Lab 2 Journal Entry, Bioblitz- trees (Bhavya Bhushan)

one unique adaptation for one selected observation:
On the 15th of September 2021, we were asked to go on a naturalist bioblitz where we walked around Mount Royale making different observations, the theme of my group was trees. So I spent time looking for different trees, taking pictures and making observations. One specific tree that caught my eye was the Sugar maple, scientifically known as Acer saccharum. It's roots were large and branched out and were visible from above the ground. Upon further research I found out that that is an adaptation for Sugar Maples, they have adapted their rooting system to be extremely adequate to obtain nutrients and water from the soil. In addition, they have a mutualistic relationship with a specific fungi which allow them to optimize and maximize their water and nutrient intake.

one adaptation that all observations have in common:
A common adaptation that all the observations of my group had was bark, which is an outer covering that protects trees from several external factors like diseases, insects, animals, extreme weather conditions. In addition it has inner spaces for air that act like insulators for the tree allowing them to maitain an optimal temperature.

one phylogeny placement for one selected observation: Sugar Maple

Domain Eukaryota
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Order Sapindales
Family Aceraceae
Genus Acer
Species saccharum

Posted on September 22, 2021 03:12 AM by bbhushan