Differences

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--- identity_of_trees_walks [2014-08-19 17:24] – [* Silver birch, zilverberk, le bouleau verruqueux, betula pendula] rasa
+++ identity_of_trees_walks [2014-08-19 18:13] – [* Larch, lork, le mélèze, larix] rasa
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 {{:7_lork1.png?200|}} {{:7_lork2.png?200|}}
+// Try to reach as high as the lork does //
+The larch stands for survival. It was the first species to migrate back north after Ice Age. Larch can survive in very austere environments, but cannot stand heavy pollution. It creates symbiosis with mushroomlike fungi that inhabit its roots in a friendly way and allow the larch to absorb more minerals. Toads and bats are great friends of the larch.
-Friends: toads, bats
+Larch is the only species of its sort that looses its leafs in winter. Unlike other trees and plants, larch did not evolve into the sophisticated reproductive system of the angiosperms. The gemma of the larch is not entirely covered by the leaves of the flower. There is no pollen tube that leads the way trough the cells in order to reach its destination. And as a consequence, there is no double fertilization, which is typical for angiosperms, where one embryo will survive, while the other one will serve as a food stock for the first one.
-Duties: wood is used for fences, bats, staircases, telephone poles
-Character: is a pioneer, the first to come back after the ice age, can survive in very austere environments, did not evolve in reproduction system (gymnosperm (naaktzadige) vs seeds & sperm of the flowering plants), fertilization through wind (vs also insects for flowering plants)
+Larch produces one of the toughest woods obtained from conifers and is also resistant to woodworm. It is widely used in construction, for railway sleepers, cabinet work, fences, staircases, telephone poles.
-check story on tannine
+Large quantities of resin are obtained by tapping the trunk. Small holes are bored into the trunk, most resin being obtained from near the centre of the trunk. When properly made, the same borehole can be used for 20 - 30 years. The resin has a wide range of uses including wood preservatives, varnish, medicinal etc. It needs no preparation other than straining through a cloth to remove plant debris etc. The hole is made in the spring and the resin extracted in the autumn. Resin can be extracted from May to October.
 // We thought of birth, when you walk on, think how is death present //
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-dominant
+// Feel the softness of its skin, enjoy its leaves when raining, observe its beauty and grace and in early spring, picture its fluorescent leaves //
-duties: name: in German 'buch' is the same word foor book, wood is used for printing, buttons and young leaves in spring can be eaten in salad
-character: very sensitive to the wind, low spread roots (vs oak), very thin and soft skin, shuts its trunk with leaves like a coat because otherwise it get sunburned and can die; has a beautiful green in spring (fluo), and buttons in the form of writing pens; can be called the tree of elegance & beauty but also of tendencies (that can die easily), will have to migrate notrht due to climate changes, because it needs sun & water at its feet
+Like the Birch, the Beech has a strongly feminine presence, but while birch is a "lady," beech is a queen. Sometimes known as the Mother of the Woods, she stands in stately feminine counterpart to the kingly oak. Her gifts are prosperity, but also wisdom, and she may grant knowledge to those who are aware of her presence. She can help you let go of rigid ideas and move forward in faith and openness.
+Forêt de Soignes is known as the 'beech cathedral', but most of the beeches are very old, too old to provide good wood. The beech forest can be compared to an old people's resthome. It is most probable that the beech will migrate north following the climate changes. Therefore, most beeches are replaced by a diversity of trees, aiming to restore the woods as they existed before the 18th century.
+% of the Forêt de Soignes belongs to the Brussels Region, 56% to Flanders and 6% to Wallonia. Only Brussels has decided to keep part of the 'beech cathedral' as a heritage for the future.
+In German 'buch' is the same word for book and for beech. Indeed, beech wood was used for the letters of the first printing machines and for the illustrative woodcuts. Beech has made the printing revolution possible, And its skin is as thin as paper. In spring the buttons of a beech look like pens you only have to drop in ink so you can save all knowledge for future generations. The buttons and young leaves in spring can also be eaten in salad.
+Beeches tend to grow their leaves in order to cover all air above them and if necessary, they wear them as a coat along their trunks. This is due to the fact that beeches are highly sensitive to sunlight, and if they're exposed, they'll get sunburned. It is great for walkers and joggers and picnickers in rainy Belgium. Find yourself a beech and you'll keep dry.
+Being highly sensitive and very graceful, beech is thus also a very dominant species. Not many plants can stand the shade of the beech. And once there are some beeches present in a forest, the spread very quickly.
+But one tempest or heavy winds can be enough to make the beech stumble. Unlike the oak, beech roots are very superficial. During walks in Forêt de Soignes, you'll encounter frequently a fallen beech with its roots standing straight up as a natural wall to climb.
 // As a ritual to end this walk and celebrate your membership, find a new place for that something you picked up //