Identification
Determining the genus and species of the trees is important in helping managers determine how old a tree is and how much longer it will survive. Most trees can be identified with a little training on how to look at them. Many of a tree's characteristics are useful for determining a tree's genus such as what shapes its leaves are and how the bark looks.
Leaves are the most popular way of identifying trees because they can be very variable between different genera, however they can also appear very similar so it is important to not base an identification on only one piece of the puzzle. The starting place when looking at leaves is often if they appear alternately on a branch or if they are opposite each other. If the leaves are alternately spaced they will intersect the branch and form a y, but if they are opposite it will look more like a Ψ.
Once you determine how the leaves are laid out on the branch of a tree you should look to see if the leaves are compound or simple. Leaves are called simple if one leaf is attached directly to the branch and they are compound if several leaflets are attached to a stalk (known as a petiole) which is attached to the branch. Poison ivy is an example of a compound leaf, a leaf made up of 3 leaflets.
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Third you should look at the shape of the leaf itself. The edge of a leaf is called the margin and it can be very variable. Some leaves have smooth edges which are called entire, and others have the appearance of teeth, called toothed. Other leaves have smooth edges, but larger indents in them known as lobes. Some leaves have a variety of lobes, teeth, and other wavyness. Not all leaves on a tree are identical, and some may not show identifying characteristics so it is important to look at more than one leaf per tree on which to base your identification.
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