3 Types of Adaptations for a Tall Tree

Height helps trees fend off or compete with other organisms.palm tree and oranges on tree image by Miguel Angel P from Fotolia.com

Trees are the largest of the plants. There are a variety of benefits to height, such as increased access to sunlight, protection from harmful animals, and increased potential to store food. Trees have developed a variety of adaptations that help them further take advantage of their size, such as developing extensive canopies; shielding themselves with bark and calluses; and insulating themselves.

Photosynthesis

Plants compete for resources such as sunlight and air. Larger trees are able to cover a greater area because they grow taller than the plants closer to the ground and are also able to extend their leaves and branches broader than other plant species. Tall trees experience more intense sunlight. One adaptation that allows trees to maximize the amount of sunlight they collect is the canopy, according to Newton BBS. With tree canopies, very little sunlight can reach the ground. This phenomenon is the most extreme in rainforests, where canopies cause very little plant life to grow on the forest floor.

Bark very effectively prevents organisms from damaging the tree. The more vulnerable parts of the tree--the leaves--are farther from the insects that would like to chew on them, though they are never completely safe from herbivorous animals. Trees that live in colder environments have thicker bark, which is effective for thermal insulation, according to UCLA botanists. This insulation also protects trees from fire. If the bark is cut, the plant can be in severe danger until it is able to seal the injury, according to the University of Florida Extension Service.

Trees that grow tall are able to store more nutrients. Plants do not simply engage in photosynthesis for immediate energy. They are able to convert the energy into storable sugar and are able to use this energy when they produce oxygen or when they absorb oxygen from the surrounding environment. The larger the tree is, the more space the tree has to store nutrients, sugars and water for use during drought, which prevents the trees from creating new food. However, this feature can turn against the tree, since trees that receive injuries lose their ability to use that part of the tree for food storage, according to the University of Florida. If too many areas become too heavily damaged, the tree struggles to sustain itself.