How do they get their nutrients?

The Eastern white pine tree is autotrophic, which means it requires energy from the sun to produce food through the process of photosynthesis:
   
            carbon dioxide + water + sunlight ----> glucose (sugar) + oxygen
                                               
Photosynthesis occurs in the mesophyll cells in the leaves (needles) which contain the chloroplasts. The stomata of the leaves are holes that allow for gas exchange. The epidermal layers primarily serve as protection of the life.

The tree transports the nutrients via the vascular tissues within the tree. The water from the roots travel up the tree in the xylem. The sugars produced from photosynthesis travel down from the leaves to the rest of the tree in the phloem.

Pinus strobus contains both primary and secondary xylem and phloem and a vascular cambium.  These complex tissues are made up of several different cell types. The vascular tissues also can help you to age the tree by counting the number of rings that are observed inside the trunk.


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