Trees+of+PA

toc =TREES of PENNSYLVANIA=

As communities grow and new houses are made, many look at wooded areas and decide that building in or near these areas are a good option. In order to really understand the value of this resource, we must consider the individual purpose of a specific tree. In this activity, you will research a specific tree and prepare a short presentation about that tree. After the research is complete, the class will take a field walk and you will be responsible for finding your chosen tree on the school grounds. We may also choose to have presentations in class. After everyone finds their tree, the class will listen to each presentation. Each student will be responsible for submitting their specific tree information to the class wiki page. You are responsible for knowing the information about all of the trees reviewed in class. A quiz on trees will follow.

Template for nature walk (use to take notes about trees): Resources: []




 * Information to find:**
 * 1) Name
 * 2) scientific name
 * 3) Organism that infects tree
 * 4) Provides habitat or food for... (don't guess, research)
 * 5) Justify classification of tree to related trees - create classification scheme as a class, identify related species
 * 6) Commercial use of tree
 * 7) Twig characteristics
 * 8) Where tree is found in the world (native to pa?)
 * 9) Draw or find a picture of a drawing of the leaf to show to the class.


 * Trees:** Add your tree information to your individual page and link from here.
 * White Pine
 * Scots Pine
 * Paper Birch/Grey Birch
 * Quaking Aspen
 * Bigtooth Aspen
 * Red Maple
 * Sugar Maple
 * White Oak
 * Red Oak
 * Pin Oak
 * Elm
 * Black Locust
 * Hawthorn
 * Honey Locust
 * Cherry
 * Norway Spruce
 * Staghorn Sumac
 * Witch Hazel
 * Live Oak
 * Flowering Crab Apple

Each student will select a second tree to study from the list below. These trees are not found on our school grounds but most of them are very common in PA. You will research your second tree for the same information as your first tree. You will be responsible for presenting your tree and putting your information on your page of the wiki. These trees will also be included as a part of our tree quiz.

Trees: Add your tree information to your individual page and link from here.


 * Tulip
 * Sassafras
 * Catalpa
 * Cucumber Magnolia
 * American Beech
 * Eastern Hemlock
 * Black or green Ash
 * Box Elder
 * Flowering Dogwood
 * Larch
 * Black Walnut
 * Norway Maple
 * Cedar
 * Willow
 * Redbud
 * Pine-Group of 3
 * Silver Maple
 * Fir
 * Osage Orange
 * Hornbeam
 * Chestnut
 * Basswood
 * Sweet Birch
 * Devil's Club
 * Hickory

=Characteristics of Woody Stems= Purpose: To study the external structure of a woody stem and the structure of a bud and to demonstrate the apical dominance in the terminal bud.

You are probably aware that the stems of all trees or shrubs are not identical. An examination of woody stems will reveal that they vary from species to species in external form, size, and internal structure. Woody stems have excellent adaptations for dormance and are indicators of seasonal changes. Woody stems remain alive and active for more than two years. Their surfaces are covered by cork, and their external structures are very conspicuous. Examination of the external structure of the woody twig reveals leaf arrangement, growth of previous years, and how many branches will form in the next season.

Procedure and observations:

Part 1: External structure of a woody twig Examine one of your twigs closely with a hand lens. The buds are the most conspicuous structures on a dormant stem. Locate the terminal bud at the top of the twig. Notice the bud scales covering the growing point within the bud. Locate the series of rings encircling the twig some distance below the terminal bud. These are bud-scale scars left where the scales of the terminal buds of the previous year were attached. The portion of the twig between the terminal bud and the first bud scale scar marks the growth of the previous season. The growth of the season before that and other seasons can be observed by measuring between the bud-scale scars. 1. Count the sections between bud-scale scars and determine the age of your twig. 2. Has growth in length occurred the same rate each year? 3. Why?

At intervals along the twig, you will find circular, oval, or shield shaped leaf scars, which ark the point of attachment of leaf petioles from the previous season. Leaf scars are located at the nodes. 4. Examine your twig and determine how many leaf scars are located at a node. 5. Classify the leaf arrangement as opposite, alternate, or whorled. 6. Examine the twig and determine the number of nodes produced for each growing season (the space between two nodes is called an internode.) 7. Is the same number of nodes produced each growing season?

Examine a leaf scar and notice minute dots called bundle scars, which show the location of the xylem and phloem that carried water and minerals from stem to leaf. 8. Do all the leaf scars have the same number of bundle scars and is the arrangement the same?

Look for lateral buds located along the sides of the stem. These are smaller than the terminal bud and are usually different in shape. Lateral buds situated above the leaf scars are axial buds. Examine the internodes for tiny pores called lenticels. These are especially common in younger bark. 9. Describe the form and location of the lenticels. 10. What is the function of the lenticels?

