Page 28 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Third Quarter 2020

EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Forestry Education at Home
Each year, the spring semester boasts a full calendar of outreach programs ranging from in-school field trips to presentations and weekend festivals. This year was no different.
When COVID-19 forced schools to close their doors and teachers to cancel their forestry education programs, North Carolina Forestry Association (NCFA) Education Manager Amy Juliana did not hesitate to find another way to offer support. In order to provide our educators with accurate and reliable information, Juliana adapted her resources to create online lesson plans and gathered a collection of activities, articles and educational videos into one easily accessible source. Resources highlight the field of forestry and the wood products industry with a focus on North Carolina companies and organizations.
To access our education materials, please visit www.ncforestry.org/education. Note that the NCFA does not own the majority of these resources, so please share responsibly.
MATURE TREES
are like animal apartment houses. At the top, a tree’s branches provide homes for birds and many insects. In the middle, a mature tree’s woody trunk provides food for a variety of insects as well as a site to lay their eggs. At the bottom, the roots provide a support system for burrowing animals such as chipmunks and other small mammals. The berries and nuts of mature trees serve as food for animals like squirrels, deer and turkeys. As a mature tree passes its prime and reaches its life expectancy, transpiration and growth rates slow down.
Life Cycle of a
TREE
the soil through decomposition. Termites, sowbugs and beetles feed on the rotting wood. Other insects, such as centipedes and spiders, feed on the sowbugs and other scavengers that feed on the decaying log. Mice, shrews, snakes, lizards, frogs and salamanders live under fallen logs because they find
protection from predators and harsh weather here. If large enough, animals such as a bear may even use
FALLEN LOGS
as a winter den.
Some trees sprout from the stump or roots of a parent tree, but most begin as SEEDS. The majority of a tree’s seeds will be destroyed by fungi or other decomposers, eaten by birds or mwamhemreatlhs eoyr cfalnlntotpglraocwes. Whluecnkytheonsoeusgehedtsotshuartvaivre germinate and begin to grow, a tree is born.
Young saplings must compete with other trees and plants for sunlight, nutrients, water and space. At this point in their lives trees play a critical role in keeping our air and water clean.
They are transpiring water and oxygen and absorbing
carbon dioxide at their highest rate and their
rapidly growing root
systems help prevent soil
erosion and absorb
more nutrients and
minerals from the soil
than older trees do. Some SAPLINGS begin to provide food for birds and mammals, and they provide nesting sites for some types of songbirds.
Trees eventually die or are killed by
disease, fire or insects. But even dying or DEAD TREES are very valuable for animals.
Many insects feed on the dead
wood and woodpeckers feed on
the insects. Old woodpecker nest
cavities provide a hiding
place from predators,
a place to raise young,
as well as protection from
the weather for squirrels, bats,
owls, wood ducks and more.
When a dead tree falls,
its nutrients are recycled back into
As part of the forest community,
SEEDLINGS
run the risk of being trampled on by animals. This tender growth also provides excellent browse for deer. Only a small portion will still be alive a year later.
T rees, like all living things, have a life cycle that includes birth, growth, aging and death. Along the way, they face risks of injury from animals, fire,
insects and disease. As trees go from birth to death, their physical form and their role in the ecosystem changes. Throughout the cycle, trees provide the raw material for more than 5,000 products that we use every day.
By looking at the annual growth rings in a tree’s cross section, one can learn about past influences on tree growth such as crowding, fire, drought or disease and about changes in the environment. Growth rings in a living tree can be examined by taking a core sample from the tree.
160N(09o1rG9thl)e8nC3wa4ro-o3lid9n4aA3vFeo.r,reR(s8at0rley0ig)Ahs2s,3oN1c-Ci7a7t2i2o73n608 12/2003 Web site: www.ncforestry.org
Forest Products Week Essay Contest
Did you know wood is the only natural resource on Earth that is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable?
To celebrate Forest Products Week, the North Carolina
Forestry Association (NCFA) — along with its sponsors, the North Carolina Forest Service and the North Carolina Sustainable Forestry Initiative — is hosting a statewide essay contest to promote the 1,000 companies directly contributing to North Carolina’s forest economy.
