Aaron Thomas Blackhall Stephen David Cronin

THE OAK TREE ECOSYSTEM

The oak tree can live up to hundreds of years. An oak tree can grow to 40 metres. Oak trees do not produce seed until it is 35 years old.

INTERESTING FACTS

The seed of the oak tree is an acorn. Each tree will produce over 50,000 acorns but only 1 or 2 will grow into oak trees.

ACORNS

Many animals, plants, insects and fungi depend on the oak.

ECOSYSTEM

The oak is a deciduous hard wood tree. It loses it’s leaves every Autumn.

DECIDUOUS

The Irish word for oak tree is Dair. Several Irish cities are named after Dair Like Doire (Derry) Cill Dara (Kildare)

DAIR

There are many type’s of oak

English OakCork OakWhite Oak

TYPE’S OF OAK

Oak tree’s need:Water (Ground)Minerals (Ground)

Sugar (Ground)Sunlight (Sun)Carbon Dioxide (Air)

OAK TREE GROWS

The Oak roots spread for many metre’s underground. Their main task is to gather water and mineral’s. Many minerals come from the dead leave’s.

ROOTS

The oak leaf is one of the easiest to recognise. It has a serrated edge.

OAK LEAF

The oak leaf is a factory which turn’s water, minerals and carbon dioxide into sugar to feed the tree. This happens once the sun is warm enough. The leaf must have green chlorophyll for this to work.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

The oak tree supports

InsectsBeetlesLadybirdsWasps Ants

ECOSYSTEM

The oak tree supports many birds who eat the insects and nest in the tree.

OwlSparrowHawk

ECOSYSTEM

The oak tree supports small animals such as:

Wood mouseHedgehograt

ECOSYSTEM

The oak tree supports larger animals such as:

Squirrel BadgerFox

ECOSYSTEM

Lichen grow at the oak tree. Lichen is a living fungi. The fungi helps rot the dead leave’s

ECOSYSTEM

Insects build homes on the oak tree. Animals and insects eat the fruit, the bark and the leave’s.

Birds eat the insects

Birds build nests.

ECOSYSTEM

Wild flowers grow near the tree such as :

Cowslips Primroses Daffodils

ECOSYSTEM

The leave’s provide a wonderful place for insects to lay their eggs. Such as the butterfly.

ECOSYSTEM

The two types of squirrel (Red Squirrel and the Grey Squirrel) use the tree to build their homes (drey). They eat and store thousands of acorns.

ECOSYSTEM

The fox uses the tree to catch other smaller animals.

ECOSYSTEM

We use the oak to build ships, furniture and pot handles.

MAN