Our lives depend on trees, because they recycle carbon dioxide that we exhale into breathable oxygen. Forests must be protected, because their area is decreasing year by year due to consumer attitudes towards them. And everything seems to be going to the point that humanity will not bother with this issue until the problem of air purity becomes really acute.
- Currently, about 38 million square kilometers of the Earth's area is occupied by forests, but this figure is decreasing every year.
- The largest forested areas on the planet there is taiga and South American jungle.
- The most forested country in the world is Finland, with about 70% of it covered by forest. Montenegro is not far behind it.
- The most treeless country is Great Britain, where forests occupy only about 6% of the territory. In this dubious category, it is rapidly catching up with Malaysia, which is losing forest cover at an alarming rate.
- The most tall tree on Earth - a sequoia growing in the USA with a height of 112 meters.
- Redwoods are, in principle, the tallest trees in the world. And at the same time the most ancient ones.
- It takes an average of a quarter of a million trees to produce one million tons of paper. To produce one A4 sheet, an average of 15-20 grams of wood is required.
- Birch is the most common tree on Earth ().
- In order to save a single tree from being cut down, it is necessary to recycle about 80 kg of waste paper.
- The most expensive type of wood in the world is mahogany mahogany. It is used to make expensive luxury furniture and equally expensive musical instruments.
- The oldest living tree on the planet is a tree growing in a Lithuanian park, nicknamed “The Old Man,” which is more than two thousand years old.
- Crown common oak grows an average of one meter in one year.
- The forest is truly peaceful - medical studies have shown that a person walking in the forest slows down the pulse and evens out the heartbeat.
- The hardest wood in the world belongs to Schmidt birch. This tree is so strong that with the help an ordinary ax it is simply impossible to cut it down.
- Worldwide about 60 times more trees than people.
- More than 80% percent of all deforested forests are regenerated, partly independently, partly with human help. However, every year there are approximately 95-97 million fewer trees on the planet.
- Russia accounts for almost half of all coniferous trees in the world.
- Spruce grows up to five hundred years, and pine - up to three hundred and fifty, give or take.
- Trees grow throughout their long lives.
- The Amazon jungle alone processes up to 120 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually.
- Trees different breeds produce different quantities oxygen.
- On average, one tree on Earth filters up to 100 thousand cubic meters of air per year.
- Trees actually reduce the greenhouse effect, main reason which is an increase in carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere.
- The United States consumes the most paper in the world. This is partly due to the current ban on the use of plastic bags- only paper ones are in use.
- Trees receive 8-10 times more nutrients from the atmosphere than from the soil.
- Trees are very strong. A small sprout is quite capable of making its way even through thick and durable asphalt.
What the inventive Mother Nature does not create. Today we will tell you about the most interesting and strange trees in the world. Watch and be surprised.
Bottle tree, Namibia
This tree is the most dangerous on our planet. It looks quite benevolent, but its juice is incredibly poisonous - the aborigines collected it for a long period of time to lubricate arrowheads. It is not difficult to guess that this tree was called a bottle tree because of its original shape. This miracle of nature grows among the mountains and, despite its dangerous qualities, it blooms very beautifully - pink, white and purple flowers.
Huge sequoia Wawona Tree in America
This giant tree located in one of the most beautiful National parks USA - Yosemite. This tree is simply incredible in size - back in 1881, a tunnel was cut out of its trunk, through which a car could pass without any problems. Many tourists came to see this wonder. But in 1969, the sequoia fell to the ground because there was too much snow on its branches. Scientists say that the sequoia was at least 2,300 years old. During the time of European exploration of America, these trees were used as the best building material; furniture was also made from its wood; some analogues can still be found in the online furniture store.
Baobab, Madagascar
Baobabs grow only in Madagascar. Some of them are more than a thousand years old. There are also those that are more than eighty meters in height, and the girth of their trunks can reach 25 meters. Baobab trunks are one of the few sources of life-giving moisture for the animal world of Madagascar during times of drought. Very soon, in October, all baobabs will be covered with white flowers reaching 20 cm in diameter.
Silk trees, Cambodia
These strange trees grow near the Ta Prohm temple, which is located in Cambodia. The roots and trunks of these trees seem to flow around the buildings, as if becoming one with them. It looks simply amazing. Maybe that's why this place is on the list world heritage UNESCO.
Hyperion, USA
This is the name of the huge redwood tree growing in California. There is no tree on our planet that is taller than it. The diameter of its trunk is about nine meters, and Hyperion first appeared from underground more than 1800 years ago. Truly a giant of the flora world!
Spiny palm, Nicaragua
This type of palm tree can also be found in Costa Rica. The entire trunk of the tree is covered with sharp black needles, which are organized into stripes. These palms reach twenty meters in height, and their leaves reach up to three meters. Previously, the fruits of these palms were fermented and consumed by the aborigines. Now the people of Nicaragua love them.
