Have you ever wondered where the
wood used to build your house came from? Maybe you wondered how it was grown?
What about other plants? Tree and plant growth play a huge part in our lives
since they can be made into so many useful products for us, but we also must
think about how we should manage plant growth. Trees are grown naturally, but
also plantation forest are also put into place to growth trees for lumber. Plant such as crops, also have different management
options such as organic and conventional methods.
In order to be able to manage plant
growth, we must first look at how the tree uses water and sunlight to grow. Water is vital in the growth of plants. The water
travels up the tree from the roots to the leaves in cells called the xylem. Trees use this water for photosynthesis to
turn carbon dioxide into sugar that is food for the plant. The newly made sugar
is then transported from the leaves to various parts of the plant for energy
through phloem cells (Studios). This distribution
of nutrients allows the tree to grow through the vascular cambia which
separates the phloem cells and xylem cells.
Every year, the vascular cambia adds a layer of xylem and phloem cells resulting
in the rings we see in logs. This makes
the outer part of the tree the youngest while the inside rings are the oldest
(Annual).
On the other hand, corn is an
annual plant. From the seed, corn goes
through germination, vegetative growth, and reproductive development. Corn only
has a single growing point where all the leaves originate from a single point
unlike trees. Corn has primary growth meaning it grows from the roots and
leaves whereas trees are secondary and grow outwards. Like trees, corn has
xylem and phloem cells that transport water and nutrients (Corn).
Now that we know how corn and trees
are grow, we can investigate different management options. Trees are grown in
natural forests and plantation forest. Natural forest relies on natural regeneration
with no fertilizers, pesticides, or irrigation and overall has a lower yield of
wood per hectare. Planation forest more
intensely managed to maximized wood production. Fertilization, irrigation, and
pesticides are used, and the average yield is up to ten times greater than
natural forest (Cornin). Both of these forests play a role in the wood we used
for houses, paper, furniture, and many other things.
Similar to trees, there are a
variety of management practices put in place for crops as well. Crops can be
managed either conventionally or organically. Conventional practices are
similar to that of forest plantations where the crop is strategically planted,
fertilized, and harvested to produce maximum yield. Furthermore, organic management
is similar to natural forests where fertilizers and pesticides are regulated
and prohibited (Organic). Organic crops
are regulated more closely due to the regulation using only natural management
plans. As with trees, organic and conventional crops all help supply food to
the world.
In conclusion, knowing how plants
grow and how using particular management practices help us to understand how these
products supply and feed the world. It
is important to know where these products come from and how they are managed
since they are such as huge part of how we function in our world.
“Annual Growth Rings: Tree Knowledge: Booklet:
Forest Academy - Domtar.” Annual Growth Rings | Tree Knowledge |
Booklet | Forest Academy - Domtar, https://www.theforestacademy.com/tree-knowledge/annual-growth-rings/#.XanMf0ZKhPY.
“Corn History and
How It Grows.” Corn History and How It Grows - Garden.org, https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/397/.
Cronin, Aisling
Maria. “The Difference Between a Man-Made and Natural Forest. Why One Threatens
the Future of the Other.” One Green Planet, One Green Planet, 21
Apr. 2016, https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/difference-between-man-made-forest-and-natural-one/.
“Organic vs
Conventional.” Rodale Institute,
https://rodaleinstitute.org/why-organic/organic-basics/organic-vs-conventional/.
Studios, Rader.
“Vascular Systems of Plants.” Biology Basics, http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_xylemphloem.html.