Take a picture of the woody twig and label: terminal bud, axial bud, bud-scale scars, bundle scar, leaf scar, lenticel, node, and internode.

Part II: Dissect a bud A bud is a convex, or cone-shaped, structure formed from meristematic tissue. This embryonic tissue produces stem tissue and small leaves which develop as the bud grows into mature leaves of the plant.

By dissecting the bud and studying the scales individually, the protective nature of the bud scales becomes more apparent. During the dormant period, the meristematic region must be protected from excessive water loss as well as from mechanical injury.

Select a bud from one of the twigs (terminal is best.) Cut around the base of the bud and remove it from the twig. Take a pictures of the bud. Loosen the first or outermost pair of bud scales. Then loosen the second pair, and so on. Continue until all are removed. 11. Where are the largest scales? 12. Why are the largest scales located there? 13. How are the scales arranged around the bud? 14. Is there any relationship between the arrangement of the bud scales and the arrangement of the leaf scars?

Take a picture of the scales and label which are the outermost and which are the innermost scales.


 * On team page: All pictures and labels. Answer all questions.**

=**Monocots and Dicots**=

There are 2 basic types of plants...monocots and dicots. Each group displays differences in leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and seeds. In this investigation, your team is going to germinate and grow 2 different plants. One is a monocot and the other is a dicot. You will observe the seed, root and leaf differences between the 2 different plants. The stem differences will be analyzed through microscopic study of preserved stem tissue. In addition, you will also research other differences between monocots and dicots. As you differentiate between the 2 groups, think about the trees that you studied. Would they be classified as monocots or dicots?

Activity: 1. Problem: How do monocots and dicots differ in their seed, leaf, root, stem and flower structure? 2. Materials: 2 styrofoam cups per team potting soil lima beans rye seeds water 3. Procedure:

4. Experimental Data:
 * Fill 2 styrofoam cups 3/4ths full of potting soil
 * Place 6 rye seeds that have been soaked in water for 2 days on top the soil in one cup
 * Place 2 lima beans that have also been soaked in water for two days on top the soil in the other cup
 * Place approximately 1/2 inch of soil on top the seeds. Add water to the soil.
 * Put you team names on masking tape and attach the tape to the outside of the cup
 * Place the 2 team cups on the window sill and observe daily for several days. Add water to the cups if they become dry.


 * pictures and information about: || Lima Bean || Rye || Alfalfa ||
 * seeds ||  ||   ||   ||
 * leaves ||  ||   ||   ||
 * roots ||  ||   ||   ||

5. Conclusion:

The following is what you are going to have to put on your team wiki page under the heading: Monocots and Dicots. *Each team member is responsible for putting up their own information. I will be checking the team history to determine which member completed certain information.

Required parts and headings you should use (don't use heading 1):
 * 1) ===== **Research**: Research to determine the differences between monocots and dicots. Construct a chart and show differences between seeds, leaves, roots, flowers, and stems of monocots and dicots. =====
 * 2) **Experimental data**: Create a chart like the one in experimental data above. Complete the data chart, analyze the data collected and finish with a conclusion statement and reasoning for your conclusion. (Give reasoning for your conclusion). Include in your chart a column for pictures of seeds, leaves, roots, stems, and flowers of the rye, alfalfa and lima bean. You should get the leaf and root pictures from the plants that were grown in class. The stem pictures we will get in the next step. The flower pictures will be taken from the web.
 * 3) **Stem slides**: Examine a monocot and a dicot microscope slide showing a cross section of the stem. Take pictures of each slide using the motic camera (directions are on the Resources for students link. Insert the images into the wiki page (remember to name the pictures uniquely to prevent overwriting by others.) Label the pictures with the structures seen and discuss the differences that you observe. Ask yourself: What are you looking at? and What do each of the parts do for the plant?
 * 4) **Herbaceous plants**: Research and list 3-4 examples of herbaceous plants that are monocots and 3-4 herbaceous plants that are dicots.
 * 5) **Woody plants**: Research and list 3-4 examples of trees that are monocots and 3-4 examples of trees that are dicots.(Perhaps a chart would be a way of organizing this information)
 * 6) **Classification**: Classify the 2 trees that you studied as either a monocot or a dicot. Give reasoning for your answer. You should not use these for your answer in #5.
 * 7) **Food and fiber**: Identify how those plants from #4-6 are part of our food and fiber system (how plant species directly or indirectly support our populations in the food or other materials we require). Some of the plants classified in the herbaceous monocot family are actually things we eat. The onions and chives are some of the plants we found. The trees that were classified give us oxygen.

Note: To start: ask questions about what do the above terms in the questions mean? Be sure you know what they are before attempting to answer the questions themselves. In your answers, you should address everything you learned so that others understand completely.