Nature's finesse. Plant research brings Mother Nature's ingenious techniques to light. Impressive and sophisticated, terrifying and deadly. Plants are neither defenceless nor squeamish. They draw on a wide arsenal of defensive weapons to defend themselves against attack, not even sparing their own casualties. Example 1: AMARISES ARE THE BUTCHERS ... Read more
General Sherman The largest trees are in the SEKI National Park, western slope of the Sierra Nevada. It and its colleagues stand in 75 groves. Giant sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum Height: 84 m Trunk circumference: 31 m Trunk diameter: 11 m StD at 55 m height: 4.20 m Diameter of thickest branch: 2 m Wood volume approx.: 1500 m³ Annual volume increase: ? Weight approx.: 1300 tons ... Read more
Standing in the White Mountains, California, USA The Bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva ) are the oldest trees and grow at 3000 to 3400 m altitude, just below the tree line. The secret of their longevity is the harsh environment and the alkaline, nutrient-poor dolomite hilltop on which they grow. The dolomite rock is wetter than the surrounding sandstone and ... Read more
