Bark Thickness across the Globe (IMAGE)
Caption
Researchers at Princeton and collaborating institutions found that bark thickness in tree species across the globe was greater in ecosystems with higher incidence of fire. The figure shows that tree bark grows thicker (red) in areas with savannas, which tend to burn every two to five years, and thinner (blue) in less frequently burned ecosystems, such as tropical rainforests. Trees in forests in the lower half of North America, which experience periodic fires, have middle to thick amounts of bark.
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Image courtesy of John Wiley & Sons
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Image courtesy of John Wiley & Sons
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