The mighty oak...

A quiet day sorting some photographs and trying to get back into work mode.
This afternoon Chris and I headed out to Ferry Meadows to get some fresh air and exercise. I haven't seen it so busy for ages - I suspect lots of families and dog walkers were taking advantage of the first proper sunshine for a while. But the wind was strong and cold, so it wasn't a day for dawdling.

We arrived in time to watch the sun sink slowly behind the trees. I love the shapes of gnarled oaks, and there are a good number of mature trees at Ferry Meadows. It is said that an oak spends 300 years growing, 300 years resting and 300 years declining. The largest oak in Britain would take nine adults finger tip to finger tip to hug it. This one is probably reaching the end of the growing phase and entering its resting stage.

In the UK, oak provides a habitat for more organisms, and especially insects, than any other tree. Because of its large size and longevity, it plays a unique role in forest ecosystems and many species have adapted to live with it. Over 300 lichens and 65 mosses and liverworts can be found on the trunks, while it is estimated that almost 300 insects are associated with it.

Underground, the roots of oak trees have mycorrhizal associations with various species of fungi. In these mutualistic or symbiotic relationships, both partners benefit from their interactions, with the fungi receiving sugars and carbohydrates which the tree photosynthesises using the sun's energy, while the tree receives nutrients and minerals from the fungi, which it is unable to access directly in the soil itself.

I was very touched by all the supportive comments on yesterday's blip - I have to admit to shedding a tear or two as I read them, but am already feeling stronger tonight.