Trees tend to be long-lived, some reaching several thousand years old. Scientists estimate there are some three trillion mature trees in the world.

Lincoln Park Zoo by Paul Sager, on Flickr


Trees are an evolutionary adaptation found in different groups of plants: by growing taller, trees are able to compete better for sunlight. Trees have been in existence for 370 million years.

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With an estimated 60,000 - 100,000 species, the number of trees worldwide might total 25% of all living plant species.

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Wood gives structural strength to the trunk of most types of tree; this supports the plant as it grows larger. The vascular system of trees allows water, nutrients and other chemicals to be distributed around the plant, and without this vascular system, trees would not be able to grow as large as they do.

Graceland Cemetery in Fall Colors


Trees are either evergreen, having foliage that persists and remains green throughout the year, or deciduous, shedding their leaves at the end of the growing season and then having a dormant period without foliage.

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Leaves are structures specialized for photosynthesis and are arranged on the tree in such a way as to maximize their exposure to light without shading each other.

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Trees have evolved leaves in a wide range of shapes and sizes, in response to environmental pressures including climate and predation. The needles of coniferous trees are compact but are structurally similar to those of broad-leaved trees.

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Broad-leaved trees in temperate regions deal with winter weather by shedding their leaves. When the days get shorter and the temperature begins to decrease, the leaves no longer make new chlorophyll and the red and yellow pigments already present in the blades become apparent.

Bohemian National Cemetery


Images shared in this post use an EOS 1v film camera and a variety of fresh and expired film stocks and EF lenses. The dates and specific details of each image are noted on the host Flickr pages that can be accessed from the image title that is a URL link to Flickr.

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