LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Trees: Addition
built 234 days ago
Ms. Stauver ... explained that in addition to the six trees planted today at Beaver Run, Bayer also recently sponsored an Eagle Scout environmental project at the site. The first phase of the "Habitat Improvement" project involved teams of scouts and Bayer employee-volunteers installing wood duck nesting boxes, bluebird houses, bat nesting boxes and osprey nesting platforms. The second phase will have the Eagle Scouts monitoring the boxes and platforms and establishing a database to track the various species that are using the habitat area. This information will ultimately be shared with the West Virginia Department of Wildlife and The Wildlife Habitat Council.
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Perhaps the most important ecological function of trees is protecting the land against erosion, the wearing away of topsoil due to wind and water. The trunks and branches of trees provide protection from the wind, and tree roots help solidify soil in times of heavy rain. In addition, trees and forests store water reserves that act as buffers for the ecosystem during periods of drought. In many areas the removal of forests has resulted in costly floods and subsequent droughts. Trees and forests ... provide habitat, protection, and food for many plant and animal species. In addition, they play an important role in global climate and atmosphere regulation—the leaves of trees absorb carbon dioxide in the air and produce oxygen that is necessary for life.
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Termites, for example, like to hollow out the trees' trunks and large branches after they have been weakened by fire. The termites turn the wood into a pulp that they both feed upon and use to build nurseries in their homes, the large mounds that dot the landscape. In fact, more than 80 percent of northern Australia's eucalyptus trees are now being hollowed out by termites. Many other insects, such as the larvae and caterpillars of butterflies, feed upon the leaves or other parts of the eucalyptus tree. Those insects themselves are food for prowling spiders, who in turn become dinner for the owls and bats that live in the forest. In addition, dozens of other birds, such as yellow-tailed black cockatoos, thornbills, warblers, tree-creepers, sitellas, parrots, and many other species ... probe the eucalyptus trees looking for insect feasts.
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Chemical materials produced by trees are used in tanning leather and in the manufacture of inks, medicines, dyes, and wood alcohol. In addition, trees are used in landscaping homes, parks, and highways. In regions with extreme climates, they serve as windbreaks or as shade against the sun.
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DSG points out that saving trees ... saves the environment from the chemicals needed in making paper. DSG is committed to reducing its paper usage by one-third this year. Additionally, the trees planted will absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air in Los Angeles and New York.
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Phylogenetic trees provide valuable information about evolutionary relationships and are powerful tools used in many areas of biology. Comprehensive phylogenies of pathogens allow researchers to predict evolution aiding in the development of vaccines. Additionally, phylogenies can be effectively applied to analyses of character evolution, gene expression, and to many areas of conservation biology.
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