Читать книгу Can You Hear the Trees Talking? - Peter Wohlleben - Страница 17

A tree is a trunk with branches and twigs on ft. Leaves or needles

grow on the twigs. But something really important is missing from this

description: the roots. They're the first part of a tree to grow.

AS SOON AS A SEED SPROUTS, a small root tip grows

down into the ground. It feels its way around to find

the best place to keep growing. (Roots like soft, loose,

damp soil the best.)

The

root spreads out and divides.

As the root divides, it grows fine hairs along its

length that increase its surface area so it can suck up

more water from the

soil.

These hairs dry out very

easily—that's why if

you

bring

a

baby tree home from

the nursery to plant

in

your

yard,

you have to be very

careful

not

to expose the roots to air for more

than

five

to ten minutes.

If the

roots are bare and not covered

in

soil,

the best thing is to wrap

a

plastic bag around

them until the hole for the tree is dug and you're

ready to plant it.

A

tree needs healthy roots if it is to

grow tall and strong.

Those cottony fungal threads I mentioned earlier

don't just grow around the root tips—they grow right

into the roots. This doesn't hurt the tree, though. In

fact, it's nice for the tree because it knows the fungi

are helping it. Not only do the fungi help the tree

suck up water, they also guide the roots through the

ground and show them the best places to grow.

*

As

a

tree gets older, its trunk gets wider. Its roots do,

too,

and they become as stiff and hard as branches.

They need to be, because now they must support the

weight of

a

heavy trunk and

a

large crown.

As long

as

there's no

wind,

that's not too difficult.

On a

calm

day,

the tree stands tall on its roots the way

You can see the fine coots on this toppled tree.

They help the tree find water underground.

you stand on your own two feet. It's easy as long as

the trunk is growing nice and straight.

Some trees, though, are quite crooked. And

because they're so heavy, they can easily topple over.

That's why the roots of

a

crooked tree quickly grow

thicker near the trunk so they can support it. It's like

when you spread your feet apart

a

bit to get better

balance. That's what the tree does, too.

Whenever a storm blows, the wind tears hard at

any tree in its way. Imagine the force of fifty cars

trying to push the tree over. It can only survive if it

has strong roots, which hold the tree down like thick

ropes holding down a big tent. Except roots can

withstand much more pressure,

If you find

a

tree that has fallen over in the forest,

take a look at its roots. If the tree is a spruce or a

Douglas fir, the roots will often be spread out in the

shape of a large, flat plate. No wonder the tree fell

over—to provide firm support, roots must grow deep

down into the ground.

Sometimes a tree stump will show you just how

important the roots

are.

In

fact,

they're the most import-

ant part of the tree, Why? Because often a shoot will

grow out of

an

old stump, and this shoot

can

grow up

to be

an

adult

tree.

It's really the

same

tree,

except now

it has

a

whole new trunk.

Roots may be very strong, but they're also sensi-

tive.

They really don't like it when people walk on

them or, even worse, when cars drive over them.

They may get squashed and even injured. Diseases

could get into their wounds and spread through

their trunks. Then the tree will die before it has

a chance to grow old.

SOME TREE ROOTS ARE GIGANTIC. The roots of

the Moreton Boy fig are so enormous you

could

easily play hide-and-seek

in

them. These

enormous roots support enormous crowns: the

branches

can spread

out

a

hundred feet (30 m]

or

more.

Roots can extend

far below the surface,

as

well.

In

its search for life-giving water, a wild

fig in the Echo Caves in South Africa has grown

roots

a record

four

hundred

feet (122 m) deep-

deeper than a football field is

long.

Strong Roots