Essays will be due on the last day of National Forest Products Week (October 23, 2020).
Top essays will be selected from the elementary, middle and high school categories. All three winners will each receive a $200 Visa gift card. The teacher of the winning essayist will also receive a $100 Visa gift card for classroom materials and a scholarship to attend the 2021 Sustainable Forestry Teachers Experience.
Visit our website www.ncforestry.org/education for more information on the contest; including writing prompts, essay length guidelines, submission requirements and judging criteria.
26 ncforestry.org / THIRD QUARTER 2020
N North Carolina’s forests are among the state’s most valuable natural resources. They help keep the state’s water and air clean, provide habitat for wildlife and places for rec- reation. And they make the state one of the most beau-
pollutants from the air, provide
tiful in the country.
Bark
upasepdertoprmodaukcetst,hionucslaunddins gof writing paper, tissues and boxes. Chemical by-products of the
In addition, our forests pro- vide more than 5,000 products that we all use and depend on every day. But unlike fossil fuels, metals and other re- sources, forests are renewable. With proper stewardship and management, our forests will continue to provide all of these benefits for generations to come.
example, provides the essential elements of aspirin, while the laurel tree
provides cinnamon used to flavor
many foods. Cork for wine
paper-making process are used in producing cleaning compounds, skin lotions, artificial vanilla flavoring, photographic film and many molded plastic products such as eyeglass frames, football helmets, toothbrushes and buttons.
In addition to Roots providing food for the
Pine
play an important role in keeping our waters free of pollutants. They stabilize the
wood rosin and liquid terpenes used in making many products, including orange flavored soft drinks, pine cleaners and laundry detergents. Hardwood stumps
soil to prevent erosion and sedimentation, and by absorbing nutrients to feed the tree, they prevent these nutrients from entering our rivers and streams.
readily produce sprouts that grow into new trees, assuring that we have plentiful hardwood forests for the future.
tree, roots
Stumps stumps provide the
Fruits & Nuts
While growing on a tree, leaves Foliage produce oxygen, help filter
The fruits, nuts, berries and seeds
of many trees are an important
source of food for wildlife shelter for many wildlife species and manodstpceomplme.oSnomofethoefstehe shacdaerntoauhbelaptkreeparuesucsoeodl.tWophreonduhcaervfuesrtneidtu,rleapvoelsisohf,tchaer are apples, peaches, wax, crayons, lipstick and the coating on many pcoefcfaene,s,awndalnspuitcse,s
such as mace and
nutmeg.
bottles and fishing tackle comes from the cork oak tree. Bark also is burned to produce energy and used as a dye for fabrics, shoe polishes and other products.
Gums, which are found in the sap of trees, are used in Gums the manufacture of a variety of products including food, athdihckeseinviens,g paagienntstsa, npdromvidede iacincreesa. mIny ftoeoxdtus,reg,uamcts asesrve as
pBuarpkoissesusreadngfoinrgafvroamriemtyeodficine to garden mulch to seasoning for foods. The willow tree, for
The branches of large trees and Branches the trunks of smaller trees are
The trunks Trunk of trees are primarily
binders to keep ingredients from separating and help retain moisture. In ice cream and other frozen desserts, gums prevent the formation of crystals. The gums of some trees are used to make adhesives such as glue andhparinrtsipnrgayi,nakn. dOathcetragsudmrysinhgavaegeanttsisienptpiacint
used to make solid wood products such as
properties and are used in making soaps and cough syrups.
furniture, musical instruments, lumber, and handles for tools and sporting equipment. Trunks also are peeled into
Syrup is the most well- Sap known sap product. The
thin sheets and used as veneer for plywood and furniture.
eastern United States is tapped for its sweet sap, which is used to
make maple syrup.
For more information, contact the North Carolina Forestry Association at 1600 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608. Telephone: (919) 834-3943 or (800) 231-7723.
msuecdhicains ebatay,blaertes.uWsehdoilne cleoaovkeisngfr,owmhoiltehtehretroeiels of leaves such as the eucalyptus are extracted for fragrances and flavorings.
sugar maple of the
ESSAYS DUE
OCTOBER 23, 2020