Dendrology
Encyclopedia
Woody plant
A woody plant is a plant that uses wood as its structural tissue. These are typically perennial plants whose stems and larger roots are reinforced with wood produced adjacent to the vascular tissues. The main stem, larger branches, and roots of these plants are usually covered by a layer of...
(tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s, and liana
Liana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
s). There is no sharp boundary between plant taxonomy
Plant taxonomy
Plant taxonomy is the science that finds, describes, classifies, identifies, and names plants. It thus is one of the main branches of taxonomy.Plant taxonomy is closely allied to plant systematics, and there is no sharp boundary between the two...
and dendrology. However, woody plants not only belong to many different plant families
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, but these families may be made up of both woody and non-woody members. Some families include only a few woody species. This severely limits the usefulness of a strictly dendrological approach. Dendrology tends to focus on economically useful woody plants, their identification and horticultural or silvicultural properties.
Relationship with botany
Dendrology is often confused with botanyBotany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
. However, botany is the study of all types of general plants, while dendrology studies only wooded plants. Dendrology may be considered a subcategory of botany that specializes in wooded plants.
Noted dendrologists
- Mike BaillieMike BaillieMike Baillie is a Professor Emeritus of Palaeoecology at Queen's University of Belfast, in Northern Ireland. Baillie is a leading expert in dendrochronology, or dating by means of tree-rings...
, Queen's University of BelfastQueen's University of BelfastQueen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB... - Francis A. BartlettFrancis A. BartlettFrancis A. Bartlett, an eminent dendrologist, graduated from Massachusetts Agricultural College, now the University of Massachusetts, in 1905 . Dr...
, founder of Bartlett Arboretum and GardensBartlett Arboretum and GardensThe Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens contains 91 acres of parkland, gardens, landscapes, and hiking trails, that focus on the regional plants, ecology and character of Southwestern New England. The Arboretum is open and accessible to the public every day of the year. It is located at 151 Brookdale...
and the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory - William Douglas CookWilliam Douglas CookWilliam Douglas Cook was the founder of Eastwoodhill Arboretum, now the national arboretum of New Zealand, and one of the founders of Pukeiti, a rhododendron garden, close to New Plymouth...
, founder of Eastwoodhill ArboretumEastwoodhill ArboretumEastwoodhill is the national arboretum of New Zealand. It covers and is located 35 km northwest of Gisborne, in the hill country of Ngatapa. It was founded in 1910 by William Douglas Cook...
and Pukeiti (New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) - Michael DirrMichael DirrMichael A. Dirr, Ph.D is a horticulturist and a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia. He is an expert on woody plants.-Education and Experience:...
- Alan MitchellAlan MitchellAlan F. Mitchell was a British forester, dendrologist and botanist, and author of several books on trees.He almost single-handedly measured every notable tree in the British Isles, founding the Tree Register of the British Isles , which held records of over 100,000 individual notable trees at the...
- Maciej GiertychMaciej GiertychMaciej Marian Giertych is a Polish dendrologist and social conservative politician of the League of Polish Families . He favours state intervention in the economy. He was a member of the Sejm and a Polish member of the European Parliament...
- Humphry MarshallHumphry MarshallHumphry Marshall was an American botanist and plant dealer.-Biography:Humphry Marshall was born in the village of Marshallton, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1722. He was the cousin of botanist John Bartram and William Bartram...
See also
- DendrochronologyDendrochronologyDendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
- SilvologySilvologySilvology is the study of forests and woods, incoporating both the understanding of natural forest ecosystems and the design of silvicultural systems....
- World Forestry CongressWorld Forestry CongressThe World Forestry Congress is the largest and most significant gathering of the world's forestry sector and it has been held every six years since 1926 under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , organized by the government of the host country...