''A Tree Grows Up: From Seedling to Over Mature Tree"

On this web page you will learn about the six stages of a tree - the seedling, sapling, poles, mature trees, old trees, and over mature trees.  Trees are like people because they can grow like a human, and they need food and water like a human.  The trees do something special that is important to people, they breathe in carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air.  You will learn about the stages of development in the life span of a living tree.

A seedling is a baby tree that has just started to grow.  It is the first stage of the growth cycle.  It can not make new life and it has a job to do.  Its job is to grow up to a sapling to make a new forest.  Deer sometimes like to eat new leaves and can can hurt a new seedling.

A sapling is a child tree.  It is the second stage of development.  It is one meter tall and stays a sapling until the stem reaches 7 cenitmeters in diameter.

In this paragraph we’re going to talk about poles.  Poles are the teenagers of the forest and they are very interesting.  They are in the third stage of a tree's growth cycle.  The size of a pole is between 7cm and 30cm in diameter, they are almost as tall as a house.  Poles also grow really fast.  Don’t climb them because they are not very sturdy yet.  Let’s grow up.

Now we will talk about mature trees. Mature trees are the adults of the forest.  They are at the fourth stage of the tree's growth cycle.  The size of a mature tree is over 30cm in diameter.  It is very tall now and is also able to make seeds.  This is the perfect stage to climb them.  Now the tree starts to slow down in growth.  At this stage in growth it won’t fall on you.

The old tree is an Elder tree.  It is in the fifth stage of the development.  It is older than me and you.  During this part of its life the tree does not grow much taller.  It spends most of its time making seeds.

In this paragraph we will talk about overmature trees.  Overmature trees are Great, Grandparents of the forest.  This is the stage where death begins.  This is the sixth and last stage of a living tree.

Overmature trees are about as tall as a mature tree because they are not getting taller any more.  Now they can be blown over from heavy winds or catch diseases from fungi or insects.  Once infected, trees start to decay within their system.  Animals that make holes or like living in them, such as insects, owls, birds and raccoons start making their homes in overmature trees.

Now we hope that you've learned a lot about the stages of a tree.  We hope you know that the stages of a tree are very important, and just as important to animals to survive.  Animals use trees in different stages for their homes and food, that is why having trees that are different ages is important.