TREES - HELPING IN THE COMMUNITY

Trees make o­ur lives more pleasant. They're beautiful to look at, and they can provide sh­ade or a good hideout. Forests cover 30 percent of our planet, concentrated mostly in 10 countries: the United States, Canada, the RussianFederation, Brazil, China,Australia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Peru and India

That may sound like a lot of forest, but worldwide, our forests are disappearing. About 13 million hectares of forest -- an area roughly the size of Greece -- disappear every year.

Deforestation -  (clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land), happens because of population growth and increasing agricultural and industrial demands; trees are cut down to make room for new developments.

Why does it matter if trees are planted or cut down? 

• Trees provide us with wood, fuel, food, medicine, latex and other products used in our daily lives. 
• They also affect our climate. No, they can't make snow on a sunny summer day, but their very existence -- or removal -- makes a difference.

Climate isn't the same as weather. While weather is short-term, like the five-day forecast on the evening news, climate is the weather pattern over a long period of time, usually 30 years.

Trees and our Climate

Trees affect our climate, and therefore our weather, in three primary ways: 

• they lower temperatures
• reduce energy usage 
•  reduce or remove air pollutants. Each part of the tree contributes to climate control, from leaves to roots.

Leaves 

Leaves help turn down the thermostat. They cool the air through a process called evapotranspiration. 

• Evapotranspiration is the combination of two simultaneous processes: 
• evaporation and transpiration, both of which release moisture into the air. 
• During evaporation, water is converted from liquid to vapor and evaporates from soil, lakes, rivers and even pavement. 
• During transpiration, water that was drawn up through the soil by the roots evaporates from the leaves. It may seem like an invisible process to our eyes, but a large oak tree is capable of transpiring 40,000 gallons of water into the atmosphere during one year [source: USGS].

The outdoor air conditioning provided by trees reduces the energy used inside your home or office. Shade provided by strategically planted deciduous trees cools buildings during the warm months, allows the sun'swarming rays to shine through its branches in the winter and also protects buildings from cold winds. With some planning, urban trees can help minimize the heat island effect (metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities, concrete streets, tall buildings, etc.)  that saddles many cities.

Heat islands are cities that are often several degrees warmer than the suburbs because the urban areas generate and trap heat. Studies of Atlanta found that temperatures downtown were 5 to 8 degrees hotter than those in the suburbs. This, in turn, increased the number of local storms [source: NASA]. 

When trees grow throughout urban areas, both surface and air temperatures are reduced. Researchers have found that planting one tree to the west and one to the south of a home can significantly reduce energy consumption. In the Environmental Protection Agency's study, annual cooling costs were reduced by 8 to 18 percent while annual heating costs were reduced 2 to 8 percent [source: EPA].

Leaves also filter particles from the air, including dust, ozone, carbon monoxide and other air pollutants. 

• Through the process of photosynthesis, trees remove carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) and release oxygen into our air. Trees store the carbon dioxide, called carbon sequestration, and -- depending on the size of the tree -- can hold between 35 to 800 pounds of carbon dioxide each year 

IDENTIFY THE TREE CATEGORY

broadleaf
catkin
cycad
needleleaf
needle leaf
palm
pine
willow
catkin

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

TREES

TREES
Scooby & the gang are out learning about trees.

There are six (6) main groups of TREES:

·         BOARADLEAF

·         NEEDLELEAF

·         PALM

·         CYCAD

·         TREE FERNS

·         GINKGO

BROADLEAF TREES

·         Example:  Elms, Maples, Oaks, Walnuts, Ashes, & Willows

Broadleaf trees have flowers that develop into fruits.

