Eucalyptus rossii
The Eucalyptus Rossii is a native Australian gum tree that is commonly referred to as the Scribbly Gum or Scribble Gum. It is a medium-sized tree which can grow to around to around 8-20m. It is a very hardy and durable tree that does not require much maintenance. It has a sparse canopy that are made by moth larvae feeding and borrowing under the bark of the tree. Moths also lay eggs between the bark layers.
The bark is yellowish in colour throughout the tree and it sheds each year in patches creating a mottled greyish-white appearance. The truck is long and narrow and are planted up to 400cm apart. The leaves are also long and narrow and are grey/green in colour. Small white flowers are located on the tree in December to February. These spout in clusters of 5-12 which later develop seed pots from the flower.
Image: Author: Australian National Herbarium Available at: https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2011/eucalyptus-rossii.html Accessed: July 6th 2015
Banner Image: Author: Donald Hobern Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eucalyptus_rossii_bark_1.jpg Accessed: July 6th 2015
The bark is yellowish in colour throughout the tree and it sheds each year in patches creating a mottled greyish-white appearance. The truck is long and narrow and are planted up to 400cm apart. The leaves are also long and narrow and are grey/green in colour. Small white flowers are located on the tree in December to February. These spout in clusters of 5-12 which later develop seed pots from the flower.
Image: Author: Australian National Herbarium Available at: https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2011/eucalyptus-rossii.html Accessed: July 6th 2015
Banner Image: Author: Donald Hobern Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eucalyptus_rossii_bark_1.jpg Accessed: July 6th 2015
Habitats and abiotic factors
The Eucalyptus rossii are mainly located on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in NSW. They can also be found on Black Mountain in Canberra. This environment is a calming forest environment that is covered in trees and usually contains a diverse range of animal and plant species. The environment is commonly very hilly and is a great location for bushwalkers.
Numerous abiotic factors in the environment of the Eucalyptus rossii include both temperature and rainfall.
Temperature
Temperatures in this region are not very extreme and averages around 20 °C per year. The eucalyptus rossii is able to maintain functions consistently as they are not living in extreme temperatures. This is called the optimum range. The tree benefits from these temperatures as functions can take part at of optimum, whereas if the tree was in a different environment it might not be able to handle the conditions and be put under physiological stress.
The temperature can also become an assistance in survival when reaching 25 °C. This is because the eucalyptus rossii seeds germinate at 25 °C.
This helps the survival of the species as the seeds may grow into more of the Eucalyptus rossii if the conditions remain in the optimum tolerance range.
Rainfall
The average rainfall of the western slopes are not usually high. The average rainfall in a year is 600-1000mm per year. The Eucalyptus rossii can benefit from this level of rainfall as it is enough for the tree to sustain a steady amount of energy that is neither high or low. The trees are found growing on slopes as there are well drained soils, which the trees prefer. Well drained soils enable it to drain rain water from the soils and makes it easier for the tree to obtain water for photosynthesis.
Image: Author: R.T Baker & H.G.Sm Available at: https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2011/eucalyptus-rossii.html Accessed: July 6th 2015
Numerous abiotic factors in the environment of the Eucalyptus rossii include both temperature and rainfall.
Temperature
Temperatures in this region are not very extreme and averages around 20 °C per year. The eucalyptus rossii is able to maintain functions consistently as they are not living in extreme temperatures. This is called the optimum range. The tree benefits from these temperatures as functions can take part at of optimum, whereas if the tree was in a different environment it might not be able to handle the conditions and be put under physiological stress.
The temperature can also become an assistance in survival when reaching 25 °C. This is because the eucalyptus rossii seeds germinate at 25 °C.
This helps the survival of the species as the seeds may grow into more of the Eucalyptus rossii if the conditions remain in the optimum tolerance range.
Rainfall
The average rainfall of the western slopes are not usually high. The average rainfall in a year is 600-1000mm per year. The Eucalyptus rossii can benefit from this level of rainfall as it is enough for the tree to sustain a steady amount of energy that is neither high or low. The trees are found growing on slopes as there are well drained soils, which the trees prefer. Well drained soils enable it to drain rain water from the soils and makes it easier for the tree to obtain water for photosynthesis.
Image: Author: R.T Baker & H.G.Sm Available at: https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2011/eucalyptus-rossii.html Accessed: July 6th 2015
- Challenges of living in the mountainous region
While living in the mountainous environment, the Eucalyptus rossii can experience different challenges.
- When in extreme temperatures, bush fires may occur. The Eucalyptus rossii faces the challenge of experiencing possible bush fires, especially in the environment that it lives in.
- When living on the edge of mountainous regions, the tree can experience the challenge of drought and having low water availability.
Adaptations
Bush Fires
Drought
These are all structural adaptations, which have evolved over passed experience and time.
- One of the adaptations that a Eucalyptus rossii has is that it sheds its bark. This helps protect its trunk when in a fire. Also in the trunk and main branches are leaf buds which are operated with extreme heat into growing new leaves. These leaf buds are protected by the bark.
- Eucalyptus tree leaves have a high content of oil known as eucalyptus oil, which causes the leaves to burn rapidly which allows the fire to move on from the the tree quickly and protects the tree from prolonged heat exposure.
- The Eucalyptus tree is adapted with swellings called lignotubers, which are food stores from which it allows new shoots to grow rapidly when the tree is damaged by fire allowing it to survive.
Drought
- Leaves are narrow and hang down vertically which reduces water loss from the leaves allowing it to sustain a high water level throughout droughts.
- The cells of the tree are tolerant of reduced water content. Having the tolerance of low water supply is an advantage throughout a drought
These are all structural adaptations, which have evolved over passed experience and time.
Interesting Fact
The tree was named after a science teacher called William John Clunes Ross (1850-1914), who published many scientific papers in Sydney.