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Historic Trees: The Rare Northern Utah Hybrid Oak

2022-09-08T10:00:00+00:00

In 1954, Rudy Drobnick, a graduate student studying under the famous Utah botanist, Dr. Walter Cottam, was hiking on the west side of the Oquirrh Mountains when he noticed the grove of oaks he was passing through had distinct features, different from others in the area and any he had seen before. Moving forward in his studies with the possibility that he had found a new oak in mind, he shifted the focus of his thesis to this potentially groundbreaking discovery. Through his field research, Drobnick discovered a few additional isolated groups of this distinct oak, including one on the University of Utah grounds nearby what would later become Cottam’s Oak Grove, where Dr. Walter Cottam stationed a tree nursery where he recreated the conditions that would reproduce and confirm Drobnick’s discovery of rare, hybridized oaks.

These hybrids are a product of a historic natural process that took place 5,000 to 7,000 years ago – a time when Utah and the Great Basin region was wetter and hotter. During this time, the habitat zones of the northern quercus gambelii (Gambel or scrub oak) and southern quercus turbinella (sonoran scrub oak or canyon live oak) briefly overlapped. The two species met in the brief intersection of their habitable zones and hybridized, creating the unique gambelii x turbinella hybrid. Cottam recreated this process by pollinating q. gambelli starts with the pollen from q. turbinella on a site similar to locations where the hybrid is found in the wild. This grove of human-produced hybrids is now known as the Cottam Oak Grove and is located in what is now Red Butte Garden & Arboretum. Through this experiment, Cottam was able to effectively prove that hybridization between the two species is possible when conditions are right, confirming their suspected history. This discovery drew biologists from all over the world – they had to see the hybrid oaks.

Now, the hybrid oaks in the wild stand as “living fossils,” providing us with evidence of Utah’s climate past and Cottam’s Oak Grove stands as a relic of Utah’s contributions to the world of science and our community’s ardent engagement with the natural world around us.

The Amazing Arctic Willow

2022-11-16T14:00:00+00:00

The arctic brings to mind visions of barren, white, ice-laden tundras and intense snow storms, nary a leaf in sight. A harsh landscape with minimal resources for survival - but still a vibrant ecosystem called home by organisms big and small, including arctic hares, polar bears, flowers, and even trees!

Although trees in the arctic don’t reach heights as grand as elsewhere in the world, they are still there, providing the same benefits to the land and its inhabitants as they do anywhere else. Their roots help precent erosion, their branches provide shelter for wildlife, and their leaves carry nutrients that are essential for certain animals’ survival. Tree species in the arctic include alder, birch, juniper, and willows.

Arctic willows are the hardiest of the bunch, growing in the broadest range of environmental conditions. The tree is incredibly adaptable, tolerating droughts, urban pollution, occasional flooding, and any soil type - a hardcore survivor. In the harshest conditions, the tree might only grow up to six inches tall, cementing its status as a dwarf species. When conditions are right, however, the tree can grow up to 5 feet tall with a spread of 7 feet. Its amazing adaptability has enabled the tree to become the northernmost woody plant in the world, with its natural habitat extending far above the tree line all the way to the north coast of Greenland. You can also find the tree growing in the wild further south in the Sierra Nevadas and in the Rocky Mountains.

While the tree’s natural habitat doesn’t extend into the Utah valleys, the Arctic willow can be used in home landscaping in the northern areas of Utah. Its low profile and dense branches make it a perfect addition to live wind barriers to protect homes from winter winds.

In addition to its utility in home landscaping, the Arctic willow has been used in several ways by the Inuit and Gwich’in for generations. The plant has been used for medicinal purposes, such as relieving toothaches, curing indigestion, and as a poultice on wounds. It is also a valuable food source for those living in the Bathurst Inlet area. Especially as a source for vitamin C which, as you can imagine, is hard to come by in the arctic. One young leaf from the Arctic Willow contains 7 - 10 times more vitamin C than an orange! The soft insides of young shoots are also an essential source of fiber. The tree is also an essential food source for the Arctic woolly bear moth, whose larvae depend entirely on Arctic willows as their primary food source.

Trees are essential components of ecosystems, even in the harsh ecosystems like the arctic. Without them, our planet couldn’t support the vibrant, thriving life that exists today. To learn more about the benefits of trees in our urban ecosystem, click here.

TreeUtah - Identity

2020-05-29T16:30:58+00:00

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What role do dead trees have in the ecosystem?

2024-08-28T17:15:13+00:00

In urban and wild environments, living trees play an essential part in sustain a healthy ecosystem. We rely on trees to maintain our water supply, clean our air, and provide a safe habitat. These benefits are well-known among all tree lovers and they’re a big part of why we’re so passionate about bringing trees to communities across Utah. Did you know the benefits of trees extend past their living years? Dead trees (snags) and downed logs continue to be an important resource for wildlife.

Whether they’re upright or toppled, dead trees continue to play a role in the cycle of life in the ecosystems in which they’re situated. It’s estimated that up to two thirds of all wildlife species rely on downed trees for some aspect of their life cycle. The decaying surface of a snag acts as a growth substrate for many species of fungus, moss, and lichen. Moths, worms, beetles, and snails use spaces under the bark as shelter or a place for foraging. Birds enjoy these hotspots of small invertebrates as a reliable source for food. Primary cavity nesters, such as woodpeckers, prefer the softwood of snags for nesting and secondary cavity nesters use these abandoned holes for their own nests in the next season. These cavities also serve as dens and food storage for small mammals, like squirrels or even bats.

In addition to their benefit as a primary resource for living creatures, dead trees contribute to the cycle of life by cycling nutrients back into the soil. Decomposers, like fungi and snails, help break down the snags as they decay. As the organic matter breaks down into its component parts, it releases nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus into the soil that go on to nourish plants and other organisms in the ecosystem, including saplings. In effect, these dead trees act as mulch for a growing forest.

Dead trees also continue to play an essential part in helping us fight climate change. Even after a tree dies, the carbon dioxide absorbed while it was living remains trapped in its wood. Dead wood accounts for up to 50% of the carbon currently stored in forests. Their slow, natural decay means this carbon will remain sequestered for years, cycling through the ecosystem at a manageable pace and ensuring the ecosystem remains stable.

While we’re certainly not going to be going out to the forest to create more snags (planting new trees is more fun and makes way more sense), we feel it’s important to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of trees in all stages of their life. As little saplings, as towering giants, and as eroding snags, trees play an incredible role in our ecosystem.

Want to help us create a strong ecosystem? Join us at our tree planting events this Fall!

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