Pages

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Why trees can’t grow taller than 100 metres

Have you ever wondered about this?
Visit the Science Junkie website
Why trees can’t grow taller than 100 metres

TYPICALLY, the taller the tree, the smaller its leaves. The mathematical explanation for this phenomenon, it turns out, also sets a limit on how tall trees can grow.

Kaare Jensen of Harvard University and Maciej Zwieniecki of the University of California, Davis, compared 1925 tree species, with leaves ranging from a few millimetres to over 1 metre long, and found that leaf size varied most in relatively short trees. ...read the rest here.

Have you ever been to see The General Sherman tree in California?
It's said to be the largest tree in the world - based on bulk, not height. Standing 85 meters tall (that's around 280 feet for you Americans) and an estimated 2,000 years old, it's truly a majestic sight. Those little things standing near the tree's base are people. This tree is located in Sequoia National Park, California. See a photo here.

VIRGINIA MASTER NATURALISTS LAP UP THIS STUFF! BRFAL CHAPTER VMN'S NEXT BASIC TRAINING IS FALL OF 2013. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for your comment and interest! NOW GO OUTSIDE!