 | Iowa's Loess Hills: Saving the Hills
The rich soil found in the loess hills of Iowa provided excellent opportunity for some farmers, until the trees began to take over.
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| Warren Dunes State Park - Sand Dunes
The hardwood forests around the Warren Dunes are frequently overrun and killed by the constantly shifting dunes of sand.
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| West Virginia Winter
Even in a snow-covered winter landscape, there is abundant evidence of the many techniques plants and trees use to survive the season.
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| Saving the Longleaf Pine
Aware of the loss of this unique natural piece of their heritage, many Southerners have gathered to support restoration of the longleaf forests.
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| Forests - Trees and Ecosystems
The forest ecosystem relies upon a unique balance between trees and many different plants and animals that mutually depend upon one another.
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| Tree Identification - Part 1
Longleaf and shortleaf pines, loblolly pines, white and red oaks, and hickory trees have unique characteristics by which they can be identified.
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| Southern Longleaf Pine Forest
Once a dominant ecosystem of the South, the open, spacious longleaf pine forests have dwindled to just a fraction of their former size.
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| Decline of the Longleaf Pine Forest
The southern longleaf pine has declined due to over-harvesting, fire suppression, and lack of replanting and management.
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| Tree Identification - Part 2
From tulip trees to sweet gum to maples, all trees can be identified by their leaf shape, bark texture and color, stature, and even smell.
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| What Is an Arboretum?
Arboreta, like those at the University of Alabama, provide visitors with places to view and study plants, especially trees, as if in outdoor museums.
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| What an Arboretum Holds
A wide variety of plants - some indigenous, some exotic, some common, some rare - can be found in an arboretum.
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| Why Leaves Change Color
Discover why trees go through a complex transformation every year as the days get cooler, creating magnificent displays of red, yellow and orange leaves.
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| Multipurpose Mesquite
A popular plant with desert-dwelling Native Americans, the mesquite tree produces edible beans as well as roots, bark and wood good for multiple uses.
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| The Mighty Mesquite
The mesquite tree is a successful desert-dweller that attracts all sorts of creatures with its flowers, shade and sweet bean-pods.
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| Mesquite Population Explosion
Due to lack of natural fire, mesquite trees are beginning to take over the landscape in certain areas of Arizona.
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| Sanibel Island, Florida - Mangroves
Mangrove trees are the first to take root on the inland side of barrier islands, creating habitat for many birds and a place for other plants to grow.
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| Maine's Baxter State Park - Mountain Views
Mount Katahdin, Maine's highest peak, is framed by pristine lakes and lush forest.
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| Paynes Prairie, Florida
A dew-covered spiderweb glistens as it hangs suspended in a lush hardwood hammock surrounded by bays, palmettos, soapberry and cypress trees.
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| Maine's Baxter State Park
At Baxter State Park, moose live within the mix of spruce trees, mountain ash, white birch and others that make up the forest.
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| Paynes Prairie, Florida - Prairie
Paynes Prairie in Florida is a marshy grassland, home to a great diversity of plants as well as marsh birds, snakes and alligators.
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| Adirondack Mountains - Forest
The brilliant red, yellow and gold leaves that are found in autumn hardwood forests are what draw many to the Adirondack Mountains.
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| Adirondack Mountains - Plants and Wildlife
Industrious beavers have built dams in a lake and stream of the Adirondacks, where on this fall day trees and other plants are visibly preparing for winter.
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| San Juan Mountains, Colorado - Aspen Grove
The San Juan Mountains in Colorado are part of the Rocky Mountain Range which feature craggy snow-covered peaks and dappled groves of aspen trees.
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| Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
The sunny, marshy climate of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas is perfect for a variety of grasses and plants, as well as an alligator or two.
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| Glacier National Park - Forest
Hemlock and cedar dominate this forest at Glacier National Park in Montana, while devils club, goatsbeard lichen and twinflower fill in the details.
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| Redwood National Park - Coast
The rocky Pacific Coast at California's Redwood National Park is home to plants that endure the salty spray of the sea.
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| Redwood National Park - Forest
The amazing giant redwood forests at California's Redwood National Park draw carbon dioxide from the air to form the matter of the trees themselves.
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| Siskiyou National Forest - Mixed Forest
Featuring species that live nowhere else, the Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon is a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees.
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| Siskiyou National Forest - River
The Illinois River flows through Oregon's Siskiyou Forest, rounding rocks into smooth boulders and attracting water-loving vegetation.
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| Congaree Swamp - High Ground
South Carolina's Congaree Swamp National Monument provides ideal habitat for giant hardwood trees as well as other plants and animals.
