Trees and Forests

A tree can be compared to a treasure. A large group of trees, a forest, can be compared to a treasure chest. How?

If you were to open a forest treasure chest, you might find inside a pair of lungs. Forests are called "the lungs of the planet" because trees produce oxygen, which we breathe. A mature leafy tree produces enough oxygen to keep 10 people alive per year.

Inside the forest treasure chest, you might find a recycle symbol. Trees cycle water and nutrients. Some water passes through trees and out the leaves to be carried into the air (by a process called transpiration) where it returns as rain.

Trees are also recyclers in another way. Dead matter or waste from animals and plants that ends on the forest floor is broken down and then absorbed by tree roots, which trees then use to grow and thrive. Trees absorb poisons, or pollutants, such as dangerous chemicals that have entered the soil. Trees can either store harmful pollutants or actually change the pollutant into less harmful forms. Trees also clean the air. They absorb carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

A forest is a home for many animals and other types of plants. Without trees to provide food, moist air, stable temperatures, and protection, plants and animals that make forests their home would not survive.

Besides supporting life, tree roots hold or anchor soil in place. When most trees are removed from an area, the soil might be washed away. This is called erosion. Trees slow storm water run-off.

For thousands of years, trees have supported life for humans. They shade and cool. They have been used for food, shelter, clothing, household items, and fuel. Today, forests provide raw materials that create jobs for many people.

In this unit, you will journey through forests, and look closely at trees. When you have completed your journey, you will have a new appreciation for the parts of trees, how to tell trees apart, and the many reasons trees are an important part of our planet.

Essential Question

What role do trees and forests have in  the world?

Targets

At the end of this Unit you should be able to answer the following questions;

1. Why are  trees important?

1.1 Why do trees and forests have value?

1.2 In what ways do plants and animals live on, under, and among trees?

1.3 What role do trees have in nutrient cycles?

1.4 How do you humans use trees as natural resources?

2. What makes trees unique?

2.1 How can you identify various trees?

2.2 What can you learn from leaf shapes and tree growth patterns?

3. What effect do people have on trees and forests?

3.1 Why have people changed the way they have use forests?

3.2 How do we best manage forest resources?

Notebook

Throughout this unit, you will keep a Notebook. The PDF downloads are the pages of your Notebook.

• Create a folder on your computer or in the cloud titled “Trees Notebook”.
• Save all of the PDF downloads to this folder.

Whenever you see this icon you will be directed to use the Trees Notebook folder you created.