Coniferous and deciduous forests are two of the three main types of forests. Life in these forests develops in different ways, which is explained by the difference in, as the examples on this page show.
Man and forest
The impact of human activities on forests around the world is enormous. Forests are an important part of the economy of many countries - producers of wood, paper, building materials and furniture. Human intervention in the forests threatens them with death. Particularly serious problems arise when plantations of other fast-growing trees are planted in place of deforested forests: they disrupt the habitat, displace its inhabitants and dramatically change the landscape. Plantations are important sources of timber, but they can wreak havoc on forest ecosystems. From huge deciduous forests very little of antiquity has survived to this day. This is explained by the spread of agriculture and the rapid growth of cities. Human destructive activities such as acid rain threaten the last remnants of forests. We must remember this danger and take all measures to protect forests.
Conifers get their name from the needles - the green needles that cover their branches. In cold and harsh climatic zones, where summers are short and there is little rainfall, for example, in North America, northern Europe and Asia, there are huge spruce, cedar, pine, fir and larch forests. To the south, coniferous trees grow interspersed with deciduous trees in the so-called mixed forests. Coniferous trees are covered with needles instead of leaves. The surface of the needles is smaller than that of the leaves, and it evaporates less moisture. Almost all conifers are evergreen and, thanks to the needles, can produce food all year round. Conifers cannot serve as a source of food for animals: their needles are very tough, and there are usually few branches on the trunk. On the ground in coniferous forests only a few plant species can grow. This is due to the lack of solar energy. That's why animal world in such forests is poor. It's too cold there for most bacteria and earthworms to live and develop. The soil remains undisturbed, and very little humus is formed, and this is the reason for the low efficiency of nitrogen cycles of mineral substances. Some animals have adapted to permanent life in the forest (see also the article ““). So, moose roam in a bowl in search of food, and bears and chipmunks hibernate for the winter and live off the fat reserves accumulated in summer and autumn. Warm short summer awakens all living things to activity. Insects reproduce rapidly and serve as food for birds that have returned north to breed. Coniferous Trees grow rapidly under abundant sunshine.
Conifers and their needles
By looking at the shape of the needles, you can easily determine which tree species they belong to. Here are the main breeds of conifers:
1. Larch... Bundles for 12-20 short needles. They fall in the fall.
2. Fir... Single needles with blunt points.
3. Cedar and juniper... Small, flat, scaly leaves.
4. Pine... Two or three needles connected at the base.
5. Spruce... Sharp, hard tetrahedral needles.
6. Tise... Flat leathery needles.
On deciduous trees, leaves bloom every year. Most of these trees bloom in the spring or early summer. Deciduous forests are found in places where the climate is relatively mild, and there is a lot of precipitation. They cover most of the territory of Europe, Japan, East Asia and the eastern states of the United States. There are many species such as oak, birch, maple and ash. Deciduous trees are covered with large, broad leaves. They actively carry out the process of photosynthesis for several months. In late autumn, the leaves die off and fly around under the influence of strong winds and cold. Each tree is a source of food for many types of living beings. On fertile soils, with an abundance sunlight Various plants flourish. They provide food for many species of animals. The annual fall of leaves and the activity of necrophages contribute to the formation of a soil rich in humus, nitrates and minerals. In winter, animals in deciduous forests lead a more active lifestyle than in coniferous forests. But the life of deciduous forests is especially rich in spring and summer: there is an abundance of plants, insects, birds, mammals. Southern Europe, Southwest USA, Australia, New Zealand and North South America many deciduous trees have adapted to the very hot, dry summers. They have some traits in common with conifers. They themselves have become evergreen, and their leaves are smaller and thicker, which allows them to better retain moisture.
How to measure the height of a tree
Attach a strip of paper to the trunk of the tree at the height of your height and measure it 1 (in cm). Walk away from the tree, holding the ruler at arm's length, until the top edge of the strip aligns with the 3 cm mark on the ruler. Mark which mark on the ruler the top of the tree coincides with, divide this number by 3 and multiply by your height (for example, 21 cm: 3 x 150 cm gives 1050 cm, or 10.5 m).
Forest-tundra and coniferous forests
There is a transition between the zones of tundra and coniferous forests - forest-tundra. This is a narrow strip in which the distribution of vegetation is most dependent on local conditions.
At the southern border of the tundra zone, in places protected from the wind and warmed up, first shrubs or dwarf forms of trees appear, and then to the south, as summer temperatures increase and the growing season lasts, trees, mainly conifers, appear. On habitats unfavorable for woody vegetation, tundra communities of the southern variants are widespread: for example, shrub communities.
Further to the south begins the zone of coniferous forests, which is often called taiga. Initially, this name belonged only to forests, but then it was transferred to coniferous forests of other regions. temperate zone Northern Hemisphere. The southern border of the taiga in Eurasia runs from 60-61 ° N. NS. on the Scandinavian Peninsula to the mouth of the river. Narva, then p. Oka, further south of the sources of the river. Kams, across the Ural Mountains; v Western Siberia it is located approximately on the 54th parallel and then passes through the south of Central Siberia to the Pacific coast, along the south of Sikhote-Alin and about. Hokkaido. In North America, it stretches from about. Vancouver through the Cordillera to the headwaters of the river. Mackenzie, Lake Winnipeg, north of the Great Lakes, to the mouth of the river. St. Lawrence. The conditions for the existence of the organic world in this zone are diverse, and biocenoses are also different.
Within the territory of the zone, the average temperatures of the warmest month are 10-19 ° С, the coldest one can be both relatively high, even positive (up to 3 ° С), and very low (up to -40 ° С). The growing season is rather short, and with temperatures above 10 ° C it lasts from a month to four. Snow cover persists throughout the winter. Precipitation exceeds evaporation, so moisture is excessive. Permafrost is quite widespread in the zone, which contributes to waterlogging of the upper layers of the soil. With excessive moisture, the plants are in conditions of physiological dryness due to low temperatures and acidic reaction of soil waters.
Vegetation and soil
Forest-forming tree species have some common properties: they have needles, as a rule, do not fall off for the winter, most of them have a superficial root system. However, with different relief structures and on different soils, the conditions of soil formation and plant habitat are not the same. Hence - a huge variety of forest communities within the zone.
In the European taiga, spruce and pine forests predominate on glacial and water-glacial deposits. Spruce forests of various types, mainly with European spruce in the upper layer, grow mainly on clay and loamy soils under normal moisture conditions. These forests are dark, shade-tolerant plants with a predominance of vegetative propagation live under their canopy, there are many evergreen or winter-green species, there are no ephemerals. In the undergrowth, juniper, willow, currant, mountain ash are common, in the grass cover - oxalis, wintergreen, double-leaved mine, septenary, ferns, shrubs: blueberries, lingonberries. There are many green mosses, and sphagnum dominates the wetlands. Pine forests grow on sandy soils. Pines can even grow on rocks, anchored in cracks rocks, and on wetlands. Scots pine with its powerful root system can live where other species die, the same spruce, which has a superficial root system. But pine seedlings do not tolerate shading, therefore they are easily displaced by other trees. In light-coniferous pine forests, moss-lichen cover predominates and dwarf shrubs, xerophytes (for example, a cat's paw, rejuvenated) and psammophytes - sandy cmin, etc. are common. On swampy soils, the tree cover is oppressed, but still survives. In the European taiga, there is an admixture of small-leaved trees, and secondary alder, birch, and aspen forests grow in the place of clearings and fires.
