Conifers specialize at growing in poor soils that are often sandier and drier than the richer soils found in deciduous forests. Trees get their nutrients from the soil, but not all soil has enough nutrients to support a deciduous tree in its yearly leaf-making endeavors. That’s where conifers surpass them.

Conifers provide all the world’s softwood timber, the major construction wood of temperate regions, and about 45 percent of the world’s annual lumber production. Softwoods have always had many general and specialty applications.

Coniferous trees, like pine, spruce, and fir, are the main producers in the forest. Their pine needles fall to the forest floor, creating a spongy mat for other life to inhabit. Low lying shrubs and moss are other producers in this ecosystem.

Conifers are some of the largest, tallest, and oldest trees known to science. They provide humans with a source of fuel and timber for construction of homes and buildings. Many elements found in a home including furniture, fittings, and fixtures were made from coniferous trees.

Why have conifer trees become so successful? Conifer trees are adapted for cold and harsh climates. Conifer trees live in cold climates. This kind of cold weather can easily kill humans and other animals during prolonged exposure.

As of 1998, the division Pinophyta was estimated to contain eight families, 68 genera, and 629 living species. Although the total number of species is relatively small, conifers are ecologically important….Conifer.

Answer: Conifers are the gymnosperms that belong to the division Pinophyta, class Pinopsida and order Pinales. They primarily live in cold places, some of there species are also found in rain forests etc.

Conifers are, most simply, plants that have cones. So yes, pine trees are conifers; we all know about pine cones!

Conifer, any member of the division Pinophyta, class Pinopsida, order Pinales, made up of living and fossil gymnospermous plants that usually have needle-shaped evergreen leaves and seeds attached to the scales of a woody bracted cone. …

Other identification tips for conifers are to look closely at the type of bark and how the tree grows. It can be difficult to differentiate between pine, fir, and spruce trees based solely on the bark. However, noting the type of cones, types of needles, and the bark color are all good for identifying purposes.

Definition of ‘conifer’ Conifers are a group of trees and shrubs, for example pine trees and fir trees, that grow in cooler areas of the world. They have fruit called cones, and very thin leaves called needles which they do not normally lose in winter.

The surest way to identify conifers is to examine the needles and cones along with the bark. In general the bark of pine trees is smooth on young trees but develops a flaky, reddish-brown color with age. Scots pines have a particularly orange/red peeling bark. White pines can have smooth bark, even when mature.

Although studying the needle is the best way to identify a conifer, conifers as a class are defined not by their leaves but by their seeds, so it’s only important to note the shape and size of leaves after determining whether it is a conifer by the shape, size, and type of seed the tree produces.

Conifers, or cone-bearing trees, evolved to have needles that retain more water and seeds that could hang out until there was enough moisture to take root. They do the same job that broad leaves do—capture sunlight, “inhale” carbon dioxide, and “exhale” oxygen—providing the tree with food and air for us to breath.

Spruce belongs to the genus of coniferous evergreen trees of the pine family. There are about 40 species. It is one of the main forest-forming species.

Here is a general breakdown of how frequently some of our most common conifers lose their needles:

• White pine: 2-3 years.
• Red pine: 4 years.
• Ponderosa Pine: 3 years.
• Jack pine: 2-4 years.
• Scotch pine: 2-4 years.
• Austrian pine: 4 years.
• Mugo pine: 5 years.

This is an easy tip to remember: on pine trees, needles are attached and attached to the branches in clusters; on spruce trees, needles are attached individually. A longleaf pine – which you can tell is a pine because its needles are attached in bundles.

Rhododendrons and holly bushes (except winterberry which loses its leaves) are examples of broadleaf evergreens. Pine, spruce, and hemlocks are evergreens and they are also conifers. Since nature seems to like keeping us on our toes, there is one tree in particular that is a conifer, but not an evergreen.

A child can eat 1-2 holly berries (Ilex sp.) without harm, but around 20 berries can cause death, so eating holly berries is a serious concern for children and pets.