Lately I have been helping with some prescribed burning in the oak forests and prairie restorations of central Illinois. The tree best adapted to survive these fires and my all-time favorite tree is bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa). Most individuals have a little bit of corky-winged armor on their twigs and small branches, but a bur oak on my parents property has the armor that I have ever seen. Only the very tips of the twigs are exposed to the elements the rest of the twig is protected with heavy armor increasing the diameter of the twig from .5cm to as much as 2.5cm. This tree should have no problem shrugging off any prescribed fire that ecologists throw at it for many years to come.
See more at www.buroakbotanicals.blogspot.com
Amazing detail drawn and such interesting information. There is so much happening around us in nature that we take for granted.
ReplyDeleteCould you tell me what paper this is drawn on and scanning levels? The detail captured is great.
Nate, this is delightful, thank you. Beautiful work and just the kind of info I love learning about nature. (And I love bur oaks too!)
ReplyDeleteThanks Alissa, I drew this on Bristol board 300 Series - I like the really smooth surface. I scanned it at 300dpi but then spliced two scans in Powerpoint (the only program I have access to) which reduces the quality of the image again.
ReplyDeleteWonderful drawing Nate. The "armor" you talk about is still bark, right? Doesn't it burn? Or perhaps, having burned and fallen off, it leaves the underneath unscathed? This is fascinating. thank you.
ReplyDeletePaula, Yes the "armor" is just bark but it acts more like insulation - protecting the tender twigs from intense heat.
ReplyDeleteYour drawing brought back good memories of the toughness of burr oaks. We had some on the land where I grew up. Their tough little acorns look as though they are buried in a gnarly cap.
ReplyDelete