The next time you go for a drive, see how many varieties of tree you can recognize. It might be easier than you think at this time of year, because some trees hold onto their dead leaves throughout the winter.
In this latest Nature Moments video, Bowdoin’s Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Natural Sciences Nathaniel T. Wheelwright, explains why some species of beech and oak tree put their evolutionary history on display at this time of year.
If you want to make your own natural history observations, The Naturalist’s Notebook by Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich (Storey Publishing, 2017) provide guidance and a systematic format, with 100 percent of royalties going to conservation and environmental education.
Watch previous Nature Moments.
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Thank you, interesting to know. I wonder if there are two kinds of beeches. I see one with a somewhat darker yellow-brown leaf at this time of year, one has silvery-white leaves. Is it just an artifact of (say) soil conditions or some other factor in that spot? Or are there two kinds of beeches? They are noticeably different.