In Western Siberia, dark spruce-fir forests prevail on poorly drained low-lying plains. Siberian spruce and fir with a rather large admixture dominate here. cedar pine. Central Siberia almost completely occupied by cold-resistant light larch forests, losing soft needles for the winter. Larches grow better than other species in permafrost and sharply continental climate. Two types of larch prevail: Siberian and Daurian. On Far East the mountain taiga is widespread, with the predominance of the Ayan spruce and white fir. There are even more thickets of dwarf cedar - a creeping form of a special species from the pine family. They cover the slopes of mountains and hills with a solid carpet.
In North America, the taiga zone also stretches from ocean to ocean. Its northern border reaches the 48th parallel in the east of the mainland, and the southern one descends much farther south than anywhere else in Eurasia. The species composition of the American taiga is much more diverse than the Eurasian one.
To those genera that are common in Eurasia are added more thermophilic hemlock, pseudo-sugie, thuja, and sequoia. Some of them are found in East Asia and the Himalayas, which indicates their former floristic connection with the North American regions. Spruce, pine, fir, larch are represented, as a rule, by their own special species. There are many small-leaved trees in this taiga, which also belong to endemic species.
The Cordillera serve as a significant barrier to the spread of plants and animals. Although the zone of coniferous forests in the mountains is not interrupted and is a mountain taiga with conditions typical for the entire zone, the forests of the Pacific coast differ sharply from the eastern, so-called Canadian taiga. Here, both the disunity of the regions at the last stages of the development of the organic world after the formation of the mountain barrier, and the differences in the modern conditions of the existence of life, affect.
The Canadian taiga is very similar to the northern forests of Eurasia.
Dominated here are Canadian (white) and black, American larch, close to Daurian. Of the small-leaved species, paper birch and American aspen are common. As you can see, the forest-forming tree species are the same as in Eurasia, but are represented by endemic species. Typically American trees grow balsam fir, Canadian hemlock (eastern hemlock), eastern thuja. On sandy soils in pine forests, Banks pine prevails. In the shrub layer and grass cover, there is a very close resemblance to the forests of Eurasia.
Pacific coniferous forests are confined to the western foothills of the Cordilleras and are distributed in the lower tier of the mountains. They are very different from the Canadian and Eurasian taiga. In the northern part, these forests bear some resemblance to the forest vegetation of East Asia.
It is dominated by larch forests with Alaskan larch, which is close to Daurian. To the south, in a very humid climate with mild winters and cool summers, peculiar "rain" forests are widespread, original both in structure and species composition... Despite the abundant moisture, there is almost no stagnation of water, since the relief is dissected. The forests are dominated by large conifers: Sitka spruce, Douglas (Douglas "fir", or pseudo-suga), western hemlock (hemlock), giant thuja (folded, red "cedar"). They are often joined by balsam fir, red spruce, yellow and murrey pines and some broadleaf species: maple, linden, elm. The forests are multi-tiered, usually polydominant, with dense shrub and grass cover. Felled tree trunks and branches often form a kind of flooring two to three meters above the ground. Mosses and lichens hang from the trees, and in appearance these forests sometimes resemble humid tropical forests, especially their mountain version. Trees of the upper tier are long-lived and can reach gigantic sizes: the height of the Douglas - up to 75 m (some specimens - up to 100 m), the folded thuja - up to 60 m, the hemlock trunk diameter - up to 6 m. The entire upper tier has, as a rule, a height of 50-70 m. The second tier includes shorter coniferous and deciduous species. To the south, these forests reach 40-50 ° N. NS. According to the thermal regime, broad-leaved species should have grown here, but in conditions of a large amount of precipitation, conifers dominate in the upper tier, and broad-leaved trees occupy the lower tiers. The already listed species are joined by white fir, sugar pine, incense cedar, in the very south - evergreen sequoia... In the Sierra Nevada mountains, at an altitude of 1500 m, there are groves of the giant sequoiadendron (mammoth tree, wellingtonia), which, like the sequoia, belongs to the ancient taxodia family. These trees live up to 1500 (and maybe more) years and reach a height of up to 100 m and a trunk diameter of 15-18 m. Groves mammoth trees now they are carefully guarded, every tree is registered and under surveillance.
The flora of American coniferous forests has high degree endemicity. They have 50 species of spruce, 30 out of 40 - fir, 80 out of 100 - pine. Rich in endemic and relict species forests of the west coast.
Most often, podzols are formed under the coniferous forests of both continents.
They are distinguished by the presence from the surface or at a very shallow depth of the washout horizon, white, consisting of finely dispersed silica. The wash-in horizon is dense platy, red-brown in color, enriched with iron oxides. Such soils are formed on coarse-clastic weathering crusts of crystalline rocks, on moraine loams, fluvioglacial sands with a thin grass cover under coniferous litter. When coniferous litter decomposes, acids are formed, and the reaction of the soil solution in podzolic soils is acidic. Mobile fulvic acids facilitate the leaching of substances from the upper horizons to the lower ones, where they become stationary. Humus does not accumulate. Only in the presence of deciduous litter of the lower tiers and undergrowth, the development of grass cover in some types of coniferous forests is formed sod-podzolic soils with a more or less powerful humus horizon. Under the forests of the Pacific coast, due to deciduous litter of the lower tiers, brown forest soils with a dark-colored relatively thick humus horizon can also form.
Significant areas within the coniferous forest zone are occupied by wetlands and marshes. All types are common here. For the dark coniferous taiga, the development of sphagnum bogs is especially characteristic. Sphagnum mosses settle in the ground cover. They form dense clusters. Mosses have hygroscopic properties, accumulate moisture, and in places where they grow, raised bogs with peat bogs are formed.
Animal world
The fauna of coniferous forests is fairly uniform throughout the entire zone. Most animals have thick fur, as they need protection from the cold in winter. They are classified as fur animals. Many store food or hibernate for the winter. Rodents and birds also feed on the seeds of coniferous trees. Their number depends on the harvest of these seeds, because in winter and in early spring it is practically the only type of feed. These are chipmunks, forest voles and mice, hares, from birds - nutcrackers, bee-holes, crossbills. The fluctuation in their number entails a change in the number of predators that feed on them: martens, sables, lynxes. Large ungulates live in the taiga - moose, in summer deer come here from more southern, and in winter - from northern zones... There are predators: wolves, foxes, lynxes, wolverines, minks, bears. Beavers live in water bodies. All these animals are found in the coniferous forests of both continents, but they are represented by different species, subspecies or varieties, which usually differ little from each other in their way of life and appearance. There are endemics on every continent. The most abundant of them are the forests of North America, especially the Pacific ones. In the subfamily of the badger, the skunk is endemic, of the rodents - the muskrat or the muskrat. The arboreal porcupine - needle-hair (porcupine) in Eurasia lives in the subtropics, and in North America - in the taiga. In the reserves of North America, forest bison have survived, and in Eurasia, bison, which were hardly rescued in artificial conditions from complete extinction by multiple crossing of single surviving specimens with American bison and further selection by traits inherited from bison.
The biological productivity of coniferous forests is higher than that of tundra and forest-tundra, but it varies considerably within the zone. The most productive biocenoses are located in the southern part of the Pacific forests of North America. According to this indicator, they are not inferior broadleaf forests... Both the Far Eastern and Western European taiga on the southern outskirts of the zone are productive - up to 100 centners per hectare. But in most of the territory of coniferous forests biological productivity ranges from 40 to 80 c / ha.
The coniferous forests of both continents have been significantly modified by man. They have long been cut down, suffered from fires. Both for natural reasons and for the fault of people, hundreds and thousands of hectares are burned out annually woodlands... Contribute to this dry summer weather, which often last for a long time in a continental climate. The restoration of taiga biocenoses is proceeding slowly. First, birch, aspen and alder forests grow on clearings and burned-out areas. Under their canopy it is quite good, although the spruce forest is slowly renewing, and the light-loving pine has to be grown artificially, caring for the plantings. The culture of forestry, including reforestation, is high in Canada, Sweden, Finland. Forestry within our country is not entirely rational. Often branches and unusable trunks remain in clearings, which complicates reforestation and protection from forest fires. The reduction in the area of coniferous forests leads to the disappearance of many useful plants and animals and causes irreparable damage to the entire natural complex of these territories. However, new man-made forests are also emerging. Forest clearing haunts different goals, the main one is obtaining wood. Sometimes pine forests are planted to anchor the sands. That is why large areas of pine forests arose in Landach on the Biscay coast of France, where it was necessary to stop the moving sands of the dunes. The magnificent pine forests on the dunes of the Curonian Spit and the coast of the Gulf of Riga are of the same origin.
Among the plants that adorn our gardens, conifers occupy a special place. They give the garden a noble look and decorate it all year round. They are loved because they are very decorative and set the tone in many compositions. But, especially popular conifers in winter - on the eve of the New Year. They look spectacular in the New Year's decorations in our apartments, under the caps of snow in large parks and squares, and in very small areas.
As for the planted conifers, then we can say that the sympathies of gardeners are almost evenly distributed among different types firs, pines, thujas, junipers and larch trees. All of them can be called centenarians, many of them even live for more than one hundred years.
Almost all conifers are evergreen. Only some of them, for example, larch, shed their needles for the winter. All the rest renew their needles gradually. Every few years old needles fall off, and new young green needles appear in their place.
The variety of conifers allows gardeners to choose the most suitable tree or shrub for their garden.
The following advantages of conifers make them very popular in landscape gardening:
- They tolerate a lack of light and moisture well
- Many varieties naturally have correct shape and therefore do not need a haircut
- Due to the healing coniferous aroma, they are widely used in folk and official medicine.
- Due to the variety of species and forms, they are actively used in landscape compositions on sites of any size.
If you decide to plant a coniferous plant on your site, you need to approach the choice very carefully.
Key questions to answer yourself:
- What do you want to plant - a tree or a shrub
- Is the composition for the ephedra ready
- Have you considered your climatic conditions and the composition of the soil on the site
Coniferous plants go well, in particular with cereals, with roses, etc. If the answers are ready, you can start selecting the variety, type and shape of a coniferous plant.
Types of conifers
Spruce
An evergreen monoecious and wind-pollinated plant. To his Latin name(lat. Pícea) spruce is due to the high resin content in the wood. Widespread use in industry due to the softness of the wood and the lack of a core.
Spruce- perhaps the most beloved and widespread coniferous tree in our country. These beautiful slender trees with a pyramidal crown occupy one of the first places in the coniferous kingdom and have almost 50 plant species in their genus.
The largest number of spruce species grows in Western and Central China and in the northern hemisphere. In Russia, 8 species of spruce are well known.
Spruce is considered a fairly shade-tolerant plant, however, it still prefers good lighting. Its root system is superficial, i.e. close to the ground. Therefore, they do not dig up the ground at the roots. Spruce is demanding on soil fertility, loves light loamy and sandy loam soils.
Types of spruce trees successfully used in landscaping the site:
Sometimes it reaches 40 meters. Fast growing tree. Due to the special color of the needles - the top is a shiny dark green, and the bottom - with noticeable white stripes - it seems that the tree is bluish-green. Brown-purple buds give the plant a special charm and grace.
Serbian spruce looks great both in single and in group planting. The magnificent alleys in the parks are an excellent example.
There are dwarf varieties no more than 2 meters high.
(Picea obovata). On the territory of our country, it grows in the Western and Eastern Siberia, in the Far East and the Urals.
Coniferous tree up to 30 m high. The crown is dense, broad-conical, with a pointed top. The bark is fissured, gray. Cones are ovate-cylindrical, brown. It has several subtypes that differ in the color of the needles - from pure green to silver and even golden.
European spruce, or ordinary (Picea abies). The maximum height of a coniferous tree is 50 m. It can live up to 300 years. It is a slender tree with a dense pyramidal crown. Norway spruce is considered the most common tree in Europe. The trunk width of an old tree can reach 1 m. Mature cones of a common spruce are oblong-cylindrical in shape. They ripen in autumn in October, and their seeds begin to fall from January to April. European spruce is considered the fastest growing. So, in a year it can grow by 50 cm.
Thanks to breeding work, several very decorative varieties of this species have been bred to date. Among them there are weeping, compact, pin-shaped spruces. All of them are very popular in landscape gardening and are widely used in park compositions and as hedges.
Spruce, like any other coniferous plant, becomes especially beautiful with the arrival of winter. Any shade of needles effectively emphasizes the snow cover, and the garden looks elegant and noble.
In addition to the above-described types of spruce, prickly spruce, eastern, black, Canadian, and ayan spruce are popular among gardeners.
The pine genus consists of more than 100 items. These conifers are found throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere. Also, pine grows well in woodlands in Asia and North America. Artificially planted pine plantations are doing well in the southern hemisphere of our planet. It is much more difficult for this coniferous tree to take root in the conditions of the city.
It tolerates frost and drought well. But the pine does not really like the lack of light. This coniferous plant produces good annual growth. The dense crown of pine is very decorative, and therefore pine is successfully used in landscaping parks and gardens, both in a single planting and in a group. This coniferous tree prefers sandy, calcareous and stony soils. Although there are several types of pine that prefer fertile soils, these are Weymouth, Wallich, cedar and resinous pine.
Some of the properties of pine are simply amazing. For example, the peculiarity of its bark is delightful, when the bark below is much thicker than the one above. This makes us think once again about the wisdom of nature. After all, it is this property that protects the tree from summer overheating and a possible ground fire.
Another feature is how the tree prepares itself for the winter season. After all, evaporation of moisture in frost can destroy the plant. Therefore, as soon as the cold approaches, the pine needles are covered with a thin layer of wax, and the stomata are closed. Those. the pine tree stops breathing!
Scotch pine... It is rightfully considered a symbol of the Russian forest. The tree reaches a height of 35-40 meters, and therefore is deservedly called a tree of the first magnitude. The trunk circumference sometimes reaches 1 meter. The pine needles are dense, gray-green. The shape is different - sticking out, curved, and even collected in bunches of 2 needles.
The lifespan of needles is 3 years. With the onset of autumn, the needles turn yellow and fall off.
Pine cones, as a rule, are arranged in 1-3 pieces on the legs. Ripe buds are brown or brown in color and reach a length of 6 cm.
V unfavorable conditions Scots pine can stop growing and remain a "dwarf". Surprisingly, different specimens may have different root systems. For example, in arid soils, pine trees can develop a taproot that extracts water deep underground. And in high bedding conditions groundwater lateral roots develop.
