What an oak trunk. Big oak - a symbol of longevity

Description of oak artistic style or scientific you can write using the options presented.

Essay describing oak

Our ancestors also considered oak a symbol of power and strength. And its strong trunks served as a reliable material in construction. Today you can often hear how men are compared to this strong tree.

As you pass by, look at the edge, there he has spread out his broad shoulders majestic oak. It is the largest in the entire oak grove. This is the image that is sung in folk songs and described in legends.

Oak is a majestic tree. Probably, many years ago, some squirrel lost an acorn in this place. And now his powerful hands are reaching out to the sun. Green leaves shimmer in the rays of warm light. And the thick trunk holds the branches tightly and is no longer afraid of any wind. Forest dwellers love oak because it protects them, gives them shelter and delicious treats in the form of acorns. The oak fruit has quite interesting shape in the form of a teardrop with a brown hat.

The mighty giant is not afraid of anything: neither pests nor lumberjacks. He will always find the strength to be reborn even from a stump.
But it is worth remembering that trees are our oxygen. Therefore, it is extremely stupid to neglect our mother nature.

Scientific description of oak

Oak is a deciduous tree. The size of the oak tree is impressive. Its average height is about 35 meters, although 60-meter giants are sometimes found. The thickness of oak can also be quite impressive. The oak trunk is on average about 1.5 m in diameter, covered with dark bark, dotted with cracks, twisting and wrinkled.

The shape of the tree's leaf depends on the type of oak. Oak leaves can be lobed, serrated, pinnate, and others. Oak branches are indirect, curved. This tortuosity is explained by the fact that the oak tree is very responsive to Sun rays. As shoots grow, they are drawn towards the light and therefore change direction depending on the period of the year, weather and time of day.

The oak crown and its shape largely depend on the conditions in which the trees grow. In forests, oak trunks are mostly straight and even, while separately growing plants on the plains spread out very widely. The girth of the crowns of such oak trees is measured in meters. If a tree grew in extreme conditions, for example, with a lack of moisture or under frequent exposure to wind, the crowns of such oaks are deformed and not entirely clear and regular in shape.

Oak is the most important of the deciduous trees. Oak is a powerful and durable tree that can grow up to 2 meters thick in good soils. Of course, now such oaks are very rare. If an oak grows in a forest among other trees, it forms a tall, straight trunk with branches only in the upper half and a narrow crown, rounded at the top. Timber traders call this oak “grove oak” and value it because of the straightness of the trunk. If the oak tree grows freely or in very rare forest, the result is a “field oak”, with a short, thick and knotty trunk, with low-lying thick branches and a wide, almost spherical crown. But, no matter where the oak grows, everywhere it forms a very strong root, going deep into the ground. Therefore, the oak is stable and not afraid of windfall; as a last resort, in strong storm, it breaks, but does not twist out of the ground like spruce.

The oak crown is covered with rather large, dense, dark green leaves. The shape of oak leaves is, of course, known to everyone. Scientists call such leaves pinnate.
For all the beauty of its crown and foliage, the oak tree has very small, inconspicuous flowers that appear in the spring immediately after the buds open. Oak flowers have two genera: male - with stamens that produce pollen, and female - with pistils that produce fruit. Male flowers, with a simple perianth, are collected in 5-7 pieces on rather long hanging earrings. Females have 2-3 flowers on shorter earrings sticking up. After pollination from female flower The well-known fruit, the acorn, sitting in a cup-plus, develops quite slowly. The oak tree begins to bear fruit very late, no earlier than 40-50 years old, and does not bear fruit every year: in good soil every 2-3 years, and in poor conditions much less often.

Oak is a light-loving species, although not to the same extent as pine or birch. Therefore, even if oak forms forests, these forests are not dense and at the same time contain an admixture of other species. IN dense forest where there is little light, oak cannot grow. Therefore, in spruce forests there is usually either no oak, or it is rare, and oak undergrowth in shady spruce forest and it doesn’t happen at all.
If a spruce settles in an oak forest, we can assume that it will sooner or later displace the oak. That's why in northern forests he's not there. It was once abundant here too, but the spruce gradually replaced it, and man cut down the last remnants. True, it must be said that spruce cannot displace oak as easily as birch - displacement of oak occurs slowly, over centuries. The point, however, is not that oak is light-loving. Oak requires soil quite rich in salts, especially limestone. Spruce, as is already known, causes podzolization of the soil and leaching of salts from it.

