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Colorful trees
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These are rainbow eucalyptus trees ( Eucalyptus deglupta) and they hail from the Philippine Islands. The trees get their name from the striking colours observed on their trunks and limbs. Although it may look like someone took a paintbrush to them, these colours are entirely natural. Unlike most trees, the rainbow eucalyptus does not have a thick, cork-like layer of bark on its trunk. The bark is smooth and as it grows it 'exfoliates' layers of spent tissue. This exfoliation technique occurs at different stages and in different zones of the tree. Once a layer is shed, a new fresh green bark is exposed. As this new bark ages, we can see the tissue change colour to dark green followed by a bluish colour, then to purple and pink-orange and then f ...
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4071 |
savio |
10 years ago |
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Surviving nuclear war
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This Bonsai tree was planted in 1626, and survived the atomic bomb at Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945, 68 years ago today. It was given to the people of the United States as a Bicentennial Gift in 1976.
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3118 |
savio |
10 years ago |
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The basket tree
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In the early 1900s, Swedish tree sculptor Axel Erlandson planted “The Basket Tree.” Actually, this is a bit of a misnomer, as it is a collection of six different Sycamore trees that have been grafted together. In the late 1940s, Erlandson opened a roadside oddity attraction containing 20 to 30 tree sculptures. Today, they have been transplanted and are on display at Gilroy Gardens amusement park in California.
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3210 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
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Tree climbing goats
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Found in Morocco, they climb these Argan tree in search of food. It's hard to imagine that animals with hooves could be so adept at climbing but these images are 100% real. Food is fairly sparse in this area, so they have to grab it when they can - even if it's high up in a tree! The secret to their ability to climb lies in the shape of their hooves. The keratin reinforced hoof wall adds strength, while the soft textured sole provides traction and grip. It's also capable of deforming inwards to counter irregularities in the terrain. Their toes are capable of operating independently giving them more of a "grip". These hooves evolved to allow the goats to climb rocky, mountainous areas - but they've shifted ecosystems to the trees! ...
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3892 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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Dental hygiene and the rainforest
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 Chewing sticks are used by many people instead of toothbrushes. The neem tree grows in many Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries. Indigenous people in these areas know that chewing neem twigs is good for their teeth. The epidermal tissues contain chemicals that kill bacteria and reduce inflammation. The study of how indigenous (native) plants are used by different cultures is known as ethnobotany.
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7304 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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Here's how to preserve the Amazon rainforest
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In 2005 Swedish millionaire Johan Eliasch purchased a 400,000-acre (1,600 km 2) area of land in the heart of the Amazon rainforest from a logging company for the sole purpose of it’s preservation. Johan Eliasch, born in Sweden, is the Chairman and CEO of Head N.V. the global sporting goods group, and is the former Special Representative of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In 2005, Johan Eliasch created the Rainforest Trust and purchased for preservation purposes a 400,000-acre (1,600 km2) rainforest area in the heart of the Amazon rainforest near the Madeira River. Johan Eliasch co-founded Cool Earth in 2006, a charity he co-chairs, which sponsors local NGO's to conserve endangered rainforest and has over 120,000 registered members. ...
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4564 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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What's the world's most delicious fruit?
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Ever wondered why two of the world's most delicious fruits - the mango and the avocado - have such enormous seeds? Turns out they likely evolved to be swallowed whole by megafauna, like our modern-day rhinos and elephants, that once ruled the Earth, to be deposited far away from their host plant and wrapped in a fresh dollop of fertiliser. That's why these seeds are nicknamed 'ghosts of evolution'.
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6629 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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