The coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera) does something that very few trees do. It leans into wind.
Most trees have trunks that will bend away from the wind. A trunk that leans downwind is less exposed and structurally better for surviving strong winds. But the coconut palm is a rebel. Its trunk bends into wind.
Strictly speaking, the palm is growing towards the light (phototropism) not the wind, but since they grow best at the edge of tropical islands, the effect is the same, as most coastline trees are exposed to strongest winds from the sea.
Why does it do this? It is a bit odd for a tree to grow in a way that makes it more exposed and more vulnerable to storms from the sea.
There is a good reason. The palm tree needs to drop its seed, the coconut, as close to the water as possible. Many seeds are carried by wind or animals, but coconuts are taken to start a new life elsewhere, often on another island, by sea currents.
Besides, coconut palms are very sturdy individuals. It takes an extraordinarily strong wind to threaten them. A gale will shake some coconuts out of the tree, but is unlikely to tug hard enough at the roots to cause any problems. A storm will flatten a lot of other species before troubling the tough palm.
It is very likely you know where the sea is already if you can see coconut palms, but if not, remember they grow towards the light, usually the open skies of the ocean and away from the darkness of other trees.
If you look closely, you’ll actually notice that the main trunk leans towards the sea, but the very top bends back slightly towards the land. This is the result of the light and wind working in opposite directions. The top of the tree bears the brunt of the strongest winds.
Username: Bongsong Published on 2024-10-07 03:03:11 ID NUMBER: 122411
A beautiful shade tree prized for its strongly pyramid-shaped form, cleanliness, and fragrant yellow flowers in early summer. Redmond Linden’s extremely large, dense leaves turn from dark green to an outstanding gold in the fall. This extremely tough tree will compliment any landscape.
Linden flower is a sweet and gentle herb with calming, soothing properties. It is a great herb for children because of its gentleness but is just as beneficial for adults. The main benefits of linden are for the heart- both physically and emotionally.
Linden trees are attractive trees that are ideal for urban landscapes because they tolerate a wide range of adverse conditions, including pollution. One problem with these trees is that they attract insects. Aphids leave sticky sap on the leaves and cottony scale insects look like fuzzy growths on the twigs and stems. It's hard to control these insects on a tall tree, but the damage is temporary and the tree gets a fresh start each spring. Here are the linden tree varieties most often seen in North American landscapes:
The vervet is a small, black-faced monkey. There are several subspecies but, generally, the body is a greenish-olive or silvery-grey. The face, ears, hands, feet, and the tip of the tail are black, but a conspicuous white band on the forehead blends in with the short whiskers.
Mammals come in all sizes but what makes them all so interesting is their lives interlink with our own; our dependence on them and they on us. Ireland’s wildlife may be less fearsome but just as fascinating.
Africa's Safari Animals and Where to Find Them
The word "Africa" is an evocative one that usually goes hand-in-hand with mental images of vast savanna plains dotted with exotic game. The majority of overseas visitors to Africa will go on safari and, in doing so, discover that there is nothing more magical than a close encounter with the continent's incredible wildlife. Most of the species one sees on safari are unique to Africa, and many of them are instantly recognizable. In this article, we look at 15 of the continent's most iconic animals, including those that make up the African Big Five.
Elephant guide: where do they live, what do they eat and how to identify them
Learn more about the world's largest land mammals, including what they weigh, if they are dangerous and how good their memory is.
The average captive giraffe enjoys anywhere from 20 to 25 years of life. The average wild giraffe lives anywhere from 10 to 15 years, with one of the biggest factors in female lifespan being how many other females they socialize with.
Giraffe | Facts, Information, Habitat, Species, & Lifespan | Britannica.
Giraffe, (genus Giraffa), any of four species in the genus Giraffa of long-necked cud-chewing hoofed mammals of Africa, with long legs and a coat pattern of irregular brown patches on a light background. Giraffes are the tallest of all land animals; males (bulls) may exceed 5.5 metres (18 feet) in height, and the tallest females (cows) are about 4.5 metres. Using prehensile tongues almost half a metre long, they are able to browse foliage almost six metres from the ground. Giraffes are a common sight in grasslands and open woodlands in East Africa, where they can be seen in reserves such as Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. The genus Giraffa is made up of the northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis), the southern giraffe (G. giraffa), the Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi), and the reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata).
We love giraffes! It’s our mascot, our logo, and dare we say it, Art of Safaris’ collective spirit animal. No matter how many lions, elephants, or leopards you see, an African safari is wholly incomplete without seeing giraffes.
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