Scots pine can live up to 200 years. History knows cases when the pine lived for 400 years.
Scots pine is considered to be fast growing. For a year, its growth can be 50-70 cm. This coniferous tree begins to bear fruit at the age of 15. In forest conditions and dense planting - only after 40 years.
Latin name Pinus mugo. It is a multi-stemmed coniferous tree reaching a height of 10-20 meters. Dwarf varieties - 40-50 cm. Trunks - semi-lying and ascending. In adulthood, it can reach a diameter of 3 m. It is a very decorative coniferous plant.
The needles are dark, long, often curved. The bark is brownish-gray, scaly. Cones ripen in the 3rd year.
To date, more than 100 varieties of mountain pine have been registered. And this number is increasing every year. In landscape gardening, dwarf varieties are especially used, which form beautiful compositions along the banks of reservoirs and in rocky gardens.
A magnificent view with a narrow pyramidal crown. Homeland - North America. In our country, it grows well in the southern and middle lane. Grows up to 10 meters. Very badly tolerates urban conditions. Especially at a young age, it often freezes. Prefers places protected from the wind. Therefore, yellow pine is best planted in groups.
The needles are dark and long. The bark is thick, reddish-brown, cracking into large plates. Cones are ovoid, almost sessile. In total, there are about 10 varieties of yellow pine.
A very spectacular variety of pine. Homeland - North America. The needles have blue-green tint... The cones are large and somewhat curved. A mature tree can grow to a height of over 30 meters. It is considered a long-liver, as it can live up to 400 years. As it grows, it changes its crown from narrow-pyramidal to wide-pyramidal. It got its name thanks to English lord Weymouth, who brought her home from North America in the 18th century.
Poorly tolerates salty soils, etc. Relatively resistant to frost, but does not like winds. Weymouth pine is characterized by reddish pubescence on young shoots.
A relatively low coniferous plant - up to 20 m high. It is a slow-growing tree. The bark is light gray, lamellar. The needles are bright green, hard, curved. Cones are yellowish, shiny, long. The crown diameter can reach 5-6 meters.
Some experts consider it pine of Geldreich... Indeed, the similarities are great. However, since there are varieties under both names, we will nevertheless dwell on the white pine. To date, about 10 varieties of this species are known. The Geldreich pine has about the same. Often varieties can be mixed.
This type of pine in the conditions of our country takes root best in the southern regions, as it does not tolerate frost well. White pine is light-requiring, undemanding to the nutrient composition of the soil, but grows best on moderately moist, drained and moderately alkaline soils.
Looks good in Japanese, rocky and heather gardens. Great for both solitary planting and mixed group.
Fir
High (up to 60 m) coniferous tree with a conical crown. A bit like a spruce. The diameter can be up to 2 meters. This is a real long-lived plant. Some specimens live for 400-700 years. The trunk of the fir is straight, columnar. The crown is thick. At a young age, the crown of a fir has a conical or pyramidal shape. As they grow older, the shape of the crown becomes cylindrical.
The needles, depending on the variety, have different lengths and live 8-10 years. Fir begins to bear fruit from the age of about 30 years. Cones are erect and long (up to 25 cm).
This coniferous plant does not tolerate frost, drought and extreme heat. The pluses include the fact that it is the most shade-tolerant tree. Sometimes seedlings can appear under the mother tree in full shade conditions. Fir naturally grow better in good lighting.
This coniferous plant is a real find in landscape gardening. Fir is used both in single planting and for decorating alleys. Dwarf forms look great in a rocky garden and on an alpine slide.
Botanical name Abies balsamea "Nana". This coniferous plant is a dwarf cushion tree. V natural conditions grows in North America.
It is unpretentious in leaving. Loves good lighting, but also tolerates shadows well. For balsam fir, it is not so much frost that is terrible as strong gusty winds that can simply damage a small tree. The soil prefers light, moist, fertile, slightly acidic. It reaches a height of 1 m, which makes it a favorite decorative object in landscape gardening. It is equally good for garden decoration, terraces, slopes and roofs.
Propagated by seeds and annual cuttings with apical bud.
The needles are dark green with a special sheen. It emits a characteristic resinous aroma. The cones are red-brown, elongated, reaching a length of 5-10 cm.
It is a very slow growing coniferous plant. For 10 years, it grows no more than 30 cm.Lives up to 300 years.
Nordman fir (or Caucasian)... An evergreen coniferous tree that came to us from the mountains of the Caucasus and Asia Minor. Sometimes it grows up to 60-80 meters in height. The shape of the crown is neat, conical. It is for this neat appearance that gardeners love Nordman fir.
It is she who is dressed up instead of a Christmas tree for the New Year holidays in many European countries. This is largely due to the structure of the branches - the branches are often located and raised up. This is a distinctive feature of the Nordmann fir.
The needles are dark green with some sheen. Young shoots are light green, even yellowish. Needles - from 15 to 40 mm, look very fluffy. If the needles are lightly rubbed between the fingers, you can feel a specific citrus aroma.
The trunk of an adult plant can be up to two meters in diameter. At a young age, the bark of the Caucasian fir is grayish-brown, smooth. As it grows, it cracks into segments and becomes dull.
The Nordman fir grows rather quickly. Under favorable conditions, this coniferous tree can live up to 600-700 years. Moreover, the growth in height and width continues until the very last day of life!
Depending on the type of soil, the root system can be either superficial or deepened with a central core. The cones of this fir are large, up to 20 cm, located vertically on a short stem.
Possesses unique property- the needles on the branches remain even after they dry, up to mechanical damage.
A coniferous evergreen plant belonging to the Cypress family. Maybe as a tree or a shrub. Common juniper (Juniperus communis) grows mainly in the northern hemisphere of our planet. However, in Africa you can also find your own juniper - East African. In the Mediterranean and in Central Asia this plant forms juniper forests. Stunted species are quite common, which creep along the ground and rocky slopes.
To date, more than fifty species of juniper are known.
As a rule, it is a light-loving and drought-resistant crop. Completely undemanding to soil and temperature. However, like any plant, it has its own preferences - for example, it develops better in light and nutritious soil.
Like all conifers, it belongs to centenarians. Its average life span is about 500 years.
Juniper needles are bluish-green in color, triangular, pointed at the ends. The buds are globular, gray or blue in color. Taproot.
This coniferous plant was credited with magical properties... For example, it was believed that the juniper wreath scares away evil spirits and brings good luck. Perhaps that is why in Europe there is a fashion to hang wreaths on the eve of the new year.
In landscape design, both trees and juniper bushes are widely used. Group plantings are great for creating hedges. Single plants also do an excellent job of starring in the composition. Low-growing creeping varieties are often used as ground cover plants. They reinforce slopes well and prevent soil erosion. In addition, the juniper lends itself well to shearing.
Scaly juniper (Juniperus squamata)- creeping shrub. Dense branches with the same dense needles look very decorative.
Evergreen coniferous plant. Looks like trees or shrubs. Depending on the genus and species, it differs in color, quality of needles, crown shape, height and life expectancy. Representatives of some species live up to 150 years. At the same time, there are specimens - true centenarians that last almost 1000 years!
In landscape gardening, thuja is considered one of the basic plants, and like any ephedra it is good both in group planting and as a solo plant. It is used to decorate alleys, hedges and curbs.
The most common types of thuja are western, eastern, giant, Korean, Japanese, etc.
