mangrove trees, tropical oceans
bark
rainbow eucalyptus, Indonesia
Not All Alike
All trees have bark, roots, and trunks. But they are not all alike.
roots
Rainbow Bark
A tree’s bark protects it. It can be dark and craggy or pale and papery. T e rainbow eucalyptus's bark looks like someone painted it with a brush. Brown bark peels away to show
shades of bright green. T e sun and the air turn the green bark purple. T en it turns blue, orange, red, and yellow. It turns brown just before it sheds again. T ese bright colors may be a good defense. T ey send signals to insects and other animals that the tree is poisonous.
16 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
Snorkel Roots
Salty tides rise and cover the roots of mangroves. T ese trees live along the shore. T ey are tough. T ey stand tall. T eir roots help them live where most plants can not. Saltwater kills many trees. T e
roots of the mangrove fi lter out the salt in the water. T ey arch high over the water and dig deep into the soil. Tall, thin tubes grow straight up from the roots and reach above the ocean tides. T ey act as snorkels to get air and cope with daily fl ooding.
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