Original photo by SARINYAPINNGAM/ iStock
Though they don’t have lungs, trees can “breathe” using the process of photosynthesis, in which they convert carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into oxygen. In a sense, this is the opposite of what humans do, as we ingest oxygen and produce carbon dioxide. But according to researchers at Colorado State University, one similarity trees do share with humans is that they can also hold their breath.
Trees (and other plants) absorb carbon dioxide through stomata — tiny “breathing pores” located on the leaf’s surface. They also absorb water through their roots as well as sunlight via organelles called chloroplasts. During photosynthesis, that light is converted to energy that helps transform water and CO2 into oxygen, which is released through the stomata. But the process may be temporarily halted if there are toxins in the air, as trees can hold their breath until the pollutants dissipate.
Oops, incorrect!
It's a factA lone Sitka spruce is located on Campbell Island — an uninhibited landmass in the subantarctic zone governed by New Zealand. The 30-foot-tall tree was planted around 1900 by former Governor Lord Ranfurly, and is 170 miles from the nearest other trees.
In an article for Discover Magazine, scientists Delphine Farmer and Mj Riches discuss how they stumbled on this theory on a particularly smoky morning in 2020 during a series of wildfires in Colorado. While performing a routine photosynthetic test on some ponderosa pines, the two “were surprised to discover that the tree’s pores were completely closed.” They hypothesized that this was both an active physical response by the plant and also due in part to smoke particles entering and clogging the stomatal pores. Further testing found the pores opened up in less smoky, more favorable conditions — and the tree began to “breathe” again.
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The continent with the most forested area is ______.
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The continent with the most forested area is Europe.
There’s a tree with rainbow-colored bark.
While tree bark is usually white, tan, or brown, the Eucalyptus deglupta — or rainbow eucalyptus — is a brilliantly colored exception. This eye-catching tree is native to the tropical forests of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, making it the only eucalyptus species native to the Northern Hemisphere.
These trees grow to between 197 feet and 246 feet tall, and at first their bark is orange-tinted. But as they begin to shed their outer layer, a striking rainbow pattern emerges from underneath, showcasing streaks of red, green, gray, orange, and purple wood. Each tree undergoes this shedding process in a different manner, meaning each tree’s rainbow pattern is entirely unique. This species is particularly popular in Hawaii, where it’s been imported and planted along roadways in an effort to add even more character to the already stunning landscape of the Hawaiian Islands.
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Optimism Media, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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