Crooked Forest in Poland
In eastern Poland, in Gryfino, there is such an extraordinary forest. It consists of about four hundred trees. Scientists believe that the shape of trees was created artificially so that they could later be used to make ribs for boats, interesting furniture and clamps. Most likely, the one who looked after the forest died in World War II, and then the trees began to grow on their own.
Baobab in South Africa
In the province of Limpopo, this beautiful baobab tree has been growing for six thousand years. Back in 1933, a bar was made inside the tree that could accommodate about twenty people. Most likely this is the thickest and tall baobab tree throughout Africa. The diameter of its trunk is more than 47 meters, and its height is more than 20 meters.
Unusual pine, Canada
This pine tree, called The Burmis tree, can be found near Alberta. This tree dried up about forty years ago, but is still not going to rot. In 1998, a 600-750-year-old tree was blown down by the wind. But local residents put the attraction in its place. Then some vandals broke off its branch, which the same locals attached with the help of supports. And today the pine tree stands as if it were alive.
Tree of Life, Bahrain
From the looks of it common tree, but it is already more than four hundred years old. This ten-meter mesquite tree grows in the middle of the desert. It stands alone, because there is not a single tree around it for many kilometers. There are no sources of water around either. Scientists think that he was lucky to survive thanks to powerful and large roots that go tens of meters underground. Every year to this amazing tree More than fifty thousand tourists come to life.
When in last time Have you ever thought about how amazing trees are as living organisms? Of course, we all know that trees purify the air and are environmentally friendly building material, as well as good fuel. But what else do we know about trees? There are many amazing facts which not everyone knows. In this article, I will list five interesting facts based on latest research and the technologies used.
1. Age of trees
Trees are the longest living organisms on earth. Trees can live for thousands of years and yet they do not die due to old age, they are killed by insects, diseases or people. Recently, a free-standing record-breaking tree was found, whose age is 5063 years. This tree turned out to be older than wood Methuselah, which was previously considered the oldest tree with an accurately determined age. The tree found grows in the same area as Methuselah - in the White Mountains of California ( North America) and belongs to the same species, intermountain bristlecone pine.
2. Trees can “talk” to each other
Did you know that some types of trees warn each other about insect attacks? Since the late 1970s, scientists have studied this trait in willows and poplars. And they found that trees that were attacked by insects produced an excess of certain chemicals in their leaves. These chemical substances not only reduce nutritional value leaves for insects, but also warn neighboring trees. Having received a warning, neighboring trees begin to produce the same chemicals, protecting themselves from a similar attack. Also, researchers from the University of British Columbia discovered that trees in a symbiotic relationship interact with each other through the root system. Through connections in the roots, trees transfer carbon and nitrogen to each other, like a network of neurons.
3. Tree growth
Recent studies of trees have shown that with age, the growth rate of most trees begins to increase. Of the 403 species of trees that grow in tropical and temperate climate, 97% begin to gain weight faster with age. It was previously believed that older trees sequestered less carbon dioxide than young trees, but these studies suggest otherwise. In general, trees catch more solar energy than any other group of organisms on Earth - they are, in fact, the largest batteries on Earth. Almost 98% of the mass of a tree consists of only six elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. Therefore, old trees are especially valuable for the environment, since they have a greater ability to capture carbon dioxide and purify the air.
4. Trees are a cheap, natural recycling plant.
Trees represent powerful installations for processing waste from other organisms. They regulate air quality through photosynthesis and by the settling of dust on them. Over the course of its life, a tree absorbs almost a ton of CO2 and produces about 120 kg of oxygen per year. Now trees are being used to process waste. In Sweden, in the city of Enköping, willows are used for cleaning Wastewater, reusing wastewater, and recycling liquids from landfill. City services pour the waste around the trees, which in turn break it down and dispose of it. Moreover, fast-growing trees are used for these purposes, whose wood is then used as fuel to produce electricity.
5. Map of deforestation
Now it is possible for anyone to view a map of deforestation using an online service. This service is provided on the Google Earth Engine platform. Images were used to create the map earth's surface for 12 years, obtained from satellites. During the creation of this map, scientists assessed general level deforestation. For 12 years, from 2000 to 2012, according to various reasons The world's forests have decreased by 1.5 million square meters. km. This territory can be compared in size to Alaska. Areas where forests disappeared between 2000 and 2012 are shown in red. Newly planted or self-grown forest is indicated in blue.
Anastasia Litvinova
In Rus', trees were attributed magical properties, and even believed that trees could exchange energy with humans and provide natural strength.
Translated from Latin, the word codex means “piece of wood.” Most of the first books were written on wooden tablets or on bark, such as birch bark letters.
Cinnamon, beloved by many, is not the seeds, pollen or flowers of any plant, it is the bark of a tree growing in India and Sri Lanka.
In South Africa there is a famous bar that is made in the trunk of a giant baobab tree and can fit 15 people at once.
