Bracket fungi, sometimes called shelf fungi, can be very large. Bracket fungus can measure more than 40 centimetres in diameter. This type of fungus is often discovered growing on wood such as trees, branches or logs and in damp conditions. However, when this fungus grows on cut wood, it can be very destructive and harmful.
The fungi I chose to research was the Candelaria concolor, whose common name is the Candleflame lichen. The candleflame lichen is usually found growing on the bark of deciduous trees in open areas however it can grow on many different materials including rocks. They grow well on trees because the tree sheds rain water down its bark and in these streams is usually where the lichen grows. This lichen can live all year round going from pale and brittle during dry seasons to brightly coloured and soft when there is more moisture. it has been discovered that the growth of this lichen is negatively affected by air pollution and therefore the presence of the candle flame lichen can be used as a bioindicator of air pollution.
Splitgill mushrooms are a fungi that can be found in Mount Royal. According to a paper in the scientific journal Mycosphere, this type of mushroom is high in antioxidants. Similarly to many mushrooms, splitgill mushrooms can be beneficial for food or in pharmaceuticals.
My group observed non-floweing trees in Mount Royal.
The species I found on the phylogenetic tree using OneZoom was the Northern Red Oak. The
scientific name for this tree is Quercus rubra. It falls under the Plantae kingdom, Fagales order,
Fagaceae family, Quercus genus.
None of the species I observed have common adaptations. This may be because I observed
species that have different lineages or because they don't have the same need for adaptations.
One unique adaptation for the black walnut is that it's allopathic which means that harmful
chemicals secret from its roots. This gives the Black Walnut tree an advantage by allowing it to
compete with other organisms in its environment for space or protect itself from predators.
My group observed non-flowering trees in Mount Royal Park.
One of my observations was of the Eastern white pine. A unique adaptation that the Eastern white pine has is a lateral root system with roots that also grow down (sinker roots) which increases the surface area over which the tree can soak up water.
One adaptation that all the trees I observed had in common was that all of them go dormant in the winter to conserve energy and nutrients. Even the eastern white pine which is a coniferous tree becomes partially dormant in the winter and undergoes seasonal changes to conserve energy.
The species which I found using oneZoom was the yellow birch whose scientific name is Betula alleghaniensis. This species falls under the kingdom-plantea, phylum-anthophyta, class-dicotyledoneae, order- fagales, family- betulaceae, and genus-betula. It's most commonly related species is the sweet birch.
With my group, I observed vascular plants around Mont-Royal Park.
One of my observations included the curled dock (rumex crispus). One of the unique adaptations of the curled dock is that it has antioxidant, laxative and astringent (meaning that it can shrink body tissue) properties. For this reason, the curled dock can be a helpful plant when used to reduce constipation.
One adaptation all vascular plants have in common is that they all possess a xylem. A xylem is a tissue in a vascular plant that transports water and nutrients to other parts of the plant and can be used for storage.
The species I chose to observe in the OneZoom was the Eastern Hemlock. The eastern Hemlock is a eukaryote and its scientific classification is the following:
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Tsuga
Species: T. canadensis
My group investigated leaves on Mt. Royal Park, near the McConnell Arena. I was interested in the unique shapes of the leaves in the area, particularity the wide and evenly lobbed edges of Colt's Foot leaves. I noticed that the Colt's foot leaves looked like lettuce, with the stocks a raw purple colour, while the other leaves I observed were thin with large, uneven lobes or serrated edges. Most of the other leaves were smaller and darker in colour. Each of my observations were found further away from the walking path, against the side of a dirt hill. All of the observations were large and bushy, preferring the shade to the exposed dirt path. The Colt's Foot is a eukaryote in the kingdom Plantae. It belongs to the genus Tussilago, with the species name Farfara. It produces yellow buds in the springtime but grows large shaded leaves during late summer and early fall.
