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1. What is meant by saying that trees are a renewable resource?

Since they are plants, they can be harvested and replanted using seeds. Therefore, they continue to provide useful products and services for many living things.

2. Deciduous trees shed all their leaves annually.  In temperate climates like ours, this shedding is in the fall and new leaves emerge in the spring. In tropical climates shedding is in the dry season. What advantage is there to shedding leaves?

Since there is a tremendous amount of water that is lost from a tree through its leaves due to the process of transpiration, water loss is reduced when leaves are cast off. This is done in the winter in VA when trees go into slow gear to survive the harsh winter conditions.

3. What are the challenges from the environment that trees which have been planted in the open areas at WCP have to overcome?

Constant exposure to full sun and wind, a tendency to dry out, and human interaction.

4. Living in a forest setting might be beneficial to a tree or problematic. What are some benefits from living close to other trees?

Other nearby trees will buffer the wind and help retain a more humid atmosphere.

5. What are some problems for trees in living close to others?

May be physically hit and injured or uprooted through the actions of others. May be shaded out and have fewer nutrients as a result of competition.

6. Oak trees produce thousands of acorns every fall.  Acorns are rich in protein, carbs, fats, and minerals such at calcium and potassium. Which animals use the fruit of oak trees as a natural food source?

Pigs, bears, deer, and squirrels eat a lot of acorns.

7. River Birch trees are often planted in the landscape because of their unique features. Can you name some of those? 

The attractive, naturalistic look of river birch trees' peeling bark and their rapid growth rate makes them a favorite choice for many landscape design styles. Ideal for larger properties, river birches may grow up to 60 feet tall and 40 feet wide at maturity.

8. Dawn Redwoods are a large, conical-shaped tree reaching 70 to 100 feet high. Do you know any characteristics of this tree?

Dawn redwood is closely related to bald cypress and redwood (Sequoia). The fern-like feathery foliage emerges light green in spring, changing to dark green in summer, then a russet-brown in autumn. It grows best in large landscapes. ​

9. The Dawn Redwood trees are not native to the United States.  Do you know where it came from and when?

The Dawn Redwood tree is native to China and often found in wet sites.  This tree was once thought to be extinct.  It was found in China in 1941 and introduced into the United States in the late 1940s.

10. Dawn redwood is often confused with common bald cypress. They are both deciduous conifers, which mean they have needles, but shed them each fall.  Do you know how to tell the difference between a dawn redwood and a bald cypress?

The needles on Dawn Redwood are opposite, meaning they are positioned directly across from each other on the stem.  Bald Cypress needles are alternate, or staggered on the stem.