Thuja needles are soft needle-like. In a young plant, the needles have a light green color. With age, the needles acquire a darker shade. Fruits are oval or oblong cones. The seeds ripen in the first year.
Thuja is famous for its unpretentiousness. She tolerates frost well, and is not capricious in leaving. Unlike other conifers, it tolerates gas pollution well in large cities... Therefore, it is irreplaceable in urban landscaping.
Larch
Coniferous plants with needles falling for the winter. This is partly due to its name. These are large, light-loving and winter-hardy plants that grow quickly, are undemanding to soils and tolerate air pollution well.
Larches are especially beautiful in early spring and late autumn. In spring, larch needles acquire a pale green hue, and in autumn - bright yellow. Since the needles grow every year, its needles are very soft.
Larch bears fruit since 15 years. Cones have an ovoid-conical shape, somewhat vaguely reminiscent of a rose flower. They reach a length of 6 cm. Young cones are purple in color. As they mature, they acquire a brown tint.
Larch- a long-lived tree. Some of them live up to 800 years. The plant develops most intensively in the first 100 years. These are tall and slender trees, reaching, depending on the type and conditions, 25-80 meters in height.
In addition, larch is very useful tree... He has a very hard and durable wood. In industry, its red core is in the greatest demand. Also, larch is appreciated in folk medicine. Traditional healers harvest its young shoots, buds and larch resin, from which they obtain "Venetian" turpentine (turpentine), which is used for many diseases. The bark is harvested throughout the summer and is used as a vitamin remedy.
Photos of conifers
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On this lesson the topic “Deciduous and Coniferous Trees” will be discussed, which will help students learn about the two groups of trees - deciduous and coniferous. Let's consider their distinctive features.
Lesson: Deciduous and Coniferous Trees
As you know, each tree has its own distinctive features. Leaves are one of these signs. Sheet- This is one of the main plant organs that performs the function of respiration and nutrition. The leaves of trees are very diverse in shape and size.
The birch has small carved leaves.
Linden leaves are shaped like a heart.
Oak leaves will expand at the top of the leaf.
Maple has a wide sheet plate with pointed ends.
Rowan has a complex leaf, on the central petiole there are up to 15 small leaves.
Composite leaf and chestnut. Slightly pointed leaves are joined at the top of the main petiole.
Birch, mountain ash, oak, maple, linden are deciduous trees. They have their own distinctive features.
1) The presence of leaves.
2) In autumn, the color of the leaves changes.
3) All deciduous trees shed their foliage. This phenomenon is called leaf fall.
A large number of treesform a deciduous forest.
Let's take a look at some of the representatives of deciduous trees.
The most powerful tree in the forest is considered oak... Our ancestors considered oak to be a sacred tree. The oak is about 50 meters high and has a lifespan of 500 years. But there are also centenarians for more than a thousand years. In autumn they ripen on oak trees acorns.
These are hearty and nutritious fruits. The squirrel loves to feast on acorns, and will hide it in a hollow in reserve. Forest bird jay is also a lover of delicious fruits. Wild boars also rush after acorns, because they need to accumulate fat in order to survive the winter.
Our ancestors knew: a lot of acorns on an oak - to harsh winter... Sowing wheat is necessary when the oak leaves unfold. And the oak is also considered a symbol of power and strength. The bravest warriors were awarded with oak wreaths.
People say about cowardly people: "It trembles like an aspen leaf." In reality, the aspen leaf trembles from the slightest breath of wind. This is due to the structure of the petiole ... The stalk of the aspen is very thin and long, even in calm weather, the leaves of the aspen rustle quietly... In the spring, before the leaves appear, catkins appear on the aspen. People say: "The fluff flew from the aspen, go to the forest for the boletus."
These are mushrooms that love to grow under the aspen. The caps of these mushrooms resemble the autumn coloration of aspen leaves.
What tree is this riddle about?
It takes from my flower
Bee is the most delicious honey.
And everyone offends me
The thin skin is removed.
it Linden. The fragrant, fragrant linden flowers attract bees. And it's not for nothing that bees produce linden honey, it has healing properties. Our ancestors went to the linden tree for bast. This is the inside of the bark. Thin strips were removed from the tree and bast shoes were woven. Linden wood is very soft and white. Furniture, dishes and musical instruments are made from it.
The second group of trees is conifers. Needles are modified leaves. Conifers include spruce, pine, cedar, fir, larch. A forest consisting of conifers is called coniferous... Unlike deciduous trees, conifers do not shed their needles in autumn, therefore their other name is evergreen.
Spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree. The crown of the tree goes down to the ground, so it is dark and damp in the spruce forests. Spruce forests are called spruce forests... Spruce roots are located close to the surface of the earth. Therefore, spruce trees fall from a strong wind, forming impassable thickets and windbreaks. It looks like a spruce branch with cones. Cones are oblong.
Spruce is a very interesting and useful tree. Its wood is used to make musical instruments and paper. Conifers emit special substances, they fill the air with a pleasant aroma and purify it. How much joy the green beauty brings to the house on New Year's Eve!
Pine is a coniferous tree. The crown of the tree is at the very top, so it is light in the pine forests. Such a forest is called pine forest ... The pine tree has strong roots, so it is not afraid of it. strong winds... Pine can also grow on rocks and ravines. It looks like a pine branch with a cone.
The pine needles are longer than those of the spruce. The needles grow on a branch two at a time. Cones are short, rounded.
Among conifers there is a tree with unusual properties - this larch... Like spruce and pine, larch has needles; in autumn, larch turns yellow and sheds needles like leaves, which is why it is called larch. In the spring, young needles appear again from the buds.
If there are both coniferous and deciduous trees in the forest, such a forest is called mixed.
Trees are the lungs of our planet. Absorbing harmful substances, trees emit air, oxygen. Leaves trap fumes and soot. Trees must be protected.
In the next lesson, the topic "Autumn in plant life" will be considered. During the lesson, we will learn about the most important seasonal changes that happen to almost all plants. Let's see how autumn manifests itself, and then we will find out the role of autumn in plant life.
1. Samkova V.A., Romanova N.I. The world around us 1. - M .: Russian word.
2. Pleshakov A.A., Novitskaya M.Yu. The world around us 1. - M .: Enlightenment.
3. Gin A.A., Fire S.A., Andrzheevskaya I.Yu. The world around you 1. - M .: VITA-PRESS.
1. Describe deciduous trees.
2. Describe conifers.
3. Guess riddles.
1. I have a longer needle than the tree.
I grow very straight - in height.
If I'm not at the edge
Branches only at the top. (Pine)
2. You will always find her in the forest -
You go for a walk and meet:
It is prickly like a hedgehog
In the winter in a summer dress. (Spruce)
3. Into this sleek carton
Bronze color
A small oak tree is hidden
Next summer. (Acorn)
4. Who knows what kind of tree it is?
A relative has a Christmas tree
Thornless needles.
But unlike the tree -
Those needles are falling. (Larch)
5.Takes from my flower
Bee is the most delicious honey.
And they still offend me,
Thin skin is ripped off. (Linden)
Spruce and pine
All gymnosperms are trees or shrubs. This group includes coniferous trees, which are very widespread. Examples of gymnosperms are ordinary trees, often found in mid-latitudes, are pines and spruces.
