Trees of the tongass
- 2. Characteristics of Trees • Trees have one main trunk • Trees usually grow taller than shrubs • Trees have branches What do trees do? • Trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis • Trees provide habitat for animals • Trees give shade • Trees prevent soil erosion
- 3. Trees are Deciduous or Coniferous http://www.buzzle.com/articles/whats-the-difference-between-deciduous-and-coniferous-trees.html
- 4. Parts of a Tree
- 5. Parts of a Tree • Roots • Trunk • Branches • Twigs • Crown
- 6. Leaf Scavenger Hunt 1. Collect 3 - 5 different leaf samples. Samples may be from trees or shrubs. 2. Take just one sample of each type of leaf and be careful not to damage the plants. 3. Identify each leaf type using the leaf diagrams. 4. Use the leaf type to determine whether the plant is deciduous or coniferous. 5. Draw the leaves, label the parts and record your observations in your science journal.
- 7. LeavesDeciduous trees have broadleaves than may be different shapes. Leaves may be either alternate or opposite on the twigs The shape of a leaf is one of the characteristics of the tree that scientists use to identify the tree. http://www.shmoop.com/plant-biology/leaf-structure.html
- 8. Needles & Scale-like Leaves Coniferous trees have needles or scale-like leaves. Scientists use the needle shape and arrangement to identify the tree.
- 10. Field Guide to Tongass Trees Use this guide to complete the mystery tree challenge. Start on the first page, decide whether the sample is deciduous or coniferous then follow the clues. Once you think you know the tree use the description to check and provide evidence for your answer.
- 11. Deciduous or Coniferous? Look at the leaves for clues Coniferous Needles or scale-like leaves Deciduous Broadleaf or no leaf in winter
- 12. What type of leaf?
- 13. Red Alder • Simple leaf • Leaves oval shaped with toothed edges • Bright green and greyish underneath • Long drooping catkins • Short brown cones
- 14. Western Red Cedar • Leaves scale-like • Opposite in pairs • Drooping from twigs • Smell when crushed • Seed cones 1cm with pairs of scales • Pollen cones small and reddish
- 15. Shore Pine • Needles in bunches of 2 • Needles 2.5 – 4 cm long • Growing all sides of the twig • Usually dark green • Cones cylindrical to egg shape
- 16. Sitka Spruce • Single needles • Needles light green to bluish green • Stiff, sharp needles 1 – 2.5 cm long • Needles grow in spirals all around the twig • Seed cones hang from crown of trees • Seed cones are reddish brown and toothed • Pollen cones are red
- 17. Western Hemlock • Linear needles • Needles glossy green on top, pale and dull underneath • Needles nearly flat, short 0.5 – 1cm • Uneven length needles make feathery sprays • Many small seed cones green – reddish brown
- 18. Did you find these trees?
- 19. What did trees mean to Alaska’s Native People?
- 20. Tongass: Last American Rainforest by Shelley Gill How were trees used? • Shelter • Totem Poles • Halibut hooks • Bentwood boxes • Spruce root hats • Cedar Bark baskets • Canoes • Smoking Salmon How did native people feel about trees? • Respect for trees • Rituals for taking bark, planks or leaves • Tools decorated with images to please the trees • A bond between people and the forest • Trees have souls
- 21. How do we use trees today?
- 22. What did we learn?