Rhiwbina Living

nature
As Cardiff's Coed Caerdydd project takes root in the city, here are
some of the amazing things you probably didn't know about trees
Carbon dioxide removal
Trees are often referred to as 'the lungs of
the planet' and for very good reason - they
absorb and store huge amounts of carbon
dioxide - almost one-third of the carbon
dioxide released from burning fossil fuels
every year. That's around 2.6 billion tonnes!
The entire woodland ecosystem plays an
important role in locking up this carbon
for centuries. They are the ultimate carbon
capture and storage machines.
Wildlife
In the UK alone, oak trees support over
30 different types of mammals, while the
common hawthorn can support up to 300
different types of insects. The RSPB also
say that more than 500 invertebrates feed
on birch trees. And that's even before
you begin to count the huge number of
birds that use the trees for their homes
and food sources. The UK has lost 13% of
its native species abundance since 1970,
leading to a loss of wildlife.
The underground
'internet'
Sometimes referred to as the
wood wide web, trees are able
to communicate with each other
using a huge underground
network of fungi.
Technically known as the
‘mycorrhizal’ network, the trees
and the fungi work with each
other to share nutrients and even
messages with each other via the
network.
If one tree is under attack from
insects, it can warn other trees
in the network about the attack,
and they can then adjust their
defences accordingly.
Mycorrhizal plants are often
more resistant to diseases since
the shared information via the
network allows trees to trigger
their immunity defence.
Trees speak to each other
Trees may seem like inanimate objects but they do in fact communicate
with each other. Scientists have proven that some trees send airborne
chemical signals to each other to warn them of a possible insect attack.
These airborne signals can even convey information outside the plant
kingdom. Some have been shown to attract predators and parasites that
kill the insects that are attacking the tree. A 2013 study found that apple
trees that were under attack by caterpillars released chemicals that
attracted caterpillar-eating birds.
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