|
- Cottonwood and Balsam Poplar | Geophysical Institute
The Klukwan giant holds the national record for black cottonwood diameter Its nearest rival, a tree near Salem, Oregon, does hold the national height record The Klukwan giant belies the belief that trees tend to get smaller the farther north one goes Both balsam poplar and cottonwood have value for fuel wood, pulp and lumber
- Northern Tree Habitats - Geophysical Institute
Interior Alaskan forests have only six native tree species: white spruce, black spruce, quaking aspen, balsam poplar, larch (tamarack) and paper birch Northern Canadian forests have all of those, plus jack pine, balsam fir and lodgepole pine Since northern Canada and interior Alaska share the same grueling climate and extremes of daylength, why are the Canadian tree species absent from
- The majesty and mystery of Alaska yellow cedar | Geophysical Institute
A tree near one of our campsites had a crack at its base through which we could pass the folded saw Yet the tree was still alive, with just one rope of cambium — the outer bark that transports water and nutrients — snaking up the trunk A few of its blue-green feathery leaves flagged from the top of what otherwise looked like a snag
- The secret life of red squirrels | Geophysical Institute
Stan Boutin has climbed more than 5,000 spruce trees in the last 30 years He has often returned to the forest floor knowing if a ball of twigs and moss within the tree contained newborn red squirrel pups Over the years, those squirrels have taught Boutin and his colleagues many things, including an apparent ability to predict the future
- The largest black spruce in Alaska | Geophysical Institute
The tree leans uphill, and its trunk is 45 inches around When I hugged it, I could barely clasp my hands together The largest black spruce in Alaska is a lucky tree, because its neighbors to the north are gone, removed in the mid-1990s during the installation of a power line
- Tree Rings and History | Geophysical Institute
A tree's age can be easily determined by counting its growth rings, as any Boy or Girl Scout knows Annually, the tree adds new layers of wood which thicken during the growing season and thin during the winter These annual growth rings are easily discernible (and countable) in cross-sections of the tree's trunk In good growing years, when sunlight and rainfall are plentiful, the growth rings
- Witches Broom | Geophysical Institute
Witches' broom on spruce trees is caused by a rust disease (a kind of fungus disease) The rust lives on the spruce tree throughout the year Each spring, small yellow pustules appear on the new needles of the broom A strong sweet odor, which is easily recognizable, usually accompanies the maturation of these pustules
- Trees as Earthquake Fault Indicators | Geophysical Institute
Then using tree ring dating methods, it may be possible to date earthquakes occurring before historical records were kept The ability to identify and date very large earthquakes occurring within the past thousand years is important in establishing earthquake risk and for predicting future earthquakes
|
|
|