Plant Adaptations to Nutrients
Evergreeness is an adaptation that helps a tree compete for nutrients that come from the soil. Trees need nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in order to conduct photosynthesis in their leaves, and to build new cells. Because deciduous trees loose their leaves each winter, they lose many of the nutrients stored in their leaves. Evergreen trees retain their leaves, so they retain their nutrients. This allows them to compete better on soils that are poor in nutrients, such as abandoned farmland or eroded land.
Common
Trees and Shrubs of Virginia
|
Evergreen |
Deciduous |
|
Pines |
Oaks (except live oak) |