Plants On The Move

Plant Migration 1. Key Words - quaternary period, permafrost, tundra zone, palynology, refugia, chloroplast, macro fossils, rare events, migrate and transport. 2. During the ice age the British Oak “hid out” in the Mediterranean peninsulas (Spain, Portugal, Italy and Balkans). 3. After the ice age many trees we able to migrate back to Britain by use of two methods by wind, where trees seeds were light and able to travel great distances when the wind was strong. The second method was by bird transport, where bird would eat the seed and when they defecate the seed would be a long way from the parent tree. 4. We have lots of evidence to support these theories e.g Darwin did a series of simple yet effective test on conditions of germination, such as how long they can last at sea. There are also many realistic computer simulations which also are of usefulness.

The Horse Chestnut The horse chestnut tree is common in the British isle. It has many defining features such as large glossy brown, and sticky buds during the winter. Its flowers are White with Yellow spots that eventually turn Red. It is a deciduous tree with dark green leaves each with 5-7 large leaflets. These leaves turn orange in the autumn months. The average height is 30 meters, and the average spread 20 meters. It flowers in the late spring.