Monterey Pine
Take a Quick Glance...
A Closer Look...
Scientific Name : Pinus Radiata
Angiosperm or Gymnosperm: Gymnosperm
Natural Habitat: Native to North America, commonly found along the coast of CA
Leaf: Shiny dark green needles approximately 4-6 inches in length; 3 needles per fascicle that are slender
Seed/Fruit & Germination: Fruit is an oval egg-shape approximately 3-6 inches long that are shiny brown; usually in clusters and have thick cone like scales that are rounded; Flower has reproductive organs of both a male and female and is therefore monoecious; male cones have yellow spikes and female cones are of a dark purple
Species: Species of animals found in or surrounding tree include many various kinds of birds such as hawks, eagles, and owls; squirrels also commonly make this tree their habitat
Bark: Bark is a deep red-brown that is very thick and with ridges and furrows
Ethnobotony: The Pine species is one of the most important types of tree species to the human kind. The Monterey Pine and other forms of trees within the pine species have been used for various types of reasons throughout time. They have been "...valued for naval timbers, naval stores, and construction materials, were harvested in an east-to-west pattern across North America" (Richardson, 2007). Also it was found that they were exploited for their wood and seeds for purposes among cultures universally (Richardson, 2007). In addition, "Harvesting activities have clearly influenced pine forests...harvesting of nuts; fuel wood gathering; logging of pines; and logging of broad-leaved trees" are all ways that humans have interacted and used the Monterey Pine tree and other related pine species (Richardson, 2007). Therefore, humans have altered and influenced how Monterey Pine and other pines within the tree species are allocated.
Angiosperm or Gymnosperm: Gymnosperm
Natural Habitat: Native to North America, commonly found along the coast of CA
Leaf: Shiny dark green needles approximately 4-6 inches in length; 3 needles per fascicle that are slender
Seed/Fruit & Germination: Fruit is an oval egg-shape approximately 3-6 inches long that are shiny brown; usually in clusters and have thick cone like scales that are rounded; Flower has reproductive organs of both a male and female and is therefore monoecious; male cones have yellow spikes and female cones are of a dark purple
Species: Species of animals found in or surrounding tree include many various kinds of birds such as hawks, eagles, and owls; squirrels also commonly make this tree their habitat
Bark: Bark is a deep red-brown that is very thick and with ridges and furrows
Ethnobotony: The Pine species is one of the most important types of tree species to the human kind. The Monterey Pine and other forms of trees within the pine species have been used for various types of reasons throughout time. They have been "...valued for naval timbers, naval stores, and construction materials, were harvested in an east-to-west pattern across North America" (Richardson, 2007). Also it was found that they were exploited for their wood and seeds for purposes among cultures universally (Richardson, 2007). In addition, "Harvesting activities have clearly influenced pine forests...harvesting of nuts; fuel wood gathering; logging of pines; and logging of broad-leaved trees" are all ways that humans have interacted and used the Monterey Pine tree and other related pine species (Richardson, 2007). Therefore, humans have altered and influenced how Monterey Pine and other pines within the tree species are allocated.
