Equator-Facing Trees Regardless of Their Habitat

The coniferous species, Cook pines (Araucaria columnaris), exhibit a unique lean. Researchers have identified this as an “equatorial inclination.”

This suggests that these trees, when grown outside their native habitat, all display a tilt, which is seen as a distinguishing trait.

What does the “equatorial inclination” of Cook pines mean?

Matt Ritter, the head of the Cal Poly Plant Conservatory (a botanical garden in California), compiled comprehensive data on these pines for a book. He noticed that the trees he examined seemed to lean towards the south, as reported by IFL Science.

Subsequently, Ritter reached out to his global peers to determine if the pines in their regions also showed a similar lean. The findings were clear: these trees do indeed lean towards the equator.

Research Outcomes Based on Over 250 Examined Trees

Ritter and his team scrutinized 256 trees across five continents.

“Our findings show that the inclination of Cook pines is not arbitrary: trees in the northern hemisphere lean towards the south, while those in the southern hemisphere lean towards the north. Moreover, the tilt degree increases with altitude in both hemispheres,” the research team stated.

Nonetheless, the team concurs that more research is needed as the current understanding of how these trees – and flora in general – interact with their environment is still limited.

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