Creosote The Creosote Bush example essay topic

Creosote (Larrea trident ate) The Creosote bush, Larrea trident ate, is the most characteristic specie of the North American deserts. It is in the Zygophyllacaeae family. Although considered native specie, it is actually an invader from South America. The common name creosote suggests one of the reasons it is able to survive in some of harshest environments. According to Schultz and Floyd, "stems and evergreen leaves are covered with a sticky resin that smells like, but doesn't contain, the wood preservative creosote... the resin screens leaves the leaves against ultraviolet radiation, reduces water loss, and poisons microbes and plant eating animals". The creosote bush starts as a single stem, but then when it matures it grows into a circle.

The outer edges of the bush flourish will the center, where the soil has been de pleated, dies. These two things about the creosote help it survive long periods of time. In the Mojave desert "a specimen in question was estimated to about 6000 years old, which makes it twice as old as California Redwoods (Sequoia) and at least 1000 years older than Bristle-cone pine (Pinus arista ta) " (Williams) making it the oldest plant in North America. Individual creosotes can live for about 100 years, but the circles that form are exact clones of the original. "An elliptical grouping of such clones found in the Mojave Desert has been dated as about 11,700 years old, arguably making it the oldest plant life yet known" (Microsoft Encarta). The creosote with it expanding has the tendency to monopolize soil nutrients.

In consequence it often starves out other plants. Its deep tap root goes deep in the soil while the lateral roots can fan out fifty feet. The roots themselves can actually sprout when exposed to the air through erosion. Still native plants can often be found under the canopy of the creosote. The root system provides shelter for numerous types of desert like such as; lizards, iguanas, snakes, and toads. Several small mammals also depend on it for food, nesting, and refuge from the elements.

Schultz and Floyd state, local birds, such as the verdin, black-throated sparrow, and black gnatcatcher, as well as scores of migratory visitors like the yellow warbler, frequent stands of creosote bush for seeds and insects, while roadrunners prowl the vicinity in search of snakes and lizards. Native Americans used the creosote bush for a variety of things. The extracts have been used a antiseptics and treatments for arthritis and rattlesnake bites. The resin was used to fix arrowhead shafts and waterproof baskets. The resin even has some modern day value.

Some of the components are thought to be effective in shrinking cancerous tumors. The branches were also chewed to cure diarrhea. A tea made of dried creosote is also to believed to one of the many so-called common cold remedies.

Bibliography

Schultz, Jack C. ; Floyd, Ted. "Desert survivor" Natural History vs. 108 no 1 (Feb. 1999) Williams, Dave.
Science Department Chair, Valencia Community College. Dec 8, 1998"Creosote bush", Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2000.
1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation.