How Trees Survive the Brutal Winters?
How Trees Survive the Brutal Winters?
You’re probably curled up in your home during the winter. What about the nearby trees, though? Although the chilly winter weather can seem intolerable, trees are still alive and thriving. How do trees endure such hostile surroundings and how do trees survive the brutal winters?
Cold Hardiness
The secret to how trees can thrive in cold climates is their ability to become “cold hardy.” A tree becomes cold hardy when its cells produce antifreeze-like compounds known as cryoprotectants. These compounds help trees withstand freezing temperatures by reducing the number of ice crystals that form inside cells, which would otherwise cause them to rupture and die. Additionally, some trees also have thick bark that acts as insulation against extreme temperatures. The overlapping leaves trap air and act as insulation for trees that retain their foliage, just like how we’d wear a sweater to keep warm!
Dormancy and Hibernation
Dormancy is another important element in a tree’s ability to survive the winter. Many kinds of deciduous trees go into a state of dormancy when temperatures fall below a specific point, stopping the growth of leaves and blossoms until more hospitable conditions return. Similar to this, evergreen conifers can enter a state of “winter slumber” during which they slow down their metabolic rate and focus all of their energy on surviving the chilly months.
Changing Cell Composition
Last but not least, trees change their cells to minimize cold damage. We can’t see these cellular actions, but here’s what trees are secretly doing:
Lower Water Content Water expands when it freezes, and ice crystals, with their jagged, pointed edges form, these are hazardous because the ice could burst through and cause damage to cells and cell structures. Just having less water is an easy way to prevent this. Trees have learned to get rid of that extra water as they need less water when they go into winter dormancy.
Have More Proteins and Pectins It’s excellent that the cells now contain less water and ice! The bad news is that there is now so much vacant space that cell collapse may result. What is attainable? Well, pectins and proteins from trees fill some of the areas. Pectins are the “glue” of plants. In addition to strengthening cell structure, these proteins and pectins also limit the size of any ice crystals that may form, minimizing ice damage.
The ability of trees to adapt over thousands of years to even the worst severe weather conditions is quite astonishing. There is no doubt that Mother Nature can teach us a thing or two about resiliency and endurance.
Do you need an evaluation of your landscape? call Johnson Ops Tree care at 608-526-6297, our ISA Certified Arborist can help with your Trees needs.
