Pine Trees Reading Passage
Pine Trees Reading Passage
Paragraph A: The tree I am gazing at has a very thick, twisted trunk that rises to a medium height, where a stumpy canopy of sharp needles is visible. It's a tree, but it's a really unique one. A park ranger, Ron Simonson, clarifies. Methuselah, a bristlecone pine, is the name given to it. Ron responds, "Because like Methuselah from the Bible, this tree is very old, in fact one of the ancient forms of life on Earth," to my apparent query. Ron responds, "Basically, Methuselah has been around throughout virtually all of documented human history," to my logical next inquiry. I take another look at this plain tree and start to see it deserves a lot of attention.
Paragraph B: Bristlecone pines grow relatively slowly due to their cold environment, short summers, nutrient-poor, dry soil, exposure to strong winds, and long, dreary winters. They do, however, age as all pines do, growing slightly thicker each year when a new growth ring is added to their truck. Methuselah was 4,842 years old as of 2011, which means that it sprouted first as a seedling in 2832 BC, thousands of years earlier the ancient Egyptians started to construct their pyramids. By numbering these, we can reliably state this. And that's just one interesting fact about the Pine Trees, which is a well-known species of tree.
Paragraph C: The vast majority of the Northern Hemisphere is home to Pine Trees. Methuselah himself, which is found growing in the peaks of the White Mountains in Northern California, is one of many species that have adapted to the challenging circumstances of high elevations and latitudes.
Paragraph D: There are more than 100 different types of pines, which range in size from tiny Siberian dwarf pines to enormous Ponderosa pines in the wilds of Oregon. In the more temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere, where they have been introduced, they are now commonly planted and are a common sight in parks and gardens. It wouldn't be an overstatement to claim that practically everyone is familiar with pines.
Paragraph E: There are undoubtedly numerous distinguishing features about these trees. They typically have needle-like leaves, an evergreen appearance, and a strong, pleasant "pine smell." They frequently grow to be imposingly large trees with thick, scaly bark and consistently yield their unique pine cones. These forms are definitely not straightforward. Even when they emerge on the same tree, they can be either male (little, unnoticeable, and dropping pollen) or female (big, woody, and bearing seeds). On the female, they have several scales organised in a spiral with seeds concealed inside. The seeds eventually escape as the cone opens and are primarily carried by the wind or occasionally by birds as they are distributed. In certain species, the cones are closed until a forest fire melts the resin that holds them together.
Paragraph F: The requirement for wildfires for regeneration is the final interesting point about many pine species. Extensive forests of pines can develop in fire-prone environments; 'pine barrens' are a good example. Due to the frequent natural (typically lightning-induced) fires that weed out the less fire-tolerant plants, these ecoregions are characterised by sandy, nutrient-poor soil that is dominated by pines. It is somewhat regrettable that many pine species are no longer found in the wild as a result of current fire protection techniques, and the majority of historic pine barrens are now being overtaken by other forest plants.
Paragraph G: For residential and commercial use, where pines are now fairly widespread, the situation is completely different. These trees are popular for commercial plantations because they grow quickly, can be planted in close proximity to one another, and provide wood that is beautiful and simple to shape. Since the wood is fragrant yet prone to decay, indoor or dry carpentry is where it excels rather than outside, where more durable kinds are required. The branches of Pine Trees are prized for use as Christmas trees, and their wood is also pulped in factories for the manufacturing of paper and chipboard. As a byproduct, pine resin is gathered and utilised to make turpentine, a crucial industrial solvent.
Paragraph H: In a more domestic sense, the cones—the biggest of which are frequently used by kids and crafters—might be what people like the most. Pines are found all over the Northern Hemisphere, and as a result, cones are a common component of the diverse traditional cultures there. Cones can be utilised as decorations, fire starters, bird feeders, or even just fascinating natural toys for young children. Many people regret the displacement of cones by contemporary manufactured toys in the wealthier of these nations, however some Nordic communities still provide traditional "cone-craft" classes in high schools.
Paragraph I: I constantly go back to Methuselah for some reason. Ron shares a tale with me. A student was coring a nearby bristlecone pine in 1964 in order to collect a sample. The tree was cut down in order to allow dating by looking at a cross-section of its trunk after his coring toll broke. As a result, 4,844 rings were counted, which revealed that the tree was more ancient than Methuselah, much to everyone's surprise. Ron grinned sarcastically at the idea. "We destroyed the most ancient life on Earth on intentionally." That is one of the reasons we don't reveal Methuselah's exact location. This tree must remain untouched by humans at all costs since it is valuable.
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