Leached soil is not suitable for oak. This is why oak has mainly disappeared in the northern part: almost everywhere the soils there are podzolized, at least in high watershed areas.

Water washing the soil at watersheds carries salts from it into the deeper layers of the soil. Descending into the depths, groundwater will sooner or later encounter a layer that does not allow water to pass through - most often clay. Then groundwater begins, albeit very slowly, to flow underground along the impermeable layer in the direction in which it is inclined. If the impermeable layer reaches the river valley, we will see it on the slope of the valley. Veins or threads groundwater, flowing to the slope of the valley, they will come to light in the form of springs and flow into the floodplain. The spring water spreads across the floodplain, and all those salts that are brought from the springs high places, will remain in the floodplain: there is nowhere for it to flow. Thus, floodplains are often rich in salts, sometimes whole layers can be found here, for example, calcareous salts,

It is no wonder that oak can grow in floodplains, even if there were no oak trees around the watersheds. In the old days, the floodplains were under a dense forest of oak, black alder and other species.
When plowing floodplains, during any excavations, they often come across whole trunks, often huge, of “black” oak. Oak contains a lot of tannins, and the soil of the floodplain contains a lot of iron salts. Tannins together with iron produce ink. This is why oak trunks are painted black, often all the way through. Such trunks are very heavy and durable. They are not afraid of rotting and are beautiful in decoration, so they are highly valued as carpentry material and are even exported abroad.

Black oak is a remnant of the times when our floodplains were under oak forest. It turns out that even in the north, black oak is often found, and in the middle and southern parts it can be found in any floodplain
The oak floodplain forests disappeared, apparently quite recently. There are still old people who remember such forests. As for the southern part of the country, there, of course, oak in the floodplains will not be a novelty; there are many of them on watersheds.

Thus, in the northern part there are almost no oak trees anymore. Rarely in remote places in a spruce forest do we come across a single tree, and we never see young oak trees at all. And it is very rare to find an oak forest - either in the form of a narrow strip in the floodplains, or in the form of small groves on watersheds, where people have preserved them.
Oak - very valuable tree. It is valued for the hardness, durability and beauty of its wood. In the old days, houses and various household items were built from oak. Nowadays houses are not made from oak because of its high cost, but it is used for furniture, finishing lumber, stave for barrels etc.

Oak is considered one of the most beautiful trees and is treated with respect and love. Common oak, or pedunculate oak, grows in the European part of Russia.

Oak is a huge tree, up to 40 m tall, with a thick trunk and winding strong branches forming a wide canopy of foliage. Oaks love light very much, and their shoots change direction of growth several times a season - depending on the lighting. The branches of old oaks have bizarre bends.

Oak can live for a very long time. They will cut it down, and from the stump young shoots will stretch towards the light - thick shoots with very large leaves. They are large because all the moisture that the powerful roots pump out of the ground now feeds only them.

Oak is afraid of frost. Young leaves and stems are killed by frost in the spring. To protect itself from this disaster, the oak begins to turn green late, almost later than all the trees. You can expect everything from spring, including late frosts.

To the mighty oak tree at a young age careful care is required. Oak seedlings cannot tolerate cold, nor bright rays of the sun, nor strong wind. In the open they die. But they survive and grow in the thickets.

A grown oak tree with strong branches pushes the crowns of its neighbors apart. From above, as if through a window, the sun's rays and rain pour in. When a young oak grows stronger under these conditions, it quickly outgrows the rest of the trees. Neither the sun, nor the frost, nor the storm are scary for him anymore.

Acorns, like any fruits, appear in place of flowers, grow and form in early August. The acorn is amazing in appearance: oblong shape, “polished”, protective brownish color - that’s distinctive characteristics this fruit. Acorns are very nutritious, but tannins give them an astringent, bitter taste. If you remove these substances, then from acorns you will get nutritious product, from which you can make porridge, flatbreads and even cakes.

Oak wood is especially strong, and oak logs, once in water, do not rot, but become black and even stronger.

