
Morton Arboretum accession 634-49-3. This tree is 58 years old.
Here is an interesting
excerpt from a scientific
paper regarding the
decomposition rate of
different tree leaves in an
aquifer:
Abstract
Dry Chinquapin oak ( Quercus
macrocarpa) and American
elm ( Ulmus americana)
leaves were placed in four
microcosms fed by groundwater
springs to monitor changes in
dry mass, ash-free dry mass, and
microbial activity over a 35-day
period. Oxygen microelectrodes
were used to measure microbial
activity and to estimate
millimeter-scale heterogeneity
in that activity. Oak leaves
lost mass more slowly than elm
leaves. Generally, there was a
decrease in total dry weight
over the first 14 days, after
which total dry weight began to
increase. However, there were
consistent decreases in ash-free
dry mass over the entire
incubation period, suggesting
that the material remaining
after initial leaf decomposition
trapped inorganic particles.
Microbial activity was higher on
elm leaves than on oak leaves,
with peak activity occurring at
6 and 27 days, respectively. The
level of oxygen saturation on
the bottom surface of an elm
leaf ranged between 0 and 75%
within a 30-mm 2 area.
This spatial heterogeneity in O 2
saturation disappeared when the
water velocity increased from 0
to 6 cm s -1. Our
results suggest that as leaves
enter the groundwater, they
decompose and provide substrate
for microorganisms. The rate of
decomposition depends on leaf
type, small-scale variations in
microbial activity, water
velocity, and the length of
submersion time. During the
initial stages of decomposition,
anoxic microzones are formed
that could potentially be
important to the biogeochemistry
of the otherwise oxic aquifer.
(4)
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- Schoch Oak is Native to:
- NORTHERN AMERICA
North-Central U.S.A.:
United States -
Illinois
Southeastern U.S.A.:
United States -
Arkansas, Kentucky
(2)
(3)
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Trees are essential elements of
livable communities and a healthful environment. They
are not only beautiful, they carry out many beneficial
environmental functions. Trees absorb carbon dioxide,
the major greenhouse gas (up to 50 pounds per tree each
year), and release oxygen. They shelter and provide
nesting habitats for wildlife, retain moisture in soils,
hold topsoil in place, and provide shade and cooling.
Trees also provide fruits, nuts, oils, and syrups; pulp
for paper, cloth, and rope; and wood for innumerable
products and heat. Trees provide both direct and
indirect economic benefits. Air-conditioning costs are
less in a tree-shaded home, and heating costs are
reduced when a home has properly selected and placed
windbreaks. Beyond energy savings, landscaping with
mature trees increases the value of property.
Indirect economic benefits extend beyond the individual
to the community or region. Customers pay lower
electricity bills when power companies use less water in
their cooling towers and fewer measures to control air
pollution. Communities also save money if fewer
facilities must be built to control storm water.
Trees make the world more beautiful. They add color,
structure, height, and grace to our neighborhoods,
parkways, and streetscapes. Trees also neutralize the
harshness and stress of urban life. They enrich our
lives. Our forests, woodlands, parks, and preserves help
us feel more relaxed and serene. A day or even an hour
in the woods can help us feel rejuvenated. Trees are
magnets for wildlife, which also add beauty, value, and
interest to our world.
City and suburban trees often serve several
architectural functions. They provide privacy, frame
views, and screen out objectionable sights. They reduce
glare and reflection, direct pedestrian traffic, and
provide background for and soften, complement, or
enhance architecture or topography.
--From
The Morton Arboretum "Go
Green" |
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
(1)
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Kingdom |
Plantae -- Planta, plantes,
plants, Vegetal |
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Subkingdom |
Tracheobionta -- vascular
plants |
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Division |
Magnoliophyta --
angiospermes, angiosperms,
flowering plants, phanérogames,
plantes à fleurs, plantes à
fruits |
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Class |
Magnoliopsida -- dicots,
dicotylédones, dicotyledons |
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Subclass |
Hamamelidae |
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Order |
Fagales |
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Family |
Fagaceae |
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Genus |
Quercus L. -- chêne, chênes,
oak, oak spp., oaks |
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Species |
Quercus X schochiana Dieck ex
Palmer -- oak |
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Expert(s): |
(1) |
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Expert: |
John Kartesz |
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Notes: |
Biota of North America Project (BONAP),
University of North Carolina |
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Reference for: |
Quercus X schochiana |
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Other Source(s): |
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Source: |
NODC Taxonomic Code, database (version 8.0)
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Reference for: |
Quercus X schochiana |
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Source: |
The PLANTS Database, database (version 4.0.4)
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Notes: |
National Plant Data Center, NRCS, USDA. Baton
Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
http://plants.usda.gov |
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Reference for: |
Quercus X schochiana |
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Source: |
The PLANTS Database, database (version 5.1.1)
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Notes: |
National Plant Data Center, NRCS, USDA. Baton
Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
http://plants.usda.gov |
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Reference for: |
Quercus X schochiana |
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Trees provide cover: Birds and small animals need
concealed places for nesting and hiding from predators. The
presence of wildlife can make your backyard or woodlot a
special place for your family and children. As urban sprawl
displaces many birds and animals from their natural habitat,
it becomes even more important for home and landowners to
provide green space and mini-sanctuaries for birds and other
wildlife. Trees provide food: Having a wide variety
of trees that provide seeds, nuts and fruit for wildlife to
eat is one way to increase your success in attracting
wildlife. although artificial bird feeders can supplement
naturally occurring foods, they can attract unwanted pests
such as pigeons, Canada geese, squirrels, and even rats.
Trees also provide food by attracting insects and providing
cover for their activities; mating, egg-laying. Insects form
a huge portion of the warm-weather food supply for many
species of songbirds. Trees that provide fall and winter
foods are especially important in helping wildlife survive
the winter, and to provide forage and cover for
early-arriving spring migrants that may get caught in
late-season bad weather. Whatever the food sources you
provide may be, birds and wildlife also need dependable
source of water; create a small pool or birdbath in a
protected place.

Schoch Oak - Quercus X schochiana
References:
1.
ITIS Standard Report
2.
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program.
Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN)
[Online Database].
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville,
Maryland.
URL:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?30746
(27 October 2007)
3.
Missouri Botanical
Garden
- w3TROPICOS ID 13100125
4.
Microbial Decomposition of Elm and Oak Leaves in a
Karst Aquifer † Angela C. Eichem, Wtitleer K. Dodds,*
Cathy M. Tate,‡ and Chris Edler
Division of Biology, Kansas State University
MORE TrEES |
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