The defense of a tree

As human beings, we all enjoy being able to pick up and go where we want in life. Whether we get somewhere by walking, running, biking, driving a car, or taking a plane. In fact, this very basic part of our existence is taken absolutely for granted, don’t you think?

Imagine being a tree. A tree is literally stuck where it was originally planted forever. Can you perceive this? You’d better get used to your surroundings and surroundings pretty quickly if you’re a tree and become really adaptable.

This reading will explain the functions of how a tree allocates its resources to survive healthily and vigorously. Including how a tree defends itself in its environment of solitude; especially if a tree has the raw end of the deal. For example, if a tree has grown too close to a waste disposal site, or if it is a city tree next to a busy street with concrete covering its root system.

Let’s start by understanding the basics of a tree. A tree is a woody plant. There are many species of trees, classified into 2 types: deciduous (mostly hardwoods) and coniferous (evergreen trees). Just like us, trees must have sun, water, and nutrients to survive. You’ve probably heard that without trees, our environment would quickly become toxic. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and give off valuable oxygen. Yes, that’s right, trees are natural air filters. Over the last decade, we have come a long way in scientifically understanding a tree. From this information, we have realized that trees have a biological composition that makes them very dynamic. They are made up of much more than a crown, a trunk and roots.

Trees allocate their resources into 4 main functions;

• Maintenance
• Increase
• Storage
• Defending

If a tree has to deal with toxic waste and poor soil conditions, it still has to be maintained. A tree gets its energy from photosynthesis. A tree uses energy for regular procedures such as the formation and fall of seeds.

Trees grow optimally when they have all the elements they need and are not stressed. If a tree doesn’t have adequate water, light, and nutrients, it probably won’t devote as many resources to new growth. The proper balance of soil PH, soil conditions (acidity) and resource availability are critical in the growth process.

Trees obtain nutrients and water from the soil using their fibrous roots. If essential minerals and water are not available in the necessary amounts, a tree will concentrate on storing essential elements for later use. For example, if a tree does not have enough water, it will store water to overcome periods of drought.

A tree will allocate its resources to defense if it gets most of what it needs and is not stressed. Environmental and soil conditions determine whether or not a tree is stressed. If a tree is not stressed, it will probably be in a preventative maintenance mode and focused on defense. For example, a tree may focus on thickening its bark layer to protect its vascular cambium from outside predators. Did you know that a tree produces chemicals to defend itself against other competitors? Yes, a tree will send warning signals to surrounding opponents, be it a nearby plant, insect, or other organism. If a physical injury occurs, a tree compartmentalizes. Remember, humans heal and trees seal!

A tree is truly a genius in the process of making something out of nothing, or finding a way to survive in difficult conditions. You can’t just walk into a doctor’s office and ask for an antibiotic. It does not have an immune system to fight off a virus. But a tree will produce chemicals and close its vascular system to outside organisms if it is invaded. If a (usually environmental) stressor is too much for a tree to overcome, then it will go into decline and potentially even die. In our famous stray tree example above, with a lack of available water or nutrients nearby, that tree’s root system will sense resources from afar and begin to grow its roots more gradually toward an area or direction toward available items.

So the next time you’re driving or walking by a tree, take a good look. Understand your ability to survive even in low tolerable conditions. Think about your ability to perform all daily functions in the place where you are. Take a look at nearby obstacles such as construction sites, chemical exposures, insects, geographic composition. Appreciate a tree’s ability to live in a confined nature and how it can defend itself even without being able to get up and walk out of harm’s way.