1. general description
2. Botanical classification
3. Habitat
4. Beneficial features
5. Main types of mighty oaks
6. Oaks of Russia
7. American oak genus
8. Europe and Mediterranean

According to various sources, the oak family reaches 450...600 species. Representatives are growing in different corners planets in temperate latitudes, where the climate suits the needs of the tree.

Russia is one of the most favorable countries for oak growth: territories with nutritious soil, open areas without shade, sufficient rainfall and optimal temperature conditions for the plant.

general description

Regardless of the type and variety of wood, oak has common features, by which membership in the genus is determined:

• The height of the individual is from 25 to 40 meters;
• Spreading deciduous or evergreen crown;
• The leaves of oaks of different varieties are lobed or serrated with pinnate venation;
• The bark is rough, with age-related cracks;
• The trunk in young individuals is thin, in older ones it is noticeably thickened and massive.

Many species bloom at the same time the leaves bloom. Female and male flowers are on the same tree:

• The female ones are located in the leaf axils at the tops of young shoots (as in the photo). Perianth in 3 sections, poorly developed;

• Male flowers are collected in earrings at the base of the shoots. The perianth is divided into 5-7 sections, up to 12 stamens.

Pollination occurs in the usual ways: by wind or insects.

The fruit of the oak tree is an acorn, ripens in the fall, and after wintering a new tree begins to grow. At the base there is always a hard, flattened cap, by which one can always determine whether it belongs to the oak family. The shape of the fruit is elongated or spherical, from golden to brown in color, depending on the type of plant and its place of growth.

Oak is propagated by cuttings, planting acorns; resumption of growth can occur from a living stump.

Botanical classification

Regardless of the variety, the scientific classification of the genus is as follows:

English oak occupies the conventional place of the end of the logical chain; in its place you can safely put the remaining types of wood.

Habitat

Oak is common in temperate climates and grows naturally in different countries:

• In Russia ( Far East, Siberia, Central Asia, Vladikavkaz);
• In Western and Southern Europe;
• In Canada;

By artificial means different types were transferred to all corners of the world with a climate suitable for oak.

Beneficial features

Many types of oak trees are used in construction, medicine, furniture and cooperage industries:

• The wood is highly durable and resistant to various kinds influences;
• The products are durable;
• The bark and wood contain a lot of tannins that help stop the blood and tone the muscles and cells.

There is a classification of oak wood for the production of finishing or manufacturing products. Sorting is done according to many criteria:

• Size of the original trunk;
• Evenness and uniformity of the material;
• Age of the tree;
• Chemical and mechanical properties based on test results.

Main types of mighty oaks

The genus includes up to five thousand (and maybe more) varieties of this tree, known to everyone.

Oaks of Russia

Petiolate ( Quercus robur) is a traditional representative for Russia and Western European countries.

Distinctive features:

• Resistance to large temperature changes;
• Tolerance to prolonged drought;
• Wind resistant.

Prefers good fertile soil. IN field conditions the plant reaches 50 meters in height. In group plantings, individuals are lower, the crowns are located in the upper part of the trunk, which ensures high light-loving properties. The leaves are large - up to 15 cm in length. English oak is considered a long-liver - the age of individual individuals is 1500 years at average duration life 300-500 years.

Chestnut oak – rare representative genus listed in the Red Book. It was actively felled for use in construction purposes - its wood is characterized by high frost resistance and hardness. The trunk can stretch up to 30 meters, the crown has the shape of a tent. The leaves, with pointed triangular edges, are similar to the foliage of the chestnut tree, from which the species takes its name.

In Russia, the chestnut-leaved plant is found in deciduous forests and in artificial park areas. Active work is underway to restore the population of this species.

Large anther oak grows in the southern mountainous regions of the Caucasus. Artificially planted in park areas.

Distinctive features:

• Short leaf (up to 8 cm) with blunt blades;
• Photophilia;
• Slow growth;
• Resistance to drought and frost.

Mongolian oak has an attractive decorative appearance, for which landscape designers love him. In Russia, the tree is planted in alleys as an array or tapeworm on plots of land.

The leaves of the representative are elongated, reaching 20 cm. In summer, their color is dark green, at the beginning of falling - bright brown. The tree grows well in light partial shade.