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| Great Salt Plains - Woods and Pond
An area of standing freshwater gives rise to a diverse forest, along with a pond surrounded by lilies and cattails.
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| Laguna Atascosa, Texas - Brushland
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge at the southern tip of Texas features a variety of species which favor the hot, dry climate of the area.
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| Glacier National Park - St. Mary Lake
The views are endless at Montana's Glacier National Park, especially at St. Mary's Lake, where a variety of coniferous trees frame the clear alpine waters.
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| Sequoia National Forest - Sequoia Forest and Chaparral
The largest tree in the world, the giant sequoia is found only in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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| Ponderosa Pines
Researchers study the ponderosa pines growing on mountain 'islands' to better understand how they adapt to climate change.
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| Autumn Leaf Colors
A chemical change triggered by a change in light and temperature leads to the brilliant colors seen in fall foliage.
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| Aspen Trees and Elk
Young aspen trees are an important source of forage for elk, but this relationship can also limit the aspen's ability to regenerate and spread.
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| Attracting Backyard Wildlife - Part 1
Instead of grass, Jerry Hassinger planted native trees from a state nursery in his backyard to create a low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly habitat.
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| Shenandoah National Park - Appalachian Trail
Virginia's Shenandoah National Park encompasses diverse mountain and forest habitats.
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| Cartwheel Bay, South Carolina - Savanna
Plants and animals seldom seen anywhere else, such as the Venus flytrap, are typical in South Carolina's bay ecosystems.
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| Devils Tower National Monument Wyoming - River Terrace
A river cutting through the dry landscape of Wyoming's Devils Tower National Monument creates perfect conditions for trees, plants and a pair of deer.
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| Devils Tower National Monument Wyoming - Prairie
Prairie dogs and white-tailed deer go about their daily business, while the impressive Devils Tower rock formation looms in the distance.
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| Fossil Butte, Wyoming - Highlands
The windy, dry climate of southwestern Wyoming produces hearty plants that are able to resist the rough climate.
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| Washington's Hoh Rain Forest - Sitka Spruce Forest
A true temperate rain forest, the Hoh Rain Forest in Washington receives about 12 feet of rain a year, yielding intense greenery and enormous trees.
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| Washington's Hoh Rain Forest - River Floodplain
The second-story canopy in the Hoh Rain Forest is dominated by broadleaf trees, including maple, cottonwood and alder.
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| Washington's Hoh Rain Forest - Hoh River
Washington's meandering Hoh River cut terraces through the land, creating distinct ecosystems at each level.
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| Forty Acre Rock - Secondary Growth Forest
A secondary growth forest at South Carolina's Forty Acre Rock reveals the succession of plants that dominate a forest once ruled by hardwoods.
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| Forty Acre Rock - Flat Rock Community
A flat rock ecosystem creates a unique and rare community of plants and animals specially-adapted to shallow soil and rainwater pools.
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| Shenandoah National Park - Talus Slope
The jumbled rocky terrain of a talus slope provides just the right environment for a number of hardwood trees.
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| Desert Palm Tree Oasis
In the desert, the palm tree oasis environment is a refuge for plants and animals, providing shade, cooler temperatures and abundant water.
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| Oak Gall Wasps
The galls, or growths, on oak trees play an important role for wasps by serving as a home and food source for developing larvae.
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| Northwest Temperate Rain Forests - Part 1
Temperate rain forests are characterized by high annual rainfall and relatively mild winters, creating an environment with a rich diversity of species.
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| Northwest Temperate Rain Forests - Part 2
The diversity of the plants and animals in a temperate rain forest changes dramatically from the forest floor to the forest canopy.
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| Creative Uses for the Poplar
Poplar trees, also known as cottonwoods, are native to the Northwest, grow very efficiently and have been cultivated for numerous uses.
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| Mangrove Wetlands of Magdalena Bay
The Baja Peninsula's Magdalena Bay has one of the northern-most distributions of mangrove wetlands on the Pacific Coast.
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| Salvaging Native Desert Trees
One Arizona company salvages native desert trees and protects them from destruction caused by urban development.
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| Forest Health - White Pine
Forestry officials and environmental scientists disagree on how to re-establish Idaho's once-abundant white pine forests.
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| Forest Health - Lodgepole Pine
Mountain pine beetles and wildfire have played important roles in the lodgepole pine forest ecosystem.
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| Forest Health - Ponderosa Pine
Though they have been protected from wild fires for years, ponderosa pine forests may be approaching disaster - but few can agree on how to save them.
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| Dynamiting Trees
Two forestry workers have the unusual job of dynamiting trees to create snags, which provide natural habitat for forest creatures.
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