When I am exploring the fresh water
shorelines nothing stands out as being more iconic than the Bald
Cypress Trees from the Redwood family. Although it is the state tree
of Louisiana, these trees native range is from south Florida up to
Delaware and as far west as central Texas. Their adaptations make
them so unique and important.
At first glance you notice their sheer
size. These magnificent trees can live around 600 years and in that
time reach heights of up to 150 feet with a trunk diameter of 12
feet! They are EXTREMELY flood tolerate and will often times line the
shores of fresh water rivers and even take root in the middle of the
waterway. They are dedicous meaning that they drop their needles
(leaves) in the fall. This variety of cypress drops their leaves very
early in the season and does not begin to bloom until late in the
spring which is how it earned its name as the 'Bald' Cypress. Most
trees that are dedicous are not conifers eith er which is another
aspect that is special in this tree. It is also monoecious, meaning
that is produces both male catkins and female cones each year. The
male catkins are 3 to 5 inches long, purplish in color and hang in
clusters while the female cones are round and change from green to a
purplish brown as they mature. The mature cones can hold anywhere
between 2 and 34 seeds but average 16. Every year seeds are produced
but every 3-5 years they will produce a larger abundance of seeds.
Another amazing feature of these trees
are their root systems. Each tree has a series of three different
kinds of roots, each with a specific task. One type of root that most
plants have in common is the taproots. Taproots are the roots that
shoot straight down in search of water. They also have anchor roots
which move down and out helping them firmly establish themselves in
the saturated soil. They third kind of root is my favorite! They are
lateral roots that travel straight out near the surface and send
conical protrusions up past the surface of the soil and water. These
protrusions are pneumatophore meaning air bearing, but are more
commonly called knees. It is thought that these roots' knees help
anchor the tree and also allow it to draw fresh air down to the root
system.
There are numerous things that make
these trees such an incredibly important part of their ecosystems.
From their crowns to their roots here is a list of what they do that
makes them amazing!- Many raptors such as bald eagles and osprey use the tops of these trees as nesting locations.
- Limbs draped with Spanish moss make great nesting locations for other wading birds and well as some song birds.
- The seeds produces are a source of food for a long list of critters including wild turkeys, ducks, squirrels and many more. This also helps in distribute seeds to other areas. When animals ingest the seeds not all of them are fully digested and can pass through their digestive track and are 'deposited' at other locations.
- Inside the trunks of older trees (200 years+) they begin to develop heartwood which is decay resistant and can be used after the tree has died for building many different types of things.
- The bark which peels off the trunk in thin strips was once used by Native Americans to make rope.
- They roots make these tree nearly hurricane proof making them able to shield nearby structures from some harsh winds.
- The roots also provide shelter and breeding grounds to crawfish, warblers, and a large variety of amphibians.
- Roots also form a sort of dam system that slows flood waters allowing for more water to be absorbed by the ground and minimizing damage to the surrounding area.
- The final terrific task I will mention today is the roots ability to capture sediments in order to prevent erosion and pollutants so that they aren't spread further throughout the water way.
How can we make sure that these
fabulous trees stick around so that they can continue to protect and
contribute to their ecosystems?
When purchasing any product made from
cypress we should verify it was harvested legally and in a
sustainable way. Even though trees are a renewable resource it is
important to think about the time it takes to renew it. Since
heartwood takes at least 200 years to form these trees are not easily
renewable. Some products are made from cypress farmers which are a
responsible source, however others are harvested from waterways.
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