Tree Project
By: Lexie Clemons and Morgan Cure
Texas Red Oak:
Basic Information:
- Common Name: Texas Red Oak (Quercus buckleyi)
- Growth Rate: 3-4 feet per year; Rapid It's full height ranges from 50-80 feet tall
- Climate They Grow Best In: Southern Great Plains of the U.S.; specifically U.S. Department of Agriculture hardness zone 8; Texas(Central Texas), Georgia, and Florida
- Life Span: Around 200 years
- Description of Leaves: Deciduous leaves that are oval shaped about 4-8 inches long, 2.5-3 inches wide. A shiny dark green on top and a paler green on the bottom of the leaf. It is a simple-parted/divided into 5 to 7 bristle-tipped lobes.
- Reproduction Method: The acorns fall of the tree and get moved or carried around to different places by nature and the acorn germinates to make a new tree.
- Produce Flowers/Fruit: Reddish brown flowers (female Catkins) that grow between 1-3 and a half inches long and male Catkins that are a yellow-green color and are 1.5-3.5 inches long. It also produces acorns that are a rich shade of brown tinged with red that are about 1 inch long.
Its Roll in the Ecosystem:
- Organisms that are Dependent on it: Numerous varieties of birds and animals such as the Ruffed Grouse, Nuthatch, Blue Jay, Wild Red and Grey Fox Squirrels, Bears, Deer, and Raccoons and eaten by other animals and wildlife
- Parasites: The Oak wilt is the only parasite that really hurts the Texas Red Oak. The Oak wilt is a serious disease for this tree if it spreads. It is brought by a fungus (Ceratocystis fagacearum) and the disease can kill the tree. It's characterized by dull or yellowish-brown leaf color. The trees that are infected produce "Fungal mats" under the bark where insects feed and these insects spread the disease from tree to tree.
- Abiotic Necessities: Water, soil, and sunlight/climate because a plant needs all of these to survive or it won't grow at all in the beginning. The tree needs soil to be able to like the plant to use photosynthesis which the plant would need sunlight to be possible. It would need water to get to the roots and it to grow and be a healthy plant.
- Things Preventing the Tree: A dramatic temperature change, or winds can hurt or bring danger to the tree, therefore making it unable to survive. The animals that use the tree for shelter could also bring harm to the tree.
- What the Tree Will Do For T.M.S.: For short term, the tree will give food to squirrels and to other animals. Long term, it will give a lot of shade to the people who use it and homes to animals.
Southern Magnolia
Basic Information:
- Common Name: Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
- Growth Rate: 12-24 inches annually Can grow up to 100-125 feet; Moderate
- Climate They Grow Best In: Texas; Warm to semitropical climate; Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas
- Life Span: 80-100 years
- Description of Leaves: Egg shaped; 12-20 inches (12-20 centimeters) long and 2-5 inches (6-12 centimeters) wide; a dark green color with a stiff and leathery yellow-brown underside
- Reproduction Method: They produce flowers containing both male and female parts. These parts are fertilized when bees and beetles carry the polled form one flower to another.
Its Roll In the Ecosystem:
- What organisms are dependent on the tree?: Some of the organisms that are dependent on this tree include squirrels, opossums, quail, and turkey, who are known to eat the seeds this tree produces.
- Parasites: There are multiple diseases that can harm the tree such as spotted leaf, leaf blight, scales and spider mites, but they do not pose much of a threat of killing the tree as Verticullium Wilt. Verticullium Wilt is caused by fungus living in the soil and infecting the tree. There is not much you can do, but if you catch it early enough, you may be able to prevent it.
- Abiotic Necessities: Like most other trees, the Southern Magnolia needs plenty of sunlight, water, food such as fertilizer and such. There is nothing that it needs that is out of the ordinary.
- Prevention of the Tree: Most of the diseases the tree can receive seem to occur mostly during the summer months. Also, if not treated correctly, the tree can very easily die.
- What will the tree do for TMS?: As stated above, the tree will provide some food for squirrels and such for short term. As time goes on, the tree will eventually be able to provide shade for future students and a home to animals.
Red Cedar:
Basic Information:
- Common Name: Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
- Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year (moderate) full height ranges from 30-50 feet
- Climate it Grows Best in: USDA Hardiness zone 2-9; Northern Florida, West Dakota, and Texas
- Life Span: It can range from 300-800 years old
- Leaf Description: Younger leaves give the appearance of sharply pointed with white lines on top that can be 3/4 of an inch long. They are bright green, soft, and very short. Older leaves are scale like, flat, and 1/16 of an inch long.
- Reproduction Method: Because the male and female flowers grow on different trees, a male and female tree need to be close so they can create cones. When it begins to produce cones, the cone crops spread and then a new tree is born.
- Fruits/Flowers: Blue pine cones, acorns less than 1 inch long, blue-green or grey color. The male flowers are a brown color and the female flowers are smaller and a greenish or even blue color.
Roll in the Ecosystem:
- What Organisms are Dependent On the Tree: This trees fruit provides food for animals such as Pheasants, Cedar Waxwings and other birds. The birds eat the seeds and in the process spread the seeds. Animals also use the tree to live in (as a shelter) in the winter.
- Parasites: Aphids, Scale, Mites and Beetles.
- Abiotic Necessities: As before, like most other trees, the Red Cedar needs plenty of sunlight, water, food such as fertilizer and such. There is nothing specific that it needs.
- Prevention of the Tree: There are not many problems that occur from what I have gathered, but the most common and one of the worst things is root rot. This causes the tree to die. There is nothing you can do if your tree is infected. To prevent this from happening, keep an eye on your tree and hope for the best.
- What will the tree do for TMS?: The same as above, will provide food and some shelter as a young tree, but as it gets older, animals will soon be able to live in it.
Human Roll
Humans can help trees so we can have more trees in the world and because they help us breathe, why don't we help them? Us humans can help a tree by making sure it gets enough sunlight and water, so we can bring it water everyday so it can grow. We can make sure the tree does't and get a disease and if it does we can remove the branch or leaves that are infected so the entire tree doesn't get infected with the disease. To plant a tree you would need the seeds and then a good fertile soil. To grow, you place the seeds in a pot and let it grow. Then when it gets too big, move the tree outside where it can be sure to grow.