2.05 Tree Identification

Learn

Dendrology

Alabama Forestry Foundation defines dendrology as the systematic identification and classification of trees. Trees are identified by one or more common names depending on their region and a scientific name. All plants also have scientific names that are the same across the globe. This system is call the Binomial Nomenclature, which means two name system. The two names usually come from Latin, and mean the same to all botanists.

Scientific Name

The scientific name of a plant consists of three parts

The first part is the genus, and is always capitalized
The second part or word is the species name. It is not typically capitalized and describes a characteristic of the species
The third part is an abbreviation for the person who first described and scientifically named the species.

For example, the scientific name of the white oak is Quercus alba L. Quercus is Latin for oak, alba is Latin for white, and L is the abbreviation for Linnaeus, the Swiss botanist.

Examples

Here are a few examples (Geographic Information Systems) of some Alabama trees.

ACERACEAE	The Maple Family
Acer rubrum L.	Red Maple
Acer saccharinum L.	Silver Maple
Acer saccharum Marsh.	Sugar Maple

PINACEAE	The Pine Family
Pinus echinata Mill.	Shortleaf Pine
Pinus palustric Mill.	Longleaf Pine

BETULACEAE	The Birch Family
Betula nigra L.	River Birch

FAGACEAE	The Beech Family
Quercus alba L.	White Oak
Quercus falcata Michx.	Southern Red Oak

Tree Identification

Watch Discovering Alabama: Tree Identification. You will need the information in the video to complete 2.05 Tree Identification.

Alabama Tree Manual

Now, look at a few pages from 100 Forest Trees of Alabama published by the Alabama Forestry Commission. This manual gives you lots of information about 100 trees that grow in Alabama, but this excerpt shows just a few of them. Included are common and scientific names, scientific names, features of the tree, identifying characteristics, uses, habitats, and drawings that will help you identify the tree.

Importance

Being able to identify various species of trees is very important in the forest industry. Foresters know that different trees are used for different purposes. They also understand that to maximize their profits, trees must be used in their greatest capacities. Being able to identify tree species is also important for land owners. In order to manage your forest to be the best possible forest, you must be familiar with tree species and their unique purposes.

Leaf Characteristics

Looking for specific characteristics is a key to identification. There are several leaf characteristics that can help you identify the tree. These include: