The OAK TREE Ecosystem

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The OAK TREE Ecosystem
The Oak Tree

• A World of its Own

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The Oak Tree
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Interesting Facts about the OAK

• The oak tree can live for hundreds of years.
• An oak tree can grow up to 40 metres high.
• Oak trees do not start producing seed until it is
  about 35 years old.
• Oak trees appeared in Ireland about 10,000 years
  ago

The Oak Tree
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General Notes

• The Oak Tree grows from the acorn seed.
• The oak tree becomes an ecosystem of its own.
• Many animals, plants, insects and fungi depend on
  it for life.

The Oak Tree
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Oak Tree Deciduous

• Oak is a DECIDIOUS tree--- it loses its leaves
  every Autumn.

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An Dair
The Oak Tree

• The Oak is known as Dair in Irish.
• Saint Colmcille built a church from Oak and the
  city that grew up around it is now known as Derry
  (Doire Colmcille)
• Derry is known as the Oak Leaf County.

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Types of Oak

• The English oak also found in mainland Europe,
  grows to 36 metres. with a girth of 15 m.
• Evergreen oak
• Turkey oak
• Cork oak ( Mediterranean region)
• White oak
• Evergreen live oak

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OAK TREE NEEDS

• Water (ground)
• Minerals (ground)
• Sugar (ground)
• Sunlight
• Carbon Dioxide (air)

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Roots

• The oak tree roots spread out for many metres
  under the ground.
• The main task is to collect water and other
  minerals from the ground.
• Many of the minerals come from the dead leaves
  from the previous years growth.

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Oak Leaf

• The oak leaf is one of the easiest to recognise.
  It has a serrated edge.

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PHOTOSYNTHESIS (food making by Oak)
The leaves of the Oak get energy from the Sun.
This energy is used to set up a chemical
reaction which makes carbohydrates. The
carbohydrates are like simple sugar, or glucose,
which provides the basicfood for plants. For
photosynthesis to occur, the plant must possess
chlorophyll (green part of leaf) and must have a
supply of carbon dioxide and water.
Photosynthesis takes place inside chloroplasts
which are found in the leaf cells of
plants. Photosynthesis also means plants
make oxygen, this is of great importance to
all living things especially US.
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Acorn.Oak Tree

• In the autumn the oak tree produces 50,000
  acorns. Only 1 or 2 will eventually grow into
  trees.

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Acorn

• Acorn (cup saucer) is the seed of the oak.
• The acorn is eaten by birds, insects animals.
• Only one or two acorns will eventually grow into
  full oak trees.

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Living ON or Using the OAK
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Growing on or near the OAK

• LICHEN grow on the tree. It usually looks like a
  blotch of colour.
• Lichen is a living fungi.
• Lichens will not live if there is pollution.
• FUNGI live usually under the shade of the tree.
• The normal fungi are mushrooms or toadstools.
• The fungi rots the dead leaves and branches.

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Life on the Oak Tree

• Animals build homes in or on the tree
• Animals use the tree for shelter
• Animals eat the fruits, seeds, bark and leaves.
• Animals catch food on the oak

• Insects feed on the leaves.
• Insects live on the tree and use it to reproduce
• Birds build nests on the oak
• Birds feed on the insects

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Wild Flowers the OAK

• Many wild flowers such as cowslips, primroses and
  daffodils grow near the oak.
• The dead leaves means that the flowers have an
  easy and excellent food.

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Butterflies the OAK

• The leaves of the Oak provide an excellent place
  for the larvae of the caterpillar to turn into a
  butterfly.
• The butterfly then also uses the oak as a food
  source.

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Red Squirrel and the OAK

• The squirrel (red or grey) uses the tree as its
  home, safe place and its foodshop.
• It makes its home (drey) in the branches and
  bark.
• It eats thousands of Acorns.
• The squirrel through storing acorns elsewhere in
  the forest spreads the acorns and gives the acorn
  the chance to grow into an oak.

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The Fox and the OAK

• Because many small animals live on or near the
  oak the fox often visits.
• The fox will eat small animals or birds like the
  robin, squirrel and rabbit.

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We USE the OAK for
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Protect our Oak we use it when we need but we
should not forget it is the home of many plants,
insects, birds and animals.