Gartvis oak (Armenian) begins its genus in the Western Caucasus. The leaves are obovate, with up to 12 rounded pairs. Acorns form and develop on long stalks. Due to the peculiarities of their origin, they like moderate shade, humidity, warm temperatures, fertile soil. It does not tolerate winter well, so it cannot grow in colder regions.

American oak genus

The following plant varieties originate on the American continent:

Red is a bright powerful tree up to 30 (sometimes 50) meters high. The trunk diameter reaches 1 meter. Distinctive feature– specific color of the leaves: after blooming they have a reddish base, in summer they are bright green, in autumn they acquire a crimson or bright brown tint. In other characteristics, the tree is similar to the Russian petiolate representative of the genus.

Bright color made red oak a popular decoration of urban landscapes - the tree is artificially grown in different parts of the world.

Northern (boreal) native to North America, looks like red. Egg-shaped crown and leaves. The trunk differs from other representatives in its smoothness - it is less susceptible to coarsening and cracking.

The leaf reaches 25 cm in length and turns bright red in autumn.

The tree is common in European countries and grows in forests and parks.

Stone evergreen giant like a classic from films - a wide spreading crown with sparse branches, a trunk large diameter with gray bark and deep cracks.

The leaves of holm oaks are small - up to 8 cm. They are distinguished by a yellowish or white base, sometimes with hairiness.

The tree is unpretentious to living conditions: it grows on any soil under any light conditions. Suitable for floral decoration.

The genus of holm oak includes several decorative subspecies: curly, small- and round-leaved, long-leaved, narrow-leaved, golden-variegated, Ford's form.

Large-fruited oak is distinguished by the presence of enlarged acorns - up to 5 cm in length. The plus occupies about half the length of the fetus. The peduncle is short.

The tree has interesting leaves: elongated with a wedge-shaped base, up to 5 pairs of lobes. When they bloom, they have a silvery color with a sputtering effect, then they turn richly green, acquire shine, and the lower plane turns slightly white.

The tree loves moisture, so it grows in rainy areas or near water bodies.

Willow can be confused with willow due to the similar leaf shape - narrow, oblong, up to 12 cm in length. Crown in autumn period acquires a matte yellow color.

Unlike willow, willow oak is unpretentious to the soil and place of growth: it lives in deciduous forests and looks good in artificial parklands.

Europe and Mediterranean

Cork oak – evergreen tree up to 20 meters in height. Small oval leaves up to 6 cm in length with a shiny surface and a pubescent base. The acorns are small, deeply recessed into the plus.

The cork plant loves moisture, but is resistant to drought and grows slowly. It is planted in alleys and squares.

It is a valuable cork plant native to the Mediterranean.

The rocky (sessile-flowered) species is widely used as the main plant in forests and parks. The leaf has a long two-centimeter petiole, while female acorns and flowers have a short stalk.

The tree loves warmth, shade, and moderate humidity. The genus originates in Eastern Europe: in the Carpathians, Moldova, Ukraine, slightly distributed in Western Europe.

A fluffy oak tree often resembles a bush up to 10 meters high (as in the photo). Its leaves, flowers, shoots and acorns have felt pubescence, the fruits are deeply recessed into the plus. Grows on calcareous and dry soils in natural conditions, is difficult to cultivate (almost never occurs). At the same time, the crown is trimmed and shaped, serving as an excellent background for a higher composition.

1. What does English oak look like?
2. Spreading
3. Climate and soil
4. Interesting features of wood
5. Using wood
6. Construction
7. Industry
8. Leaves and acorns
9. Medicine
10. When to collect material
11. Interesting facts about oak

Common oak (lat. " Quercus robur") represents the genus Oaks of the Beech family. It is also pedunculate oak, summer, English. The tree's homeland is the forests of southern Russia and eastern Europe.

What does English oak look like?

Common oak – deciduous tree, its height reaches 50 meters, the girth of the trunk is up to 2 meters. It grows upward for an average of 200 years, then expands for the rest of its life. Using this feature, you can determine approximately how old the tree is. The lifespan of individual individuals is up to 500, or even more years.

