All existing shrubs and trees can be divided into deciduous and coniferous.
general description
Deciduous trees and deciduous shrubs are usually plants with petiolate lamellar leaves that have obvious branched venation. The leaf blades in them are simple, lobed or serrated, less often - complex.
If we give a general classification, then deciduous trees represent the kingdom of plants, the department of higher plants, the department of angiosperms (flower). About 165 orders, 11 thousand genera, 545 families, 260 thousand species can be attributed to this category.
Deciduous plants appeared on Earth much later than the rest - during the Jurassic period, and in the middle of the Cretaceous quickly spread throughout the planet. They have a perfect structure of tissues, generative and vegetative organs, have a variety of pollination methods (the most effective of which - using insects) and the distribution of seeds. Now deciduous plants have taken a dominant position among other plant species, because, among other things, they are able to adapt perfectly to changing environmental conditions.
Deciduous forest features
Compared to coniferous, deciduous forest develops and spreads much faster. It is light and airy in such a forest, as trees grow much less frequently. The leaves of trees and shrubs of the middle strip completely fall once a year, at the end of autumn, so that the plants do not lose moisture during the winter cold. And in the spring fresh leaves again grow from numerous buds.
Deciduous trees of Russia are mostly represented on European territory, and coniferous forest prevails in Siberia.
The main species of hardwood
Deciduous trees and shrubs are divided into soft-leaved species (alder, linden, birch, poplar) and hard-leaved (maple, oak, ash). They grow in almost every corner of the planet. Most often in our latitudes from hardwood you can find linden, birch, oak, poplar, willow, walnut, alder, maple, ash, elm, apple tree, bird cherry, cherry.
These trees and shrubs feel great both in the forest and in urban environments. They remarkably adapt to the environment, easily tolerate transplanting and take root on different types of soil. Most deciduous plants grow quickly enough and live long.
Deciduous trees have different growth rates. For example, oak increases its crown by one meter per year. At the same time, growth is much faster in early summer than at the end.
Interesting Facts
Oak rightfully belongs to long-lived trees: its average age reaches five hundred years. Of the other deciduous trees, alder and ash survive on average up to three hundred years, and aspen - up to a hundred. Among conifers, only spruce can be compared with oak in terms of life span, with each needle living from five to seven years.
The oldest tree in Europe is the “Old Man” oak, which grows in Lithuania: it is almost 2 thousand years old. And in Poland there are three "Oaks of Friendship", which are 900 years old. Their name is Cech, Lech and Rus.
The most common deciduous trees in Russia are oak and birch, and in Western Europe - beech and hornbeam. The hardest tree in Russia is Schmidt's birch, which grows in the harsh Pomerania. It can neither be cut down with an ax, nor pierced by a bullet.
Deciduous plants
The most valuable species of deciduous trees have long been considered oak, pear, beech, cherry, walnut and maple. They are widely used in construction and for industrial purposes.
Many more deciduous plants are useful in that their fruits can be used for food or for medicinal purposes. In addition to practical applications, these trees and shrubs are widely used for decorative and aesthetic purposes - from landscape design to the creation of various art objects.
Flowering and change of foliage give a special decorative effect to deciduous trees and shrubs. The appearance of delicate light green leaves in the spring, the summer riot of greenery, then the change of shades in the fall to golden yellow or deep crimson make the change of seasons noticeable and very beautiful.