves which accumulate to form clouds which gradually cause rainfall.

Climate change can be also be predicted by seeing the rings of a tree.

Most parts of trees are useful for human beings such as wood for construction, and making paper, raw materials for medicines, clothes and many more things.

Trees are essential for existence of life on Earth. Therefore we need to stop deforestation and encourage people to choose the path of afforestation. Masses must be educated about the importance of trees to maintain an ecological balance.

FAQs

Q: What are fun facts about trees?

A: An intersting tree facts is that trees growing in the shade have thinner barks as compared to those growing in unshaded areas. Another interesting fact is that a tree derives 90% of nutrition from air and only 10% from soil!

Q: What is unique about trees?

A: One most unique thing about trees is that they never die because of aging.

Q: What is the oldest tree?

A: The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine or Pinus Longaeva is the oldest tree that exists on our planet. According to studies, the age of this tree can reach up to or more than 5000 years.

Q: What is the most rare tree?

A: The most rare tree species existing on Earth is the Pennantia Baylisiana. There is only one tree existing in the entire world. It can be found on one of the islands of the Three Kings Islands. These islands are situated in New Zealand. Since 1945 there is only one existing Pennantia Baylisiana on Earth.

Q: Which is the biggest of all trees?

A: General Sherman Tree is the biggest tree that can be found in the wildlife. The size of this tree is 52,508 cu ft (1,487 cu m).

Q: What is the smallest tree in the world?

A: Dwarf Willow is the smallest tree or plant in the entire world. It only grows about 0.38-2.36 in (1-6 cm) in height.

Q: Is Dragon blood tree real?

A: Yes, the Dragon blood tree is real. It can be found in the Socotra archipelago. This archipelago is a part of the country Yemen. When a bark of this tree is cut off or torn apart, a red resin comes out from it.

Hence it is called the Dragon blood tree. The height of this tree is somewhere between 33-39 ft (10-11.88 m). This tree can survive up to 650 years.

Q: What is the most colorful tree?

A: The Rainbow Eucalyptus is known as the most colorful tree that can be found in the entire world. These trees can only be found in the Northern Hemisphere and nowhere else.

Q: What tree has the deepest roots?

A: Shepherd's tree, also known as Boscia Albitrunca, has the deepest roots in the entire world. These trees are found in the Kalahari Desert region. They have almost 230 ft (70 m) deep roots. Desert areas face a scarcity of water. Therefore, these trees have adapted themselves to the conditions of the desert.