The oldest representative of the species grows in Lithuania near the village of Stemluzh. Scientists were able to determine the approximate age of the centenarian - about 2000 years; historical documents contain his description. The Stemluzh oak tree still blooms and periodically bears fruit.

The oak root system has a main core that goes deep into the ground, due to which tree gets reliable support and high viability. Over time, lateral root processes of the first, second, third, etc., form and develop. order, the system takes on a spherical shape. The longest stem of a mature tree can be located 20 meters above the ground or deeper.

A young plant has an even light gray bark with a smooth surface; with age it darkens and thickens up to 10 cm by the end of the oak’s life, becoming covered with deep cracks.

The crown has a pyramidal structure, wide, spreading. A tree with strong branches growing alternately on a powerful trunk.

Everyone knows what an oak leaf looks like in Russia and in the world: lobed with a characteristic jagged-rounded edge of a simple shape. The veins protrude slightly from the main plane.

Oak fruits are acorns. They ripen by mid-autumn in September-October. They have a round, elongated shape, brownish-brown, sometimes yellowish in color. The fruit is recessed into a flat plush on a short stalk.

The buds are brown, scaly, ovoid with a pointed tip. The scales have a ciliated edge.

Oak fruits are set in the spring with the arrival of warmth in April-May. Flowering occurs at the same time as the leaves bloom. Flowers of different sexes:

• Women's reddish tint with a short leg;
• Men's have the appearance of yellow-green dangling earrings.

There are 2 types of wood: early and late. The early species blooms leaves in April-May, sheds them in mid-autumn until October. Flowering occurs at the same time. The late representative becomes active 2-3 weeks later than its counterpart; often the leaves remain on the branches throughout the winter and fall off in the spring with the swelling of new buds. Their appearance is practically no different.

The common oak bears fruit every 4-5 years after reaching an age of over 50 years.

Spreading

The plant does not like frost, so northern latitudes practically never occurs. It forms forests in the middle and southern regions of Russia from the Urals to the Caucasus, where its homeland is located. It grows naturally in Western Europe, Western Asia and Africa.

Man spreads the species in different points Earth, but in unusual climatic conditions the tree develops worse: the trunk grows slowly, the height does not exceed 20 meters, bears fruit unstably, oak wood is often no different high quality. Oak trees are used to create interesting park compositions, decorate alleys and populate forest belts.

IN normal conditions The common species grows in river valleys and forms mixed forests. The breed favorably coexists with representatives of coniferous and deciduous trees: pine, spruce, hornbeam, birch, beech, ash, maple.

Free-standing individuals are often found.

Climate and soil

Family loves temperate climate: normal humidity, average temperatures. Mixed forests of Russia are the optimal habitat for oak trees.

For a comfortable life, soils rich in minerals and organic fertilizers are required. Wet and deep gray loams of forests are optimal for tree development. In such areas, the life expectancy of the oak is maximum; the trunk actively grows and remains alive for a long time.

Useful composition of wood and fruits

Oak wood and leaves are a storehouse of various microelements used by humans in various branches of medicine and industry:

• Up to 20% of wood and leaves are tannins; they are used in medicine and the leather industry.
• Gallic and egallic organic acids;
• Carbohydrates and sugars, in particular pentosans (up to 14%);
• Flavonoids;
• Microelements (in descending order): K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Mg, Cu, Zn, Al, Cr, Ba, V, Se, Ni, Sr, Pb, B, Ca, Se, Sr.

Acorns, as fruits for reproduction, also possess a number of substances that are useful and vital for development:

• Starches;
• Proteins;
• Carbohydrates (sugars);
• Saturated oils up to 5% of the total volume.

Oak forests serve as a source of unique wood, widely used in various industries due to its unique beneficial properties:

1. Elasticity.
2. High strength and density;
3. High tensile strength in bending (95 MPa), compression (50 MPa), tensile strength (118 MPa);
4. The treated trunk retains its specifications in high humidity and under water;
5. Low shrinkage coefficient without cracking;
6. Well preserved in air;
7. The service life of structures and products reaches 100 years with proper care.

Using wood

A person uses all parts of a petiolate tree - leaves, trunk, acorns, buds. Each material has found application in different sectors of our life.