Their seeds are often inside the fruit, like an apple

The flowers of broadleaf can look like flowers or they can look like fuzzy caterpillars, (catkins)

NEEDLELEAF TREES

·         Example:  Pines, Firs, Spruces, Redwoods, Giant Sequoias, Cypresses & Hemlocks

Most needle leaves for their fruiting parts inside cones

Those that have cones – conifers

Great forests of needleleaf trees can grow in places so cold that nothing else can grow there

·         Highest place on a mountain where trees can grow – timberline

Cedar, Sequoia, & Juniper trees are considered needleleaf trees, but their needles are really made up of tiny overlapping scales

Bald cypress trees are one of the few species that can grow in water

·         The roots have bumps which keep the tree from falling over

·         It is also a deciduous needle leaf

PALM TREES

Grow where the weather is warm all year

Most have no branches, only a bunch of large leaves at the top of the trunk

Some Palms produce dates or coconuts

CYCAD

Look like Palm trees but their seeds come in cones that resemble large pine cones

Cycads grow only in Africa, Asia & Central America where it is warm & damp

TREE FERNS

Look like palm trees, but they have no seeds at all

Produce tiny spores (cells that develop into new trees) on the undersides of their leaves

Tree fern were among the first green plants ever to grow on earth

GINKGO TREES

Grow well in cities

Leaves look like green fans

TREES PRODUCE

Leaves that decay & provide soil mulch (enriching the soil)

During photosynthesis – provide oxygen & carbon dioxide exchange

Food (fruit, nuts, chocolate spices

Medicine, wood, wood pulp

Toys

Cork

Turpentine

Habitats

Shelter

Climate control

Religious symbols

Folklore

History

They know that learning the parts of the tree is a very important! 

PARTS OF TREES

bark - the hard substance that covers a tree

bough - a big branch on a tree

branch - a part of a tree that grows out of its trunk

Cambium - layer of tissue one to several cells thick found between the bark and the wood; divides to form new wood and bark.

catkin - a long soft group of small flowers that hangs from the branches of willows & some other trees

 Cone - the fruit of a conifer

Conifer - a cone bearing tree

Crown - the wide circular top part of some types of tree

deciduous - Shedding all leaves annually.

evergreen - Trees with needles or leaves that remain alive and on the tree through the winter and into the next growing season.

Fir - evergreen conifers with needle-like leaves that are attached to the twig by a base that resembles a small suction cup, also having cylindrical cones

Foliage - the leaves of a plant or tree

Gall - lump on a tree or plant caused by insects or an infection

Hardiness Zone - A plant can be expected to grow in the zone's temperature extremes, as determined by the lowest annual temperature. Other conditions such as moisture, soil, and wind might affect the availability of individual plants.

Heartwood - the inner part of the wood; also called duramen.

Knot - round hard place in a piece of wood where a branch grew

Sapwood - living wood, often light colored, found between the bark or cambium and the heartwood, usually darker colored.

 

trunk - the main part of a tree that branches grow out of

 

The Inside Story

1. The inner bark, or “phloem”, is pipeline through which food is passed to the rest of the tree. It lives for only a short time, then dies and turns to cork to become part of the protective outer bark.
2. The cambium cell layer is the growing part of the trunk. It annually produces new bark and new wood in response to hormones that pass down through the phloem with food from the leaves. These hormones, called “auxins”, stimulate growth in cells. Auxins are produced by leaf buds at the ends of branches as soon as they start growing in spring.
3. Sapwood is the tree’s
4. The outer bark is the tree’s protection from the outside world. Continually renewed from within, it helps keep out moisture in the rain, and prevents the tree from losing moisture when the air is dry. It insulates against cold and heat and wards off insect enemies.
5. pipeline for water moving up to the leaves. Sapwood is new wood. As newer rings of sapwood are laid down, inner cells lose their vitality and turn to heartwood.
6. Heartwood is the central, supporting pillar of the tree. Although dead, it will not decay or lose strength while the outer layers are intact. A composite of hollow, needlelike cellulose fibers bound together by a chemical glue called lignin, it is in many ways as strong as steel. A piece 12" long and 1" by 2" in cross section set vertically can support a weight of twenty tons!

click on each highlighted link & learn about the importance of trees.

1.)  How would the world look if there were no trees? 
Trees Tame Stormwater Without the benefit of trees, the world suffers. 

2.)  How to Plant Trees to conserve energy.