Creative Writing
Pinus Radiata
I sit below you underneath your shade
During a cool and brisk day as the sun fills the sky with its light
I fix my gaze from the forest in which u lay
To high above me
Deep furrows in your bark
Travel up and down with no end
No purpose and no destination
Ridges move across your bark like waves of the ocean
Crashing in to the wood and leaving their mark
I set my gaze on to the sunlight that peaks through you
Higher and higher you venture
Tall and giant you stand
As if you were a skyscraper staring down on to a city
My eyesight unable to detect your highest point
Squirrels race one another
They weave in and out through your branches and twigs
Their quick steps shake the cones of your tree
As they fall far below where they had grown
Gravity forcing them down to the earth
Only to leave them isolated beneath you
Owls hoot from the treetop
As hawks eye their prey they will soon pursue
I strain my eyes just to see the other critters
That have found your tree as a home
Your pine needles
So evergreen and bright to any set of eyes
That can be seen through any season
Never to escape or disappear
Appearing in clusters coming out in every way
Reaching and reaching to see the light of day
I allow my gaze to resume to the horizon
Sitting myself propped upon your trunk
I close my eyes and listen to the sounds of nature
Your roots beneath me whisper a silent lullaby
As I sink in to a slumber
I sit below you underneath your shade
During a cool and brisk day as the sun fills the sky with its light
I fix my gaze from the forest in which u lay
To high above me
Deep furrows in your bark
Travel up and down with no end
No purpose and no destination
Ridges move across your bark like waves of the ocean
Crashing in to the wood and leaving their mark
I set my gaze on to the sunlight that peaks through you
Higher and higher you venture
Tall and giant you stand
As if you were a skyscraper staring down on to a city
My eyesight unable to detect your highest point
Squirrels race one another
They weave in and out through your branches and twigs
Their quick steps shake the cones of your tree
As they fall far below where they had grown
Gravity forcing them down to the earth
Only to leave them isolated beneath you
Owls hoot from the treetop
As hawks eye their prey they will soon pursue
I strain my eyes just to see the other critters
That have found your tree as a home
Your pine needles
So evergreen and bright to any set of eyes
That can be seen through any season
Never to escape or disappear
Appearing in clusters coming out in every way
Reaching and reaching to see the light of day
I allow my gaze to resume to the horizon
Sitting myself propped upon your trunk
I close my eyes and listen to the sounds of nature
Your roots beneath me whisper a silent lullaby
As I sink in to a slumber
Current Research
Plants rely on their ability to use and maintain induced defensive mechanisms in order to protect themselves from aggressive microorganisms. The Monterey Pine tree "responds to infection by Fusarium circinatum in a manner consistent with systemic induced resistance" (Bonello, Gordon & Storer, 2001). Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR), allows plants are injected with pathogenic organisms to develop a stronger resistance in the future with the same or different pathogen. Fusarium circinatum is a pathogenic fungus that produces pitch cankers in pines (Bonello, Gordon & Storer, 2001). It is important that specific trees such as the Monterey Pine receive this treatment or else the pitch cankers disease can cause several harmful effects upon the tree ultimately destroy the tree's mortality.
The studies show how providing the opportunity for Monterey Pine to be exposed and treated through this method can in fact benefit them and the tree species as a whole. The importance of the Monterey Pine includes how it is heavily relied on for its beneficial source of being a renewable and economically efficient resource (Bonello, Gordon, & Storer, 2001). Multiple experiments show that the Monterey Pine's vulnerability to this fungus has declined due to a prior injection or catching of it.
The studies show how providing the opportunity for Monterey Pine to be exposed and treated through this method can in fact benefit them and the tree species as a whole. The importance of the Monterey Pine includes how it is heavily relied on for its beneficial source of being a renewable and economically efficient resource (Bonello, Gordon, & Storer, 2001). Multiple experiments show that the Monterey Pine's vulnerability to this fungus has declined due to a prior injection or catching of it.
References
Bonello, Gordon, & Storer. (2001). Systemic induced resistance in Monterey pine. Forest Pathology, 31(2), 99-106. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0329.2001.00230.x
http://ehis.ebscohost.com.mantis.csuchico.edu/eds/detail?vid=20&sid=dab696c1-3589-4c70-8f9b-017a9c67f6ff%40sessionmgr113&hid=104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=aph&AN=4564258
Richardson, D. M. (2007). Human Impacts in Pine Forests: Past, Present, and Future. Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 38, 275-297.
Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. (n.d.). Monterey Pine. Retrieved from vTree website: http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=232
http://ehis.ebscohost.com.mantis.csuchico.edu/eds/detail?vid=20&sid=dab696c1-3589-4c70-8f9b-017a9c67f6ff%40sessionmgr113&hid=104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=aph&AN=4564258
Richardson, D. M. (2007). Human Impacts in Pine Forests: Past, Present, and Future. Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 38, 275-297.
Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. (n.d.). Monterey Pine. Retrieved from vTree website: http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=232