Silver Birch
Use attributes for filter ! | |
Scientific name | Betula pendula |
---|---|
Conservation status | Endangered (Population decreasing) |
Higher classification | Birch |
Rank | Species |
Did you know | Downy birch can be distinguished from silver birch with its smooth, downy shoots, which are hairless and warty in silver birch. |
Date of Reg. | |
Date of Upd. | |
ID | 1152328 |
About Silver Birch
Betula pendula, commonly known as silver birch, warty birch, European white birch, or East Asian white birch, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to Europe and parts of Asia, though in southern Europe, it is only found at higher altitudes.
Chelsea Flower Show: King to view tributes to late Queen at Flower Show
... The King is set to visit A Garden of Royal Reflection and Celebration, which features light pink and white planting and a Silver Birch to reflect the tastes of the late Queen, as well as blues, purples and pinks to represent the King s preferences...
International Garden Photographer of the Year competition 2023
... " Bernadette Benz waited for a day with hoar frost before taking her picture called Frosted Silver Birch which won the Trees, Woods and Forests category...
Biodiversity: Fungi are 'underloved and understudied'
... Experts grew the fungus in the lab, then transplanted the spores into Silver Birch logs in the wildlife garden at Wisley Gardens, Surrey...
A family's tips for taking the plastic out of Christmas
... Last year Dan brought in a Silver Birch branch and dried some orange pieces and hung them all on there and we had it in the house until February as it looked so beautiful, Lydia says...
Saltley gang clash: Men injured as children play nearby
...The confrontation happened in Silver Birch Close, Saltley Two men have been injured in a clash between rival gangs in a cul-de-sac as children played nearby, police said...
Siberia wildfires: Russians battle to contain the blazes
... Soon we re deep in the forest, surrounded by Silver Birch, cedar and pine trees...
Siberia wildfires: Russians battle to contain the blazes
The Village of Podymakhino is blessed with a stunning location.
The great Siberian river, the Lena, flows past here. And, stretching into the distance, is lush green Forest - the taiga. It's a picture postcard kind of place.
Suddenly the tranquil scene is interrupted by the sound of a helicopter. When it flies into view, I can see a giant bucket suspended on a cable. It's a hint of the drama unfolding over The Hills - the battle against Fire .
Forest fires in Siberia are common. But this summer unusually hot weather, dry thunderstorms and strong winds have combined to spark an Emergency - in Siberia wildfires have engulfed an area the size of Belgium.
Reaching the blazes can be difficult. Most of the fires are in remote areas. In recent days, army planes and helicopters from the Russian Emergency service have been dropping water on The Flames . But often it's up to local communities to do what they can to contain The Threat .
In Podymakhino I meet Gennady Esin. He runs a small farm and timber business, but by necessity he's a firefighter, too, now. Gennady and his team agree to Take Me into the taiga to Show Me The Situation there. We set off on a military-style off-road truck, bumping along a dirt track. Soon we're deep in The Forest , surrounded by Silver Birch , cedar and pine Trees .
Hundreds of firefighters, volunteers and emergencies ministry personnel are tackling the fires on the groundI spot smoke rising from the earth. The Forest is smouldering. Small flames are licking at bushes and shrubs. The Fire is greatest to One side of The Track .
"We've used a bulldozer is create a fireline, a gap, in order to stop The Fire spreading," Gennady explains. "In this gap, we've removed vegetation, like dry moss, leaves and twigs, anything combustible. We have to keep monitoring The Situation to make sure That sparks don't cross the fireline. "
This natural barrier has slowed the spread of The Fire . But it hasn't stopped it completely. I can see burning, too, on The Other side of the fireline.
Gennady's team has limited resources. A forester called Sergei walks round with a simple pump, extinguishing flames whenever he spots them. But catching all danger points in Time Is almost impossible. Fire can appear unexpectedly. In The Forest One smouldering bush I was looking at suddenly burst into flames.
Another Fire -fighting helicopter flies over.
"Wouldn't it be more effective," I ask Gennady, "to spray The Forest from the air with tons of water?"
He shakes his head and points to a dead tree trunk lying on its side. Smoke is rising from One end.
"If The Embers are Burning Inside dead wood like this," he tells me, "then dropping water from a plane or helicopter won't affect That . "
I can see That One part of The Forest has been badly affected by Fire - reduced to a charred wasteland strewn with burnt trunks and branches.
Some Forest protection personnel have been parachuted to The Most remote areasDue to The Forest fires, a state of Emergency is in place across Irkutsk region and in other parts of Siberia. Clouds of smoke have been spreading to towns and cities. In Ust-Kut, where I've been staying - One hour's drive from Podymakhino - a rare Rainy Day has provided temporary relief from the smog. But the smell of burning is returning.
"There was so much smoke here. At One point we couldn't see The Sun through it," Ust-Kut pensioner Nadezhda Mikhailovna tells me. "I'm still sneezing because of All That smoke. We've only had One Rainy Day in weeks. "
How much longer will the forests burn?
"That depends On Nature ," Gennady tells me. "If it stays dry, then the fires will continue. In Siberia forests can burn Until Rain in October, or the First Snow . "
siberia, russia, wildfires, climate change
Source of news: bbc.com