Construction

The oak trunk is the source durable wood, which is used to make building structures and products:

• Solid board;
• Parquet;
• Boards for covering walls and ceilings;
• Elements of window frames;
• Doors.

The material is durable, abrasion resistant, hard. The age of the oak directly affects the quality of the raw materials: the older the plant, the stronger and wood is more valuable. Its color is uniform, its interesting texture and cut pattern look attractive and calm. Thanks to this quality, the material has found application in the furniture industry and the creation of interior items.

Industry

Use of wood common oak has become widespread in the manufacture of components for:

• Shipbuilding;
• Mining industry;
• Hydraulic structures;
• Production of barrels for winemaking;
• Horse harnesses, carts, wheels, etc.

The trunk of an adult plant serves as raw material for efficient fuel.

Leaves and acorns

When flowering begins, bees pollinate the trees, collect pollen and nectar, from which valuable honey is obtained.

Acorns from the forest serve as food for wild boars and domestic pigs. The high nutritional value of the fruit is also suitable for humans: the mature material is dried, ground into flour and used for baking. And processed in a special way acorns are added to ground chicory - it turns out healthy drink, replacing coffee.

Leaves on young branches brought from the oak forest are tied into brooms that rival birch brooms - they are just as good in a bathhouse.

Medicine

Scientific information about beneficial substances and healing properties wood allow the material to be used as an independent or accompanying treatment for many diseases of various types.

The description of tannins as an astringent and anti-inflammatory agent has existed for centuries. The active components are contained in the bark. Drugs are prescribed for pathologies gastrointestinal tract and food poisoning, for bladder and kidney problems.

A decoction of bark and leaves is used externally. The tannins in their composition help when there is a violation of the skin: wounds, abrasions, cuts, eczema, ulcers. In addition, decoctions and infusions are prescribed for gargling the throat and pharynx for acute respiratory viral infections and sore throats.

When prescribing concomitant herbal medicine, the doctor takes into account the characteristics of the main treatment, the course of the disease and the condition of the body. By combining factors, the specialist determines how long and in what form to use natural remedies. Self-treatment can only be preventive.

When to collect material

During the life and growth of a tree, the trunk acquires greater strength and density, and the material is valuable, so individuals of suitable size are selected for felling.

The bark is harvested in the month of sap flow, usually in April-May. It is dried in the open air, avoiding waterlogging.

Acorns for planting are collected in the fall, when the fruits reach their maturity. They are placed in artificial hibernation in the refrigerator or cellar until spring, after which they are germinated and placed in the ground. You can collect them in the first or second month of spring, when the snow has just melted and the acorn has not had time to take root.

It would seem that a tree is like a tree, but the species of the oak family is not so simple. Some Interesting Facts from the life of a stately plant.

1. The breed is so diverse that there are about 600 representatives of the oak fraternity around the world. Many of them are similar to each other and can only be distinguished by advanced biologists.
2. 80 years is a serious period, especially for a person’s life. And the eightieth anniversary of marriage is called an “oak” wedding.
3. There are two ways to determine how old an oak tree is: count the number of rings on the cut of the trunk or measure the circumference of the trunk in centimeters and derive the radius using the formula (circumference/2π)/2. New rings appear every year, expanding by 2-3 mm, based on this, we divide the resulting radius by 2-3 mm.

1. Oak coal has a significant burning time, but the combustible material does not hold heat well, and powerful draft is required to maintain the process.
2. Expensive construction and finishing material- bog oak. Wood enters the water either artificially or naturally long term(up to 100 years), there is a significant increase in the strength of the raw material and the acquisition of a black color.
3. For propagation, the plant in most cases uses small acorns rather than root shoots.
4. Oak forests create optimal living conditions for many representatives of flora and fauna.
5. Interesting sounds of oak can be heard: musician Bartholomaus Traubeck created a unique record using nanotechnology.

1. Forests with oaks have healing power. There is information that the leaves and bark secrete special phytoncides that remove headache and calm the nervous system.
2. The species has high electrical conductivity - oaks are more likely than other trees to be struck by lightning.
3. The lifespan of oak products can be several thousand years: in the English county of Norfolk, the Bronze Age monument Seahenge, created in the 21st century, was discovered. BC.