Coniferous Forests The last Ice Age left behind it vast tracts of land below the Tundra in the Northern hemisphere where the soil became poor. This belt of land is today covered with coniferous forests because coniferous trees are capable of surviving in poor soil conditions. On the North American side the coniferous forests are called the ‘Boreal’ and the ‘Taiga’ on the European and Asian side. The American forests have...

The Oldest Trees In times like today when deforestation is continuing across the world it would be difficult to believe they we still have trees which are thousands of years old. However it is true that the Bristlecone pines found in the mountains of California are over 4000 years old. Till the end of the nineteenth century, scientists believed that the Giant Sequoias were the oldest trees till they discovered the...

Deciduous Forests Most of the broad leaved trees found in the northern hemisphere are called deciduous trees. Since winter is harsh in the northern hemisphere, these trees shed their leaves in the autumn months and conserve their food reserves and prevent loss of excessive water. Trees of this type are mostly found in the forests of North America, Europe and North Asia. This family of trees comprises of over 100 different...

Formation of Wood Probably the first use that man found for wood included burning it for heat or for shaping crude weapons. Today the uses of wood are unlimited and we would not be able to make many things including this book if it were not for wood. Wood comes from trees and trees grow from plants. The stem of a young plant contains vascular bundles in the shape of rings....

Tree Plants and trees are an inseparable part of our lives and there would be no life on Earth without them. Air on our planet would not be breathable but for trees and plants because they take in carbon dioxide from the air and let out oxygen. Besides this, the fertile upper layers of soil are held in place, against blowing wind and flowing water, by tree and plant roots. This...

Role of  Leaves Leaves not only help plants in making food, they also cause loss of water through evaporation. Most plants and trees shed their (k- leaves before winter so that they can prevent loss of water and be able to survive the cold months. Shedding of leaves is not as simple as it sounds because plants and trees have to retain the ability to reproduce new leaves after winter and...

In Search of Light To manufacture their food plants need to carry out a process called photosynthesis and for this they need light. The need for light gives them the ability to sense the direction from which light is coming and grow towards it. If a potted plant is moved into the interiors and placed close to a window, one would see that the plant’s leaves gradually begin to face the...

Growth of Plants Like other living things plants also grow and develop, they too are able to adapt themselves to their environment. Earth has its effect on plants and they are able to sense it. This explains how they are able to maintain an upward and downward growth. When a seed is provided the right environment, it begins to germinate. It is not important which way the seed is lying or...