Pine is practically not demanding on soil and moisture. Its powerful roots go deep into the ground. Therefore, pine can receive water and nutrients from the deep layers of the soil. It often grows in dry, almost barren, sandy soil. Pine trees often inhabit sands where the top fertile soil layer has been removed, for example, in grooves along railroad... Pine plantings are used for fixing and afforestation of sands in steppe regions.
Pine is a light-loving plant. She cannot stand even a little shading. In places with a dense herbaceous cover, pine seedlings are drowned out by grasses; it cannot grow in the shade of the forest.
The pine tree reaches a significant size.
It is not uncommon to find a pine tree 40 m high. Pines live up to 400 years of age, and sometimes even more, and form continuous forests - pine forests.
In the forest, the pine grows straight and slender. Its lower branches are shaded by the upper ones; due to lack of light, they soon lose their green needles, dry up and fall off. This clears the trunk of lateral branches. Branches are kept only at the very top of the tree. The wood of the pine trees grown in the forest is valued much higher than the wood of the spreading pine trees grown in the open.
Young ends of pine branches are covered with gray-green needles, or needles. They are arranged in two in a bundle. The name "coniferous" trees comes from the word needles. The needles are pine leaves. They are very narrow and therefore have a small evaporating surface; in addition, they are covered with a skin of thick-walled cells with no big amount stomata. Therefore, pine evaporates water very slowly. Pine is a typical drought-resistant plant.
Pine needles are found only at the very ends of the branches, that is, in the youngest areas (one year old, two years old, and sometimes three years old). In areas of branches older than three years of age, the needles fall off. Thus, the needles stay on the branches for only two to three years.
In the spring, at the end of May, the pine tree becomes dusty. Then, with gusts of wind, whole clouds of yellow pollen rise from the pines. Pine pollen sometimes covers the ground, puddles, ponds, lakes with a continuous coating. People who do not know the reasons for this phenomenon call it "sulfur rain".
At this time, it is easy to find light green and reddish cones on the pines. Light green cones sit on young shoots. Each lump is made up of scales. Each scale develops two anthers. After ripening, they burst. The pollen is poured out and carried by the wind. Pine pollen has two air bubbles. Due to this, it can stay in the air for a long time and be carried far by air currents. Pine, like other gymnosperms, is a wind-pollinated plant.
Reddish bumps are found on the tops of other young shoots of the same tree. Each lump is made up of scales. On the upper side of the scale, two ovules are placed. Gymnosperms have no pistil. Their ovules are not located in the ovary of the pistil, but openly (naked), and pollen directly falls on them. After pollination, the scales of the cones close tightly and stick together with resin.
Pine seeds ripen one and a half years after pollination. They get enough sleep in early spring. On sunny days, the cones open, their scales move apart, and seeds fall out of the cones. Since the seeds are equipped with wings, they are carried by the wind over a long distance.
Pine is used on the farm. Pine wood is a valuable material for buildings and joinery. It is used for fuel. Tar, tar, turpentine are mined from it.
To conifers belongs and common spruce... It also has needle-like, but shorter needles. The needles on spruce branches last 6-7 years. Spruce roots do not go deep, but are located in the surface layers of the soil. Therefore, spruce needs fertile and moist soil. The difference between spruce and pine is that spruce is shade-tolerant, and pine is photophilous. Cross-pollination takes place with the help of the wind, like with pine. The ovules are located openly on the seed scales of the cone. The seeds are carried far away by the wind. Spruce wood is used to make paper.
Thus, gymnosperms have no pistils. Their ovules are located openly (glabrously) on the scales of the cones. Pollination takes place with the help of the wind. In this case, the pollen directly falls on the ovules. Since gymnosperms do not have pistils, they do not form a fruit. Their seeds are also located openly (bare) on the stiffened scales of the cone. This is where the name gymnosperms comes from.
More information on the topic: http://beaplanet.ru
Lumber is a general term that refers to a whole group of different types of wood products. Moreover, they must differ in a certain quality and size. This product is cut in a longitudinal piece from a tree trunk and has a square or rectangular cross-section, in contrast to piles or pillars that have a circular cross-section.
Lumber can be softwood or hardwood. These varieties naturally have their own characteristics, which you will learn about below.
The basis for softwood lumber is fir, spruce, cedar, larch and pine. Among their advantages are:
- straightness of the trunk;
- high quality wood;
- ease of handling.
Among such materials is pine, which wood is characterized by amazing strength combined with ease of processing. In addition, the advantage of this coniferous species is that it has a lower ability to absorb moisture compared to deciduous trees. No less valuable is larch, which has a special property - under the influence of moisture, it seems to turn to stone.
The material for hardwood lumber is linden, poplar, birch, aspen, etc. On the building materials market, there are unedged, polished and edged boards, edged and unedged beams. The most popular are edged sawn timber, which, however, also applies to products made from coniferous trees.
The main advantages of deciduous tree materials are:
- increased density of wood;
- beautiful texture and pattern;
- durability of products.
Disadvantages of deciduous and coniferous timber
Among the disadvantages of coniferous sawn timber, the main disadvantage is the possibility of spontaneous combustion due to the resinous substances present in the rock, which come to the surface of the bark when the air temperature rises.
To prevent this problem, wood is impregnated with fire retardants - compounds that prevent combustion.
Hardwood lumber is also characterized by certain disadvantages, namely, they are prone to rapid decay of the tree and the growth of fungus at high humidity. Therefore, the wood needs to be thoroughly dried and further processing antiseptic compounds.
Scope of application of coniferous and deciduous materials
Hardwood lumber is used to sheathe ceilings, make internal architectural elements and doors, sheathe partitions, panels and walls, and use them as floor coverings. And true connoisseurs of beauty will not be able to pass by the magnificent and durable furniture made of oak and other valuable breeds wood!
Coniferous wood is often used to produce wall racks, floor beams, boards, roof truss systems, make the base of the floor and cladding. For internal works use coniferous lining, which has a more aesthetic appearance due to the grooves present on it.
Conifers, pros and cons
15-01-2018, 15:47
If you decide to plant greenery in your suburban area, and your choice fell on conifers, but you doubt whether they are right for you, then read this article.
In it we will try to consider all the pros and cons of conifers.
Pros of conifers:
Year-round decorativeness of plants: 95% of conifers retain their decorative properties throughout the year, which deciduous trees cannot boast of.
Crown formation: Conifers tolerate a crown-forming haircut without any damage, thanks to this it is possible to create from almost any plant decorative figure, unlike conifers, deciduous ones are less prone to shearing, it takes much more time to form a certain shape, and some varieties do not tolerate it at all.
Variety appearance, most deciduous trees and shrubs have almost the same shape, which cannot be said about conifers, their variety is so great that you can find specimens reaching only 20 centimeters in height, but with a crown diameter of up to 5 meters, for example, some varieties of juniper have such a property ... And you can also find columnar plants that, with a crown diameter of no more than half a meter, reach a height of 8 or more meters, some varieties of yew have such properties.
Coloring of needles at different times of the year: In most conifers, young growth is very different from the main color of needles, for example, some varieties of spruce have dark green needles, and young shoots are painted golden. Also, most conifers change their color throughout the year, most often conifers change their color only twice a year, but some varieties do it three times a year. For example, some varieties of thuja in spring and summer are painted in green color, and with the onset of autumn and throughout the winter they have a pronounced golden color of the needles.
The frost resistance of conifers is much higher than that of deciduous ones, coniferous plants can easily withstand temperatures down to -40C °, while deciduous plants rarely exceed -30C °. This means that you do not have to worry about the safety of plants in the winter.