PLANTS - SOIL

Scooby Doo & the Gang need you to get your hands dirty by helping with digging for clues in the soil. 

To solve this case, you must find out what soil is, why it is important, and in what kinds of soil plants grow. Happy digging!

When you finish this case, you should be able to:

• Understand the importance of soil and how the things that are in it relates to its ability to support good plant growth.
• Tell how plants adapt to soils that aren't perfect.
• Describe the relationship between soil and plant life.
• Recognize that there is a lot of important activity going on where the roots of plants are located.
• Use new vocabulary words such as nutrients, soil particles, texture, structure, organic matter, topsoil, and subsoil.
• Describe what types of living organisms can be found in and around soil.
• Use observation and classification to identify components of the soil.
• Recognize other things that can be used in place of soil.
• Describe the importance of soil "critters" and how they break down organic matter.

While you're solving the mysteries, pay special attention to these key ideas:

• Soil makeup is important in keeping plants alive. We can change soil composition in ways that will help a plant's ability to survive and grow.
• Microbes, solid particles, chemicals, and living plant material all work together to produce a balance that supports a variety of life forms.
• Soil is made up of three basic units: sand, silt, and clay.
• Composting is nature's way of changing organic wastes into plant food that is used to keep many living things alive.

Before you can solve the mysteries, you'll need to learn the facts of the case.

Four Major Components of Soil

Once you step out onto a piece of ground, you step out onto something that is alive. Soil is not just a piece of dirt. Soil is made up of living and nonliving material spread as a very thin layer over the entire surface of the planet we call earth.

Soil must provide nutrients, water, and air and helps to support the plant.

Soil is a combination of materials. One part of soil is rock that has been broken down over time by wind, water, and chemical processes. Another material is called organic matter. It is made up of decaying plant and animal matter. Water and air are the other ingredients in soil. In a good garden soil, about 45 percent will be rock particles, 5 percent organic matter like leaves, 25 percent water, and 25 percent air.

Soil Types

People describe soil types in all kinds of ways such as heavy, light, sandy, clay, loam, poor or good. Soil scientists describe soil types by how much sand, silt and clay are present. This is called texture. It is possible to change the texture by adding different things. Changing texture can help in providing the right conditions needed for plant growth.

Sand is the largest particle in the soil. When you rub it, it feels rough. This is because it has sharp edges. Sand doesn't hold many nutrients.

Silt is a soil particle whose size is between sand and clay. Silt feels smooth and powdery. When wet it feels smooth but not sticky.

Clay is the smallest of particles. 

• Clay is smooth when dry and sticky when wet. Soils high in clay content are called heavy soils. Clay also can hold a lot of nutrients, but doesn't let air and water through it well.
• Particle size has a lot to do with a soil's drainage and nutrient holding capacity. 
• To better understand how big these three soil particles are, think of them like this. If a particle of sand were the size of a basketball, then silt would be the size of a baseball, and clay would be the size of a golf ball. Line them all up, and you can see how these particles compare in size.

Take a Closer Look: What Is Soil?

You might think that soil is just dirt . . . but it is much more than that! SCOOBY & the GANG discover all the things that make up the different kinds of soil.

• What color is it?
• What does it feel like? What does it smell like?
• Try separating the soil into different parts. Put things that are alike in piles such as all sticks with sticks, and all roots with roots. Record what you find.

What else can you tell about the soil?

Nutrients from the Soil

Most living things need three basic things to survive:

• food 
• water
• air. 

If you said that plants get their nutrients and water from the soil, you are right! Although all green plants make their food by photosynthesis, they also need to get nutrients from the soil. These dissolve in water and are taken up by the roots of the plant.

The most important plant nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K).

Nitrogen helps above-ground leafy growth and gives dark green color to leaves.

Phosphorous encourages plant cell division. Without phosphorous, flowers and seeds could not form. Phosphorous also helps root growth and protects the plant from disease.

Like phosphorous, potassium increases the plant's resistance to disease and encourages root growth. Potassium is needed for the making of chlorophyll.