Do you like olives? Did you know that the oldest in the world olive Tree grows on the island of Crete - the name of this tree is Elaya Buibon, and its age is about 4 thousand years, and it is surprising that it still continues to bear fruit.
Trees receive most of their nutrients from the atmosphere, but they absorb about 20 percent of useful minerals from the soil.
One adult tree produces about 120 kilograms of oxygen per year, this amount per year will be enough for a family from three people.
A unique and environmentally friendly idea of modern architects is the construction of tree houses. Nowadays, many companies around the world offer restaurants and even entire hotels located on trees for tourists. If for tourist centers this is a method of attracting customers, then for the Korowai tribe from New Guinea it is a way of life, and such model houses are no longer new to them.
Trees are also a source for the preparation of various chemicals and medicines. For example, aspirin was originally obtained from willow bark. Some drugs used for chemotherapy are obtained from pieces of yew through complex processing. They even get drugs from trees, for example, ecstasy. In Cambodia, cinnamon trees provide chemists with safrole oil, from which tablets are synthesized in the laboratory.
The oldest trees in the world grow in California. Some of them are over 5000 years old!
Leonardo da Vinci was the first to notice that the thickness of a tree trunk is equal to the thickness of all its branches. Modern science tries to understand why this is so (in most cases).
Venice is built on wooden stilts, the oldest of which are over 1000 years old. The piles immersed in water did not rot, but, on the contrary, were saturated with minerals from sea water and turned to stone.
In the 1980s, China passed a law requiring every citizen over the age of 11 to plant at least three trees every year.
An average sized tree can make 170,000 pencils.
God created many miracle trees on Earth. IN tropical forests rattan palms grow, the thick climbing stems of which often stretch for 300-400 m.
In the desert regions of South-West Africa, a low-growing, peculiar-looking plant, Welwitschia, is found. It has a short but very thick trunk (a meter in diameter), framed by two huge leathery leaves. They spread along the ground in waves. Velvichia lives 100 years.
The Methuselah pine is the oldest living organism on the planet.
This pine tree is 4843 years old. She grew from a seed that fell to earth in 2832 BC.
Methuselah is located on the slopes of White Mountain in California, in National Nature Reserve, the exact location of Methuselah is kept a closely guarded secret to avoid vandalism. The tree is named Methuselah after one of the biblical characters who lived 969 years.
Trees extract nutrients mainly from the atmosphere. They get only 10% of their “food” from the soil.
An average sized tree can make 170,000 pencils.
One tree produces about 120 kilograms of oxygen per year, i.e. almost 100 cubic meters. This is enough for a family of three for the same year.
Over the course of its life, a tree processes more than a ton of carbon dioxide.
Trees help reduce greenhouse effect by at least 20%.
The common birch produces a million seeds annually.
The tallest tree is in Sweden. His root system has been growing for more than 9,000 years. As for the tree itself, the oldest is believed to be in America - a 4,500-year-old pine tree.
The most “free-standing” tree even has its own name – Larbredu Tenere. It grows in splendid isolation, and there is not a single “relative” around at a distance of 200 kilometers. Correction – this WAS the most lonely tree. By a cruel twist of fate, it was broken by a car that ran over it.
In Greece there is the “Tree of Hippocrates”, under which it is believed that Hippocrates taught people the wisdom of medicine.
A tree absorbs as much carbon per year as a car engine emits over several thousand kilometers.
In South Africa there are wild fig trees whose root systems reach depths of more than 120 meters - that's more than 30 stories deep into the ground!
In the 18th century, one of the chestnut trees in Sicily became famous for its girth. It was... 60 meters, that is, the approximate diameter of the tree was almost 20 meters. Over time, the trunk split into three separate plants.
The most dangerous tree is the ManchineeI Tree, which grows on the Caribbean coast and the swamps of Florida. When the sap of this tree comes into contact with the skin, a burn appears, followed by painful blisters. If this juice gets into the eyes, a person may go blind. The apple-like fruits of this tree are also very dangerous to eat. They cause burns and other problems. This tree terrified local residents until the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century.
The most massive tree was the Lindsey Creek Tree, containing more than 3,000 cubic meters of wood weighing 3,600 tons. Oddly enough, it was torn out by a storm in 1905, so now the most a big tree- sequoia in national park California.
White cedar, growing in the Great Lakes of Canada, has grown by 10 centimeters over the past 155 years. This is the slowest growing tree on Earth.
The most common tree in our forests is larch; deciduous forests occupy an area of 274 million hectares.
Trees grow at different "speeds". The crown of an oak tree, for example, will grow by only a meter in a year. At the beginning of summer the growth rate is greater than at the end. Growth also depends on the availability of moisture, on the composition of the soil, and on whether the summer was warm.
The hardest tree in the forests of Russia is the Schmidt birch; it grows in Primorye, in the Kedrovaya Pad nature reserve. You can't cut it down with an ax, you can't pierce it with a bullet.
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