Now let's look at some of the cons of conifers:
Some planting requirements: 95% of conifers do not tolerate moisture stagnation in the roots, therefore, when planting, it is required to lay out a drainage layer, this creates some difficulties when planting, for example, you have to dig a deeper planting hole.
Sunburn: Conifers as young as 5 years old, often in the spring. sunburn, therefore, in the spring, it is recommended to create artificial partial shade next to young plants, as well as to carry out evening sprinkling of the crown.
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Despite the high prevalence of pine crops in coniferous forests, natural spruce forests (Piceeta abietis) grow in an altitude zone of 1200-1650 meters above sea level, where forest floor mainly consists of layers of immature humus. Such plantations were especially well formed in the conditions of the Marmarosky crystalline massif and the Chernogorsky ridge. Here, the spruce forms a clean plantation on large areas.
Fir-spruce forests (Abieto-Piceetum) formed on very acidic, poor, but with a high proportion of fine earth, mainly on waterlogged soils in the mountain fir-beech belt. Under such habitat conditions, beech is not competitive.
Cedar pine (Pinus cembra) and larch (Larix decidua) grow here and there on the border of the forest. In the Kedrin reserve and on the slopes of Mount Popadya, relict cedar-fir and larch-cedar-fir plantations are under protection.
Mountain pine (Pinus mugo), green alder (Alnus viridis) and Siberian juniper (Juniperus sibirica) over the entire area form almost completely clean thickets with undergrowth, which varies depending on the properties of the substrate, exposure and other habitat factors.
Douglas green
(Another name: green pseudo-slug)
(Genus "Douglasia")
The tree is up to 125 m high and 5 m in diameter.Lives for 500-800 (1500) years. It was brought to the territory of Russia in 1827. The trunk is straight, columnar, full-wood, 55-75% de-knotted, and therefore gives a large yield of clean sawn timber. The crown is dense, broadly conical or broadly pyramidal, pointed. Branches are irregularly annular. Perennial needles (up to 8 years), spirally placed on elongated annual shoots. The age of maturity of Douglasia reaches 10-20 years. Bears fruit annually. This breed medium whimsical to warmth. Large frosts, heat, late spring frosts, long droughts and dry winds does not tolerate well.
Siberian larch
(Genus "larch")
The tree is 30-37 meters high and 80-160 cm in diameter. Lives 400-500 years. The trunk is straight, full-wood, cylindrical, highly de-knotted. The bark of young trees is thin, in old trees it is thick, deeply fissured, at the turn it is red. The crown is narrow at a young age, wide at an older age. The needles are 2.5-5.0 cm long, and up to 1 mm wide, placed singly, spirally. On shortened shoots, the needles are collected in bunches of 25-60 pcs. It blooms in space from 12-15 years old. Cones are 1.5-3.0 cm long and 18-35 mm thick. The root system is strong (strongly developed main taproot and deep lateral roots). This breed is significantly demanding on light, frost-hardy, winter-hardy and heat-resistant. Not whimsical to soil fertility.
European larch
(Genus "larch")
Photo of European larch
The tree is 25-45 m high and 80-100 (160) cm in diameter. Lives 450-500 years. The trunk is straight (sometimes saber-curved at the bottom), full-wood. In young trees, the crown is narrow-conical, peaked, and in old trees, it has an irregular shape. Longitudinal shoots are glabrous, thin and yellowish-brown. The needles are 1-4 cm long and 1.5 mm wide, light green, with sharp yellowish tips. Needles appear in March-April, turn yellow and fall off in autumn. Propagated by seeds. Fruiting from 15-20 years old and repeats every 3-5 years. A very light-loving breed. Relatively frost-hardy and winter-hardy. Wind-resistant, tolerates air pollution well, it is not very demanding on moisture and soil.
Spruce
(Another name: Norway spruce, European spruce)
(Genus "spruce, fir")
The tree is 30-45 m high and up to 1.5 m in diameter.Lives 250-300 (500) years. The trunk, up to 1/3 of the height, is almost cylindrical, slender. Dead branches do not fall off for a long time. The bark is thin. The crown is dense, compact. The needles are shiny, tough, prickly, 2-3 cm long, and up to 1.5 mm wide. Hanging cones, cylindrical, 10-15 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter. In the wild bears fruit from 15-20 years. Crop years are repeated every 4-7 years. The seeds ripen in the year of flowering. The root system is shallow, but on loose soils, the lateral roots are deep. Shade-tolerant, average whimsical to soil fertility.
Spruce or European spruce (Picea abies) - dominant tree species alpine and subalpine belts in the Alps and northern taiga. In the forests of Montenegro, there are optimal growing conditions for it. It can reach an age of 500-600 years, a height of 60 meters and a diameter of 2 meters. Its crown can be conical or pyramidal, and the external shape is very different and is determined by the type of branching. Depending on the location of the branches - hanging, brush-like. The slender, columnar-like crowns of pine trees in the higher zones of Montenegro are striking. Thanks to such crowns, they do not experience a large snow load.
Young needles appear here, depending on the height above sea level, from mid-May to early June and grows for 5-7 years. The severe conditions in the upper zones determine some peculiarities in pine biology. So, in the lower zones, bountiful harvests are repeated after 3-6 years, and high in the mountains - only after 6-9 years. Also, the size of the cones and the weight of the seeds decrease with height. A thousand pine seeds weigh only 5-8 grams.
Siberian spruce
(Other name: spruce)
(Genus "spruce, fir")
The tree is 25-30 m high, and 0.7-0.9 m in diameter, lives 250-300 years. The view is close to the previous one. The crown is narrow and dense. The trunks are straight. Poorly knotted. Shoots are relatively thin. The needles are 10-15 (20) mm long and 1 mm wide. Blooms in June from 20-25 years. Hanging cones. In terms of environmental indicators, it is close to ordinary spruce. But more frost-resistant, cold-resistant and drought-resistant.
Scotch pine
(Genus "pine")
The tree is 25-40 m high and more than 1 m in diameter. Lives up to 350 (600) years. The needles are steam room, coming out of a leathery brown scabbard, 4-9 cm long (it all depends on the age of the tree) and up to 2 mm wide, linearly-spirally placed on the shoot, hard, prickly. Above: dark green, below: bluish-green from a waxy coating. The needles live 2-3 (8) years. The seeds ripen in the fall of the following year after flowering. Cones are solitary or sit in 2-3 pieces, oblong-ovate, short-pointed, 3-7 cm long, 2-4 cm in diameter. Cones open in March-April. For example, one hectare of old pine forest gives 4-15 kg of seeds. Fruiting annually, but fruitful years only after 3-4 years. The ordinary pine is a very light-loving breed, as evidenced by the openwork crown. The trunk is cleared of knots. About competition: it is easily displaced by more shade-tolerant and fast-growing breeds. It is not demanding for soil fertility and moisture. The breed is frost-resistant and cold-resistant.
Banks Pines
(Genus "pine")
The tree is 18-25 m high and 50-70 cm in diameter. Lives up to 120 years. The crown is of medium density, compact, and in old trees it is broadly spreading, liquefied. The trunks are often unevenly curved, often forked and knotty. Coniferous steam room, 2-4 cm long and up to 1.5 mm wide, twisted, bent. Banks pine bears fruit from 5-7 years annually and abundantly. Lateral cones, sessile, 2-3 (7) each, oblong-oval, strongly curved. The root system is strong. The breed is frost-resistant and drought-resistant, more shade-tolerant than Scots pine. A fast-growing breed, but growth stops at 40-50 years.