 Why Is Soil So Important?

Soil is important for plants because it holds roots that provide support for plants and stores nutrients. Detective Le Plant is searching for secrets in the soil. Help him uncover the ingredients of soil that are important to plant growth.

Soil for Gardening in Containers

When growing plants in containers, soil from the garden should not be used if you expect good results. Garden soil usually contains weed seeds, disease organisms, and drains poorly. If you want to use soil from the garden, it must be mixed with other things. Here's a good recipe:

• 1 part soil
• 1 part peat
• 1 part course sand or perlite

The peat and sand will help to improve the drainage.

Even better for growing plants in containers are artificial soils or soilless mixes. They are called artificial because they contain no soil but are made up of peat, perlite, vermiculite, and nutrients. They have a lot of plusses over soil. They are clean, lightweight, provide for excellent drainage, and easy to get. Soilless mixtures are available under several trade names such as Jiffy mix, Redi-earth, Pro mix, and Sunshine mix. Because artificial mixes contain no soil, they don't do a good job of holding on to nutrients. So, you will need to fertilize plants regularly to keep them looking good.

Composting

Composting is the natural cycle of plants living, dying, and breaking down to pass their nutrients to other plants. Compost is a source of nutrients for plants. It helps to improve the texture and fertility of the soil. You learned about texture earlier in this case.

Compost is made up of a lot of different things. Think of compost as the soil's diet. The diet should be balanced between materials that are high in nitrogen and those high in carbon, between wet and dry materials, and between acidic and basic materials.

Microorganisms in the soil break down the organic matter to make compost.

The basic compost pile is made up of layers of organic matter, sprinkled with a little soil and fertilizer, kept moist and turned to keep oxygen going through it. You can speed up the process by making the size of the organic matter smaller and by turning the pile frequently.

There are four basic ingredients in a compost pile:

• Carbon (from organic matter like leaves) provides the food for microorganisms.
• Nitrogen (the fertilizer) comes from grass clippings and dead green plants and provides the energy microorganisms need to break down the carbon.
• Water and oxygen, that microorganisms need lots of to do their job.
  
  SOIL

  
  

  SEED DISPERSAL GAME
  
  I.D. A TREE
  
  SEASONAL CHANGES IN A FOREST
  
  FOREST LAYERS
  
  
  VOCABULARY TERMS & DEFINITIONS

  Organic Matter

  Naturally occurring plant and animal resources. Organic matter is a part of compost.
  
  
  Texture
  The coarseness or fineness of the soil.
  
  
  Sand
  The largest of the soil particles. It is huge when it is compared to clay.
  
  

  Silt

  Silt is a soil particle whose size is between sand and clay. Silt feels smooth and powdery. When wet it feels smooth but not sticky.
  
  

  Clay

  Very, very, very fine soil particles.
  
  

  Nitrogen

  This is one of the "big three" plant nutrients. This one is used in large amounts by plants. Nitrogen helps plants make lots of leaves and is important in helping plants get their green color. N is the chemical symbol for Nitrogen.
  
  

  Phosphorous

  One of the "big three" plant nutrients. It helps plants to make more or larger flowers and to build a strong root system. It's checmical symbol is P.
  
  

  Potassium

  One of the "big three" plant nutrients. Potassium helps plants to fight off diseases. It's chemical symbol is K.
  
  

  Peat

  Partially decayed plant matter formed on the surface of water-logged soils.
  
  

  Perlite

  White, hard, rock-like material used to make potting soil. Looks like small bits of popcorn.
  
  

  Vermiculite

  Another part of soil mixes. This material is lightweight, tan in color, and can hold water.
  
  

  Compost

  A mixture of plant parts (leaves, stems, flowers) and soil that has been piled up, soaked with water, and allowed to rot. Gardeners use compost to help make soil a better place for plants to grow.
  
  

  Acidic Soil with a pH below 7.0.

  
  

  Basic Soil with a pH above 7.0. Organic Matter Naturally occurring plant and animal resources. Organic matter is a part of compost.