- Northern Tree Habitats - Geophysical Institute
Interior Alaskan forests have only six native tree species: white spruce, black spruce, quaking aspen, balsam poplar, larch (tamarack) and paper birch Northern Canadian forests have all of those, plus jack pine, balsam fir and lodgepole pine Since northern Canada and interior Alaska share the same grueling climate and extremes of daylength, why are the Canadian tree species absent from
- Cottonwood and Balsam Poplar | Geophysical Institute
The Klukwan giant holds the national record for black cottonwood diameter Its nearest rival, a tree near Salem, Oregon, does hold the national height record The Klukwan giant belies the belief that trees tend to get smaller the farther north one goes Both balsam poplar and cottonwood have value for fuel wood, pulp and lumber
- More on Why Tree Trunks Spiral | Geophysical Institute
I eventually found a tree with a spiral lightning mark and it followed the spiral grain exactly One tree, of course, proves nothing "But why should the tree spiral? More speculation here: Foliage tends to be thicker on the south side of the tree because of better sunlight
- Tree Rings and History | Geophysical Institute
A tree's age can be easily determined by counting its growth rings, as any Boy or Girl Scout knows Annually, the tree adds new layers of wood which thicken during the growing season and thin during the winter These annual growth rings are easily discernible (and countable) in cross-sections of the tree's trunk In good growing years, when sunlight and rainfall are plentiful, the growth rings
- Trees as Earthquake Fault Indicators | Geophysical Institute
Then using tree ring dating methods, it may be possible to date earthquakes occurring before historical records were kept The ability to identify and date very large earthquakes occurring within the past thousand years is important in establishing earthquake risk and for predicting future earthquakes
- Burls - Geophysical Institute
Burls, spherical woody growths on the trunks of spruce, birch and other trees, are commonly found throughout wooded parts of Alaska
- Witches Broom | Geophysical Institute
In interior Alaska and some parts of Canada, witches' broom (an abnormal outgrowth of branches of the tree resembling the sweeping end of a broom), is commonly seen on black and white spruce trees From late fall through the winter, the brooms are dark brown or "dead"looking and are often mistaken for birds' and squirrels' nests
- Rock redwoods in Sutton, stone bird tracks in Denali
The twin stems of a 55-million year old fossil tree resting in the soil near Sutton, Alaska Photo by Chris Williams Tracks of a large, crane-like bird that walked in the Denali National Park area about 70 million years ago Figure courtesy of Tony Fiorillo The twin stems of a 55-million year old fossil tree resting in the soil near Sutton
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