1. Parts of Tree

2. Tree Parts
What are the Three Main parts of a tree and What are Their Functions?
1. Crown: Manufactures food
2. Stem/trunk: Transports food, minerals, & water up and down the plant
3. Roots: Absorb water and minerals and transport them up through the stem to the crown.

3. Main Parts of a Tree

4. Trunk Parts
Heartwood: Dead wood located in the center of the stem. Provides strength to the tree.
Phloem: Food conducting tissue, brings the food from the leaves to the other parts of the tree
Xylem: Supporting and water-conducting tissue, sometimes called the inner bark. The xylem brings the water up the tree
Bark: Outer surface that protects the inner parts of the trunk

5. Growth of a Tree

6. Dendrochronology: the scientific study of growth patterns and the aging of trees as shown in their rings.
Dendrodisc: tree cookie; a cross-sectional slice of a tree

7. Why study tree cookies?
The growth rings of very old trees can tell us much about the weather conditions in long-ago times.
In periods of great drought, the rings do not grow as thick as in seasons when rainfall is plentiful.
From that fact, scientific historians can piece together many secrets of the long-dead past

8. What can the rings tell us?
Easily visible rings can provide information about the weather, soil and light conditions over time

9. Why do Annual Rings vary in Width?
1. Competition for necessities
2. The amount of supply
3. Human interruption – selective cutting
4. Natural Disasters - fires, insect damage, etc.

10. Tree Cookies!

11. Growth/Tree Rings The dark lines represent the summer months
The lighter rings represent the spring growing season

13. Observations and Inferences
For each picture, please draw it and record your observations and inferences

14. A.

15. Possible Inferences - Construction Growing on a slope
May also be a fallen tree blocking the tree's growth

16. B.

17. Possible Inferences
- Insect attack
- Dead branch

18. C.

19. Possible Inferences
- Fire damage
- Large section of tissue damaged

20. D.

21. Possible Inferences
Drought
Insect attack