Journal Entry for Dawn Redwood and Kentucky Coffeetree
The metasequoia glyptostroboides, commonly known as the dawn redwood, are in the Eukarya domain, located in the Plantae kingdom, specifically in the subkingdom Tracheobionta, and the superdivision of "seed plants" known scientifically as Spermatophyta. The dawn redwood is within the Coniferophyta division, the class Pinopsida and is a part of the Cupressaceae family. Common ancestors of the Metasequoia genus, and the dawn redwood, include the coast redwood and the giant sequoia.
The thicker, outer bark of coniferous trees, like those that can be found on Montreal's streets, is necessary for protecting the tree against environmental threats. For example, the ridged details of bark hold moisture, slow the rate of changing temperature, and regulate the tree's core temperature, protecting it from damage due to the cold. As well, the thick bark can act as a protectant against fires and parasitic fungi, bacteria or insects, preserving the inner core of the tree where vital processes such as the transport of sugar and nutrients in the tree's phloem occur.
The Kentucky Coffeetree is a member of the legume family Fabaceae that germinates via thick oval seeds protected by a hard, often impermeable cover. Ecologists and botanists believe that the thick impermeable pod of the Kentucky Coffeetree was an adaptation that coincided with the Mastodon's existence, an extinct species that is believed to share an ancestor with the Elephant. These pods' impermeability would protect the seeds as they were digested by the Mastodon, allowing for seed dispersal of the Kentucky Coffeetree to be extended to the vast distances travelled by Mastodon populations.
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