GenBio2016

AVirtualLabExercise

CAROLINA CONE-HEADS
Sincetodaysweatheriswetandwindy,andsincewehavealectestinthenottoodistant
futuredealingwithOurBigBackYardCarolinasManyFaces,itseemsprudenttogiveyou
thishandsoffopptolearnaboutsomeofourCarolinaGreenery.
Thisdocumentreferstoaportalpostedslideshow;youshouldbeabletofigureoutwhichone.
Doenjoy!
Slide1
InourwhirlwindmountainstotheseaTourofCarolinaEcosystems,wereinitiallyfocusing
onoverallgeographicalpatterns.OnewaytoseethepatterninBigMamaNaturesplanisto
focusonacouplegeneralgroupslikepinetreesoroaktreesorwoodpeckersandseehow
differentspecieswithinthosegroupsareadaptedtodifferentenvironments.
ThisresourcepresentsadozenorsoCONIFERS:treeswithgenerallyneedlelikeleaves,mostof
whichhousetheirseedsinratherthanfruits,andnearlyallofwhichareevergreen.
Iarrangethembyhabitat,fromhighmountainstothecoast,ratherthannecessarilybywhich
onesareclosesttooneanotheronthebranchesoftheTreeFamilyTree.(Icrackmyselfup.)AndIve
triedtogiveyouusefulIDtipstohelpyoukeepthemstraight.TheyalllookGENERALLY
similar,ofcourse(thatsthepoint:tofocusonmembersofasinglegeneralgroup).Butyoucantell
themapart.
Notes:(a)Descriptionsrefertomaturetrees. (b)Whilesometreesarerestrictedtocertainhabitats(e.g.,
FraserFiroccursnaturallyonlyintheHighElevationForest),mostarenotasspecialized;Imusingthemas
examplestocharacterizedifferentecosystems. (c)Nowadays,manyofthesespeciesareplantedas
landscapeorcommercialharvesttrees,sotheycanoccurunnaturallywelloutsideoftheirnormaldigs.

Slide2
Carolinahighelevationforestsexistonlyabove5000elevation,inthecold,windysky
islandrefugialeftbehindbyretreatingglaciers.Themainconifersaresprucesandfirs,which
areEarthsmaindenizensofcold,dark,windyclimates(andmountaintops).
Slide3:RedSpruce
Shape:MidsizedtolargeChristmastree.Bark:Brown,smooth,oftenlichencovered.
Needles:Short(1),flattened,waxy,darkgreen.Cone:midsized;hangsbelowbranch.
Slide4:FraserFir
Shape:MidsizedtolargeSCRAGGLYChristmastree.Bark:Gray,smoothwithoccasional
bumpyoutgrowths.Needles:Short(3/4),flattened,whitishgreen.Cone:midsized;perches
abovebranch.
Slide5
Midelevationforestsgrowfrom4500downto1000.XERICsitesaredrysiteswithpoorsoil
(usuallyonsteep,rockyslopes).
Slide6:PitchPine
Shape:Smalltomidsized,scrawny,misshapenlookintreewithbranchescomingoutevery

whichway.Bark:Gray,thick,withdeepfissures.Needles:2.5long,thin,rounded,notvery
flexible.Cone:midsized;fatbase.

Slide7:VirginiaPine
Shape:Midsized,narrowtrunkedtrunkedtree;branchesstarthigheroffgroundthanPitch
Pine,comingouteverywhichway.Bark:Gray,thin,peeling.Needles:2long,thin,flattened
andTWISTED,flexible.Cone:midsized;fatbase.
Slide8
Midelevationforestsgrowfrom4500downto1000.RIPARIANforestsgrowalongfast
flowingmountaincreeksandrivers.
Slide9:EasternHemlock
Shape:Tall,slender;branchesDROOPdownward.Bark:Brown,thick,withdeepfissures.
Needles:veryshort(1/2),flattened;extendinflatplanefromtwosidesofbranch.Cone:tiny
(1/2),delicate.
Slide10:WhitePine
Shape:Tall,slender;branchescomeofftrunkinWHORLS(severalbranchesradiateoutfrom
samepoint).Bark:Gray,thick,withdeepfissures.Needles:5long(inbundlesof5),verythin,
rounded,whitishgreen,veryflexible.Cone:long,thin,fragile.
Slide11
Piedmontforestsgrowfrom900downto250elevation.ThetypicalPiedmontforestexists
inMESICsites(decentsoilsandfairtomiddlinrainfall).
Slide12:ShortleafPine
Shape:Tall,sortaroundedcanopy;branchescomeoffhaphazardlystartingwellaboveground.
Bark:Brown,thick,withdeepfissures.Needles:2long(inbundlesof2),rounded,deepgreen,
rigid.Cone:Small(1.52),robust.
Slide13:LoblollyPine
Shape:VerysimilartoShortleaf,butwithfluffierlookinfbranches(duetolongerneedles).
Bark:Brown,configuredasflatplates(lookslikeasunbaked,driedoutpond).Needles:4
long(inbundlesof3),rounded,yellowishgreen,rigid.Cone:Big(45),robust.
Slide14
PiedmontsiteswithhighlimestonecontenthaveahighersoilpHthannormalandhost
somewhatdifferenttrees.
Slide15:EasternRedcedar
Shape:YoungeroneslooklikebushyChristmastrees;reallyoldonesloselowerbranches.
Bark:Brown,peelsoffinverynarrowstrips.Needles:Fleshy,notreallyneedleshaped.
Cone:Femaleseedlooksmorelikeasmallberrythanatruecone;blue,highlyaromatic.Male
treehassmall,rustcoloredcones.
Slide16
TheSandhillecosystemliesalongtheFallLine,whichdividesthePiedmontfromtheInner
CoastalPlain.
Slide17:LongleafPine
Shape:Likeaverytall,slendertrunkedLoblollyorShortleafPine;branchescomeoff
haphazardlystartingwellaboveground.Bark:Brown,thin;whenpiecespealoff,theyleavea

redsunburn.Needles:Long(yathink?!),610,rounded,deepgreen,rigid.Cone:Big(45),
robust.
Slide18
CoastalPlainforestsgrowfrom250downto~20elevation.Flatwoodsareforestsgrowing
on(waitforit)flatsiteswithsoilsthatalternatebetweenwetanddry.
Slide19:SlashPine
KindalikeacrossbetweenaLoblollyPineandaLongleafPineconfusing.Iwillnotask
youtoIDit.
Slide20
CoastalPlainforestsgrowfrom250downto~20elevation.HYDRICCPforestsareflooded
foratleastpartoftheyear.RIPARIAN(floodplain)forestsarevariablesoImignoringthem
herebutswampforestsaremorepredictable.SOthelastofourconifersis
Slide21:Baldcypress(a.k.a.,Cypress)
Shape:LikeanEasternHemlockstandinginwater.Bark:SimilartoERedcedarbrown,
peelsoffinstrips.Needles:Again,likeaHemlockveryshort(1/2),flattened;extendinflat
planefromtwosidesofbranch.Cone:Round,fleshylikeafruit(butitsnot).
Andthereyahaveit!Afterjustabitofstudying,youllknowenoughaboutCarolinaconifersto
asmotivationalguruDaleCarnegieputitwinfriendsandinfluencepeople!
(YoumayneedtowinNEWfriendsafteracurrentonesays,Hey,gograbthefrisbeefromunderthatpinetree,
andyouretortThatsnotaPINEtree,youdumb$&!+thatsanEasternHemlock!)