Whole Tree Care in Lake Stevens
Have you ever wondered why trees have leaves at all? Are they just there to make the tree look pretty? Leaves actually have a life-sustaining purpose and are a tree’s very lifeblood; without it, trees would starve to death.
Why Trees Have Leaves: It Keeps Them Alive
The leaves serve a life-giving function. It all comes down to that one term you learned about in your 5th-grade science class: photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is the process of leaves absorbing sunlight and using that energy to produce sugar and sap from which it feeds. Leaves contain tiny organelles in some of their cells called chloroplasts. These plastids handle the energy conversion process. Chloroplasts contain a pigment molecule that you have also likely heard of: Chlorophyll. This molecule is responsible for the leaves’ greenish to yellowish color.
Unbeknownst to the average person, trees also sweat much the same way people do. This process is called transpiration, and the leaves make this process possible. Water evaporates from the leaves, allowing the tree to cool down.
Finally, the leaves can also be thought of as the tree’s nose, as the tree “breathes” through the leaves. Leaves contain tiny pores called the stomata. The pores take in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen.
When Human Intervention Is Necessary
Trees may require human assistance for staying healthy. Our tree maintenance crew recommends that you give Pro-Cut Tree Service a call at least once a year to assess your tree’s condition. Our crew can gauge a tree’s current state of health partly by examining its leaves or lack of them. Our emergency services can also remove a tree that is unhealthy and on the verge of death.
We hope you found this article informative and fun food-for-thought. It would be good to share it with your children; it just might get them interested in biology. Knowing why trees have leaves will help them appreciate one of nature’s most majestic creations.
Complete Tree Care and Education
Serving customers in Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Marysville, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Everett, Snohomish and the surrounding area
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