Woods Whys Archive
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How Do I Choose Which Trees to Cut?
“I want to cut some firewood but don’t want to jeopardize my valuable timber trees. How do I choose which trees to cut?” You can make firewood from most any hardwood, but you can only make sawtimber from those with the best form. Even in a down market and with expanded options for selling fuelwood, it still pays to know… (more)
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Why Are Some Trees Pollinated by Wind And Some by Insects?
Pollen is to trees what sperm is to animals. It carries the tree’s male genes; it is the male fertilizing unit of woody plant reproduction. Typically, pollen appears in spring as a powdery cloud of fine, yellowish grains. Each tiny grain is a single cell, encased in a tough, ridged, or spiked coating. When inhaled by susceptible people, these grains… (more)
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What causes those white splotches on tree bark? Are they bad for the tree?
Those white paint-like bands across the bark are lichens, and they are as normal and natural a part of healthy forests as are warblers. There are several others present on this tree and throughout the woods. Lichens exist in beautiful diversity, and the vast majority of them do absolutely no harm to trees. Better still, lichens play several vital roles… (more)
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Why Is the Treeline at a Higher Elevation in the Tetons than in the White Mountains?
Trees grow where they can. And they are surpassingly capable, making do in an impressive array of conditions around the globe, including many harsh places. But there are limits to their versatility. There are some natural environments where trees simply do not grow, thrive, or even survive, such as near the tops of the bigger mountains. As you hike up… (more)
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Does an Acre of Hilly Land Contain More Land Than an Acre of Flat Land?
Every acre contains the same measure of land regardless of whether it is steep, bowl-shaped, or the Great Plains. This is due to long-standing conventions of land surveying and accepted procedures for determining ownership boundaries. There is definitely a catch, however, in that not every measured acre contains the same amount of ground surface. In other words, you’d need a… (more)
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What Is the Difference Between Red Knots and Black Knots?
Knots in trees occur where a branch has been surrounded by continued growth of the bole. When the bole is sawn into lumber, or peeled to make veneer, the branch sections included in the lumber or veneer show up as knots. Whether a knot is red or black was determined back when the tree was growing. If a branch and… (more)
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What Do Tree Roots Do in Winter?
Tree roots are inscrutable. While their importance to the aboveground parts of trees and forests is well appreciated by forest scientists, tree roots have always been notoriously difficult to study, obscured as they are by duff, soil, rocks, and darkness. And that’s just in summer; the problem is only exacerbated by winter’s snow and frozen soil. Consequently, while researchers literally… (more)
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What Is the Difference Between Sapwood and Heartwood?
Sapwood is the living, outermost portion of a woody stem or branch, while heartwood is the dead, inner wood, which often comprises the majority of a stem’s cross-section. You can usually distinguish sapwood from heartwood by its lighter color. But, color in wood can be very misleading; not all heartwood is dark and not all dark-colored wood is heartwood. And,… (more)
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Is it Best to Stake and Tie Newly Planted Trees?
Trees are made to sway in the breeze. They need to, really. Trees and wind have been doing this dance for a long time, and the trees seem to have learned their steps. Just watch them: they move a lot and they do it well. And as it turns out, trees that are free to sway in the breeze grow… (more)
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Why Do Leaves in Spring Sometimes Appear More Red Than Green?
We don’t want to shock the tourists, but the spring woods do bring some color beyond green. While spring displays of herbaceous plants flowering on the forest floor are a treat, there is much more to spring forest color than wildflowers alone. Yes, the trees produce color, too. Usually, you just have to look a little more carefully for it.… (more)