Weymouth Pine
(Genus "pine")
The tree is 30-35 (50) meters high and 120-150 cm in diameter. Lives 220-270 years. This breed was brought from North America in 1705 by Weymouth. The crown is wide-pyramidal, dense. Shoots are thin, greenish. The trunks are straight. Highly free from knots. The bark on trees up to 30 years old is thin, in middle age it is lamellar, and in the old age it becomes thicker. The needles are linear, 6-11 cm long and up to 0.5 mm wide, in bundles of 5 pcs. Needles live for 2-3 years. Weymouth Pine blooms in May. Cones ripen next fall. Fruiting from 15-25 years (depending on the growing conditions of the tree). Crop years are repeated in 2-5 years. Hanging cones, slightly bent. The breed is not very demanding on soil fertility and moisture. It tolerates wet soils and even flowing waterlogging, where the root system is superficial, windiness can be observed. Requires moist air. Medium to light.
Mountain pine
(Genus "pine")
Creeping tree species of mountain pine (Pinus mugo), common in the subalpine zone. Some specimens of mountain pine reach the age of 350 years. The trunks grow in height up to 12 meters with a diameter of up to 25 cm. ethnoscience uses mountain pine in the treatment of various colds. Before World War I, there was even a small factory in Montenegro to extract essential oils from it.
Mountain pine often forms dense thickets up to 3 meters high on large areas, almost inaccessible by humans. This, according to legend, was used by one young shepherd who had to graze the sheep of one rich peasant. There was a condition: none of the sheep should be torn apart by wolves. The shepherd drove the sheep to Hoverla, where there were pastures surrounded by dense thickets of pine trees. Natural protection worked - not a single sheep was lost. In the fall, he drove all the sheep into the valley and asked for this the daughter of a rich man as a wife. The old one agreed. So the mountain pine helped the young shepherd not only to keep the whole flock intact, but also to find a wife for himself.
European cedar pine
(Other name: European cedar)
(Genus "pine")
The tree is 20-27 m high and 100-130 cm in diameter.Lives for 500-600 (1000) years. The trunk is straight, poorly cleared of knots. The bark in youth is smooth, then becomes thick and fissured. The crown in youth is dense, conical, and then pyramidal and wide-cylindrical. The needles are 5 pieces each, the cones are located at the ends of the shoots, erect. The root system is wide, powerful, even on stony soils, they penetrate deep into the ground. The breed is wind-resistant, it grows slowly. Demanding on soil moisture, shade-tolerant enough.
Korean pine
(Other name: Korean cedar)
(Genus "pine")
The tree is 30-35 (60) m high and up to 2 m in diameter.Lives for 400-700 years. The crown is of medium density, broadly conical, lowered low. Trunks are straight, medium-knotted, poorly cleared of knots. Shoots are not thick, green. The needles grow in 5 pieces in rare bunches. Length 7-15 (20) cm, and up to 1 mm wide. Seeds are gray-brown. They contain 65% fat. Harvest every three years. The breed is slowly growing. For example, at the age of 20, the height reaches only 3 meters. Frost-resistant, shade-tolerant.
Siberian cedar pine
(Another name: Siberian cedar)
(Genus "pine")
A tree up to 35 m high and up to 180 cm in diameter can live up to 500 years. The trunk in the plantations is cylindrical, straight, sparsely beaten, and in the open spaces it is knotty, strongly thickened in the lower part. The crown is dense, ovate or oval spreading, wide. The branches of the first order extend from the trunk at right angles. Blooms in June. Cones are erect. Fruiting occurs at 25-30 years. Most of all at 80-180 years old. It reproduces with the help of rodents and birds. This breed is not demanding on soil fertility and moisture. Frost-resistant and cold-resistant, relatively shade-tolerant. Poorly tolerates pollution.
Crimean pine
(Genus "pine")
The tree is 25-30 m high and 70-90 (110) cm in diameter. Lives 250 (350) years. Crohn at a young age is dense, pyramidal; at old age - flat umbrella-shaped. Steam room needles, 10-18 cm long and up to 2.5 mm wide. Needles live for 3-5 years. Crimean pine blooms in May. The seeds ripen in the third year. The cones are sessile. Natural renewal is not always successful. The breed is drought-resistant, heat-resistant, light-loving and smoke-resistant.
Yew
(Rod "yew")
There are few plants that are so often referred to in legends as the yew (Taxus boccata). There must be something special about this tree, which can live for over 5,000 years, whose wood does not rot for centuries and sinks in water like stone. At the age of 100 to 150 years, yew trees reach a height of about 10 meters and a diameter of 20 to 25 cm.
Previously, the yew was very common, as evidenced by the name of the river Tisza. For its valuable timber, yew was heavily cut down in 1400-1700. Because of the decorative, hard and rot-resistant wood, furniture, dishes, decorations, and even cannonballs were made for the castle in Khust. Yew timber was expensive and the local population, obviously, paid their tribute to them.
In Greek mythology, according to Pliny and Dioscorides, the yew tree was considered the tree of death. This is true because almost all parts of the yew tree, with the exception of the edible red pulp of the fruit, are highly poisonous. The constituent parts of the toxin are today used in medicine in the treatment of certain diseases of the nervous system and tumors.
Fir
(Other name: European fir)
(Genus "fir)
The tree is 42-50 (60) g in height, 1.5-2.0 m in diameter.Lives 350-450 (700) years. The trunk is straight, columnar, full-wood, highly de-knotted. The bark up to 50-60 years old is smooth, thin, light gray. The crown is dense, acutely pyramidal or cone-shaped in youth. In the older one, it is cylindrical. The needles are 12-30 mm long and 2-3 mm wide, flat, firm, straight or slightly bent. Dull at the top. The needles live for 8-10 years. White fir bears fruit from 30-40 years. Cones 10-18 (25) cm long and 3-5 cm in diameter, erect. The root system of the tree on light soils is taproot, and on heavy soils there is no taproot. Poorly tolerates low temperatures, dry air and soil, great heat. And also the breed is sensitive to late spring frosts.
On the territory of Russia, white fir (Abies alba) forms mainly mixed stands with the participation of fir and beech, less often elm and ash. Fir can reach 500-600 years of age, 65 meters in height, 2 meters in diameter. The crown of young trees is predominantly conical, later acquiring a cylindrical shape. In old trees, the growth of the trunk slows down significantly compared to the growth of the upper beech branches, and therefore, the top of their crown acquires a flattened or nest-like shape. Unlike spruce, whose cones hang down, cylindrical fir cones, up to 20 cm long, stand upright on the branches, like candles. After the seeds ripen in late September - early October, the cones quickly disintegrate after the first frost and only the rods remain, which can be seen on the tree branches for several more years.
Fir belongs to the most shade-tolerant species. Fir seedlings appear even under dense maternal hint and can endure shading for 100-150 years in the undergrowth stage. In such conditions, young trees grow in height only a few millimeters per year. Young undergrowth reacts very quickly to improved lighting. Natural fir stands are often very different in age: the difference between individual trees can be 300-350 years. Fir has a well-developed root system with a pronounced taproot, therefore it is more wind-resistant than spruce, which is eradicated closer to the surface.
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