TREES
Marissa and Sarah
Texas Red Oak
Growth Rate- 3 feet a year Full Height- 60 feet tall 40 feet wide Best Climate- fertilized soil, a lot of soil, little rain Region- Texas, central Life Span- 90 years Leaves- Light Green, 2-3 inches, bristly Produces- seeds, and acorns Reproduction Method- They drop their seeds and acorns and the wind and animals transport them to different places.
Southern Magnolia
Growth Rate- 11 feet a year till 50 years old Full Hieght- 90 feet tall and 50 feet wide Best Climate- Fertile soil, alot of sun, little water Region- Florida, Southeastern Life Span- 100+ years Leaves- Long, Dark green, waxy coating Produces- white flowers, red fruit or berries Reproduction Method- produces seeds at age of 10, and it increases until 25 years. when it finnished developing all of the possible seeds, the fall to the bottom letting animlas and wind carry them away.
Live Oak
Growth Rate- 3 feet a year Hieght- 80 feet tall and 70 feet wide Best Climate- sandy/clay soil, full sun , drought or flood proof Region- Texas, Central Life Span- 200+ years Leaves- leathery, 2-5 inches long, dark green Produce- acorns Reproduction Method- the acorns/seeds drop and other animals/winds take them away
Plant the Trees
To plant a Texas Red Oak you must have about 2 feet by 2 feet of an open area that you can plant your tree in. You'll need a spot that has a really good amount of sunlight, but wont give out too much water. Simply dig a hole the size of your base or slightly larger and plant. Cover the holes with soil and watch it grow, occasionally watering it. Both the Southern Magnolia and Live Oak trees should be cared for mostly the same. All the difference is where to plant it depending on where you live.
Food Chains and Webs
All trees rely on the sun to make their food, but other animals such as squirrels for nuts, caterpillars and ladybugs for the leaves. Abiotic factors that "hurt" the trees are the rocks that block the roots from getting water and sometimes air for being to cold so the tree can't produce and bloom in spring. Biotic factors are all the animals that eat them or the animals that eat the animals that eat the trees. The parasites are little things like diseases and funguses. The trees can adapt to the bipolar weather in Texas. The trees need aboitic factor such as heat to make their food, light to "see" and air to "breath". The long term affects that the TMS environment will have on all three trees are that the trees will eventually grow too larger for the amount of space they have and, the short term affects are the Texas bipolar weather and tons of kids breaking them down.