tree fell
over—to provide firm support, roots must grow deep
down into the ground.
Sometimes a tree stump will show you just how
important the roots
are.
In
fact,
they're the most import-
ant part of the tree, Why? Because often a shoot will
grow out of
an
old stump, and this shoot
can
grow up
to be
an
adult
tree.
It's really the
same
tree,
except now
it has
a
whole new trunk.
Roots may be very strong, but they're also sensi-
tive.
They really don't like it when people walk on
them or, even worse, when cars drive over them.
They may get squashed and even injured. Diseases
could get into their wounds and spread through
their trunks. Then the tree will die before it has
a chance to grow old.
SOME TREE ROOTS ARE GIGANTIC. The roots of
the Moreton Boy fig are so enormous you
could
easily play hide-and-seek
in
them. These
enormous roots support enormous crowns: the
branches
can spread
out
a
hundred feet (30 m]
or
more.
Roots can extend
far below the surface,
as
well.
In
its search for life-giving water, a wild
fig in the Echo Caves in South Africa has grown
roots
a record
four
hundred
feet (122 m) deep-
deeper than a football field is
long.
Strong Roots
Chapter 2
GROWING
UP IN
THE
FOREST
MANY ANIMALS LIVE
IN
FAMILIES,
just like you. But what about trees?
How do mother trees know where
their children are? How do trees share
food with their aunts, uncles, and
grandparents? And what are their
secrets for living to a grand old age?
Chapter 2
GROWING
UP IN
THE
FOREST
MANY ANIMALS LIVE
IN
FAMILIES,
just like you. But what about trees?
How do mother trees know where
their children are? How do trees share
food with their aunts, uncles, and
grandparents? And what are their
secrets for living to a grand old age?
Most trees like to live
in
families, and in each family there are–of course–children!
That's why trees work to grow strong–so they can have babies. You can see this
for yourself when they're
in
bloom.
Pine trees release so much pollen,
it can look like a cloud of dust.
share the same "house," so
to speak. With some trees,
such as the willow, trees are
either male or female—the
male
