Dylan Timmerman Dylan Timmerman

Introduction  If you have such trees as: Pine Pine Spruce Spruce Fir Fir Cedar Cedar Douglas-Fir Douglas-Fir Hemlock Hemlock Bald Cypress Bald Cypress  Then you have conifers!

Characteristics  Cone bearing  Seed plants  Have vascular tissue  Tall  Leaves or needles mostly in the upper portions of the trees  All living species of conifers are woody plants (mostly trees).  Monopodial growth

Basic info  Conifers are a division of pinophyta. Also known as a coniferophyta or coniferae  Conifers are one of the level of taxa in the plantea kingdom  Conifers are cone bearing trees Examples cedars, spruces, and pines Examples cedars, spruces, and pines  There are over 500 different species of conifers

Description  Conifers have needles or scale like leaves and cones They don’t have broad or flat leaves They don’t have broad or flat leaves  Classified as a softwood  Also known as a gymnosperms  Plants with “naked” seeds  These are considered more primitive than hardwoods  They have the ability to lose their needles annually but most are evergreens

Classification  Kingdom Plantea Plantea  Division Pinophyta Pinophyta  Class Pinopsida Pinopsida  Order coniferales coniferales

Uses  Used for: Timber Timber Fire Wood Fire Wood Paper Paper Houses for some eco friendly people Houses for some eco friendly people

The Division Pinophyta  Pinophyta contains 8 families 8 families 68 genera 68 genera 630 living species 630 living species  Compared to most this is a relatively small amount of species yet they cover a massive area.

Invasive species  Some conifers are considered invasive species In New Zealand the wilding conifer is invasive In New Zealand the wilding conifer is invasive This is invasive because they cause problems for pastoral farmers This is invasive because they cause problems for pastoral farmers They also cause problems with conservation because it takes the nutrients from the soil. They also cause problems with conservation because it takes the nutrients from the soil.

Foliage  Since the conifers have needles instead of leaves their foliage are long and thin like needles.  A rare few have leaves though Agathis Agathis Nagei Nagei

History  The earliest conifers recorded are found in fossils from the Carboniferous period( roughly 3 million years ago). Some say that the conifer was evolved from an organism called the cordaites. A cordaites is a seed bearing plant with cone like features. Some say that the conifer was evolved from an organism called the cordaites. A cordaites is a seed bearing plant with cone like features. 

History Cont.  At the same time that the conifer was evolving so were the Cycadophyta, and Gingkophyta  Conifers are one of the only taxa in the plantea kingdom to have benefited from the Permo-Triassic extinction

Life Cycle  The female cone receives pollen from the male cone The pollen comes in at the ovum The pollen comes in at the ovum Male and female cones are located on the same plant or tree Male and female cones are located on the same plant or tree  The pollen is used to fertilize the female gamete  The fertilized gamete develops into an embryo similar to the reproductive process in humans  The seed develops in a relatively short time after that 

Reproduction  Conifers reproduce through wind pollination The wind blows the pollen off of the trees and on to others to create the cones The wind blows the pollen off of the trees and on to others to create the cones  A conifers’ seed develops in a cone called a strobilus  The cone can take 4 months to up to 3 years to reach full size when it is ready to drop

Reproduction Cont.  The cone falls off of the tree when it is fully grown.  When the cone hits the ground it protects the seed until it is ready to germinate and grow.

Cones  There are both male and female cones The male cone is the same through out except for minor differences in texture The male cone is the same through out except for minor differences in texture The female cone differs from species to species and is unique to its tree The female cone differs from species to species and is unique to its tree The female cones shape, size, and even patterns are different.The female cones shape, size, and even patterns are different.

Adaptaitons  Due to evolution conifers can now complete fertilization with out water due to the use of pollen  The seed was evolved to help the embryo transport to different areas to develop  Another important adaptation is the ability to use less water to stay alive.

Morphology  The worlds oldest, tallest, and largest living things are conifers. Oldest Oldest A Great Basin Bristlecone Pine 4,700 years old!A Great Basin Bristlecone Pine 4,700 years old! Tallest Tallest A coast Redwood that is meters tallA coast Redwood that is meters tall Largest Largest A giant sequoia with a volume of cubic metersA giant sequoia with a volume of cubic meters

Sources     htm htm htm   725/conifer 725/conifer 725/conifer 