Naturalist Roger Tory Peterson says that unlike the precise silhouette of birds, a tree is not so consistent in form or shape: "The beginner, learning his trees, yearns for a book that will give him shapes and field marks by which he can make snap identification. Though not technically a part of a tree, the tree shape is still a distinguishing feature and another way to help in its identification. The hard part is separating the various oak or pine species without looking at additional tree features. You can very readily distinguish between an oak and a pine by looking at the bark. For this reason, only the broadest classifications can be determined using bark alone. Textures are divided into at least 18 types, from smooth (beech) to spiny (locust). The cambium (a watery layer only a few cells thick) is the generative layer, giving rise to both xylem and phloem.īark textures are relatively uniform by tree species and make a great visual marker for broad tree identification. Phloem carries manufactured food (sugars) from the leaves to the roots.
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Xylem carries water and minerals from the roots to the leaves. The bark's phloem transports large quantities of nutrients throughout the tree. Bark also has several physical functions one is ridding the tree of wastes by absorbing and locking them into its dead cells and resins. The bark is a tree's natural armor and protection from external threats.