Stone birch Kamchatka.
Pregnancy and children - 09/10/2019 BIRCH. Stone birch, Ermana.
Betula ermanii Form:
tree with an irregularly shaped crown, the main trunk is low, highly branched Size:
15-20 m in height, clumsy in the mountains, seems lower Sheet:
simple, 4-14 cm long, ovoid, gradually narrowed towards the end, sharply serrate along the edge, smooth on top, matte, slightly sticky, with 6-10 pairs of protruding lateral veins Leaf arrangement:
another Flower:
earrings are almost seated, erect, thick Fetus:
single-seeded nut up to 3 mm longHabitat:
on Sakhalin it forms communities with Kuril bamboo. Gravitates towards gravelly or rocky soils.
White birch is one of the most beautiful trees in Russia. For many, it has become a symbol of the beautiful Russian nature. How many wonderful poems the poets dedicated to this tree, how many songs the people composed! Both in winter and summer, the beautiful crown with hanging weeping branches amazes with its grace.
For humans, in addition to their aesthetic value, birch branches were also of some practical interest. Who doesn’t know how to take a good steam bath with a birch broom? And they helped to flog the offender. But still, why does the birch tree itself need such branches? It must be borne in mind that birch is a pioneer species. This means that it colonizes empty plots of land first among the trees. The fact is that birch loves light very much. Its light seeds scatter across the wastelands and then quickly sprout in friendly brushes. In less than a few years, dense birch groves already stand in the clearings, and there, you see, there are young trees with lush crowns. But in nature there is a constant struggle for space. As soon as the crowns of birch trees grow and create shade, shade lovers immediately appear - Christmas trees. As they grow, they begin to displace the birch. The time has come for the birch tree to resist – to drive out the uninvited guests.” Her long lashes and the wind that flutters them come to the rescue. The birch tree whips them when the thick cones of spruce trees prevent them from growing. This resistance is called birch whip in botany.
Another benefit of long vine branches is that they help disperse pollen. Yellow dusty earrings, similar to small paws, are located on the birch tree just at the edges of the lashes. In spring, the resinous “legs” begin to gather dust. The spring wind blows long lashes, and pollen is carried in different directions.
At the end of summer, birch seeds ripen - small, light, with a wing designed for flight. They are pressed closely together and folded very tightly. The seeds are ripe, which means it’s time to scatter. And here the long lashes and the wind come to the rescue again. The wind shakes the branches, and they sway, touching each other, and the seeds are carried far, far away.
Spreading
It grows on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on Sakhalin and Kamchatka, along the northern border of the forest.
Tree of the second size. Up to 20 m in height, 1 m in diameter. The bark of young trees is yellow-brown, cracking. The shoots are covered with sparse fluff and warty glands. The leaves are 4–9 cm long, broadly ovate, with a rounded or straight base and a short-pointed apex, with large and unevenly spaced sharp teeth. Young leaves are fluffy, old ones are dark green on the upper side, lighter on the lower side with hairs along the veins. The petioles are reddish, 1.5–2.5 cm long. Male catkins are drooping, female catkins are in the form of oval small cones, almost sessile. They ripen at the end of summer and disintegrate during the winter. The middle blade of the scale is larger than the two lateral ones. The nut, about 3 mm long, is equipped with a wing widened at the top. Stone birch is shade-tolerant, grows singly or in groups in deciduous and coniferous forests. It is undemanding to the soil: it can grow in rocky places (hence its name), where other species do not grow due to a lack of soil layer. Tolerates harsh climatic conditions.
Wood
The wood is sapwood, diffusely vascular, white, slightly yellowish (sometimes slightly reddish), denser than that of white birch, more similar to the wood of ribbed birch. The annual layers are relatively clearly visible in all sections. Density at 15% humidity is 0.7 g/cm³, at 12% - 0.68 g/cm³.
Drying
Volumetric shrinkage coefficient 0.62%.
Strength
At 12% humidity, the compressive strength along the fibers is 609 × 10 5 Pa, with static bending - 1,266 × 10 5 Pa, and tensile strength along the fibers - 2,066 × 10 5 Pa.
Durability
The wood is not very resistant to rotting.
Technological properties
Easily machined with cutting tools.
Application
It is used in construction, in wooden shipbuilding, in the manufacture of bearings, in furniture production, and in the production of packaging.
Stone birch is a very unusual plant. Stone birch- the popular name for two types of birch trees: Birch Erman (Stone birch) and False Herman's birch (stone birch, Sakhalin birch).
Under natural conditions, birch is distributed on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Sakhalin Island, Commander Islands, Kuril Islands, and Japan. This tree forms the basis of the Far Eastern forest. Stone birch is a tree up to 15 m tall, with a spreading crown. The bark of the trunk is variably cracked, brownish, dark gray or yellow-gray in color. The birch trunk is highly branched and curved, which is why the stone-birch forest is often called the “drunk forest.” It grows in mountain forests, forming pure birch forests on rocky slopes. For its unpretentiousness and ability to develop on rocky places, it got its name - stone. This birch lives in the harsh conditions of the Kuril ridge and Sakhalin Island for 200 - 400 years. Stone birch is called not only because it grows on stones. Its wood is very dense and heavy, like stone. It sinks in water and is difficult to handle. It is because of these qualities that stone birch is valued by artists and decorators, as well as local craftsmen (dishes, runners for sleds). Birch brooms for a bathhouse in general are beyond any competition; who doesn’t like to take a steam bath with a birch broom.
For medicinal purposes, people use the bark, buds and leaves of the plant.
Even in our times, Sakhalin residents harvest birch sap in large quantities, since it has a good refreshing taste and a complex, beneficial chemical composition; it contains vitamins and minerals, for example, potassium, iron, and calcium salts.
And how not to mention tar, which is also prepared from birch. Birch tar is used as an external remedy for skin diseases and is part of the famous Vishnevsky ointment.
Stone birch is considered one of the most beautiful and delicate trees on Sakhalin Island. For Russian people, it is associated with beautiful Russian nature. Birch has strong energy. You take a walk in the Sakhalin birch forest, stand pressed against a cool tree trunk, feed on its energy and you are already a completely different person.
This tree has been given the status of “Trees – Monuments of Wildlife”.
Since ancient times in Rus', the birch tree has been perceived as the personification of girlish charm, feminine beauty and maternal tenderness. And this is not only our - purely Russian - feeling. Hundreds of years ago, one European traveler expressed this about the birch tree in Russia: “...And an amazing tree grows there, with white and tender skin, like a young woman.” And in Yakut fairy tales (olonkho), the birch also personifies a girl, a bride, a woman.
Our Kamchatka (stone) birch looks all the more striking against this background, with its powerful (diameter up to 60–70 cm or even more) thick trunk, covered with the “armor” of thick bark. Such a tree can be compared not with a fragile girl in white clothes, but with a warrior clad in armor with powerful “arms”. This image is also supported by the fact that the trunks of mature trees are often covered with a huge (up to one and a half meters or more in diameter) “shield” of burl growth.
And the name itself - stone birch - also contributes to the perception of it as an example of strength, perseverance, and courage. Although it is not entirely clear for what reasons the tree got its name. Either because its freshly cut trunks are almost completely immersed in water (sinking like a stone) due to the high density of the wood. Either because it often grows on exposed rocky mountain slopes [, p. 532]. Either because the bark of mature trees has a characteristic brown-stony color. Or, finally, for all these reasons combined.
As for the distribution of stone birch, its various varieties grow over a vast area of Eastern Siberia and the Far East: from the headwaters of the Timpton and Aldan rivers in the north to the northeastern provinces of China, the northern part of the Korean Peninsula and the island. Hokkaido in the south. And also from the basins of the Angara, Mui and Barguzin rivers in the west to the southern spurs of the Koryak Highlands and the Kamchatka Peninsula in the east. But in general, its range is confined to those regions with a cold and humid oceanic climate, which the famous Soviet geobotanist V.N. Vasiliev attributed to the Holarctic region of the tertiary boreal forests of the Far East.
If we talk about Kamchatka, then the first small groves of stone birch appear at a latitude of about 51° N. sh., just north of Cape Lopatka. Almost immediately, these groves unite into large tracts, the totality of which north of Kuril Lake forms a conditionally continuous tree cover along the foothills and slopes of the mountains. However, north of the junction of the valleys of the Plotnikov and Bystraya rivers (53° N), this single cover, due to orographic and, hence, climatic reasons, is divided into two independent belts. The first of them, along the western slopes and foothills of the Sredinny Range, comes close to the Parapolsky (Rekinniksky) valley, reaching 60° N. w. And the second along the slopes of the Eastern Range and the eastern foothills of the Sredinny Range reaches the river basin. Tymlat, reaching approximately 59°30′ N. w. [ , ].
Regarding the species status of the stone birch, G. Steller wrote: “It here is so different from the European birch that it could be considered a special species if it were not known that this difference is caused by climate and weather conditions” [, p. 58]. Thus, the stone birch of Kamchatka was characterized by him as just one of the varieties of birches.
However, after this, the status of stone birch underwent significant changes. In particular, in 1831, the famous naturalist A. Chamisso based on herbarium collections carried out by A. Erman in Kamchatka [, p. 5], identified the Far Eastern stone birch as a separate species ( Betula ermanii). A century later, Vasiliev was generally inclined to recognize the species independence of our Kamchatka stone birch. And this division of stone birches into many independent forms received such a strong resonance that, as Kamchatka forest scientist V.A. Shamshin pointed out, some botanists considered it possible to distinguish up to 22 species and subspecies of stone birch.
However, towards the end of the twentieth century. M.A. Shemberg, who thoroughly studied the stone birch, came to the conclusion that it is geographically, ecologically and, most importantly, genetically, a single species. Some other researchers agreed with him. So, it would probably be more correct to classify Erman’s birch as a group of so-called ribbed birches (section Costatae of the genus Betula), which also unites the ribbed birch itself (grows in Eastern Siberia and the Far East), woolly birch (Primorye), velvety birch (Shantar Islands), false Erman birch (Sakhalin Island) and ilm-leaved birch (Hokkaido Island, Japan) .
It is worth noting that, despite the plants belonging to the same species, the stone birch forests of Kamchatka have features and characteristics that distinguish them from the stone birch thickets in Eastern Siberia and other regions of the Far East. Among them in mature forests, represented by trees of the first size (up to 15–18 m in height), are the uniformity and single-tiered nature of the mature tree cover, the sparseness of the tree stands themselves, and the amazing curvature of the trunks.
It is quite obvious that this is due to many reasons. N.V. Pavlov, for example, associated these properties with low soil fertility, lack of direct sunlight and, hence, the need to use diffuse radiation. And P. N. Chizhikov considered the main reason for the curvature of trunks and branches to be the looseness of the soil-forming rocks: in his opinion, Erman’s birch is forced to create an openwork crown in order to avoid windfalls. However, the openwork of the crown can also be explained by the need to capture more sunlight, which is so lacking in Kamchatka. And in order to receive enough of this scattered light, stone birch forests in maturity acquire a “park” appearance, that is, they form forests with an exceptionally low (30–40, and sometimes only 10–20%) crown density. Another thing is that stone birch forests acquire this entire set of characteristic features at a fairly respectable age - when they are obviously more than 150 years old.
And the stone birch lives, I must say, for quite a long time - from 200 to 350, and possibly up to 500 or more years, which in itself is surprising. But even more surprising is the metamorphosis that occurs with stone birch in adulthood. The fact is that young trees (undergrowth) of Erman’s birch, in terms of the density of the tree stand, the shape of the crown, the slenderness of the trunks, as well as the whiteness and tenderness of the bark, adequately compete with the birches of the Moscow region. And this is no coincidence, because the bark of young trees contains a large amount of betulin, which gives it a white color. The more striking is the change that occurs with the plant at a certain stage of life - approximately at the age of 150–180 years. First, during the process of sclerofification, birch bark loses its primary white or cream color and becomes gray and sometimes brown. And then ripe and overmature trees are finally covered with a powerful “armor” of thick (up to 2.5–3 cm or more) and “imbrella” bark. In general, all the mentioned morphological features of stone birch, which so clearly reflect the process of its adaptation to harsh natural conditions, once again confirm the fairly high adaptability of this tree.
As a forest-forming species, stone birch is characterized by many unique and, at first glance, contradictory features. For example, it quite clearly demonstrates a narrow ecological specialization, which is primarily manifested in its obvious confinement to elevated and well-drained habitats. And at the same time, unlike the mainland regions of the Far East (where stone birch, due to such specialization, forms a narrow upper belt of mountain forest vegetation), in Kamchatka it occupies a much wider altitudinal landscape niche.
The lower limits of growth of stone birch vary from 1.0–2.5 m above sea level. m. on sandy embankments and coastal ramparts of the accumulative-coastal plains of the southeastern coast of the peninsula up to 30–50 meters or more on the surface of the piedmont fluvioglacial plains in its remaining areas. The upper limits of its growth (at the border of contact with the belt of subgoltsy elfin trees) range from heights of 500–600 m in the south of the peninsula and 600–800 m in its central part to 150–200 m in the forest-tundra areas of the mainland of the region. And only in the river valley. In Kamchatka, Erman's birch, giving way to white birch groves and spruce-larch taiga on the plains and foothills, forms a rather narrow (from 150–200 to 300–500 m vertically) belt of mountain forest vegetation from altitudes of 250–300 to 600–800, and in some places (Tolbachinsky dol) - from 600–800 to 1000–1100 m. According to academician V.L. Komarov about the stone birch in this part of Kamchatka, “it is definitely a mountain tree here, appearing on the slopes of ridges and hills above the coniferous forest.” With. 40].
Another (and no less characteristic) ecological property of Erman’s birch is its tolerance to excessive moisture, which is why stone birch forests are characterized by constantly increased (20% more than in larch and spruce forests) air humidity [,]. For the same reason, stone birch feels quite tolerable on the coastal ramparts and cats (this is the local name for sea spits) in the southeastern part of the peninsula, the sandy soils of which do not contain an excessive amount of moisture, although the air itself is literally supersaturated with this moisture.
However, on the Western Kamchatka Plain, in a strip of coastal lowland (from 3–6 to 15–25 km or more in width), it grows mainly in individual groves and tracts confined to the most drained places. This is explained by a noticeable increase in the number of days with clouds and fogs here compared to the southeastern coast, a decrease in air temperature and evaporation for this reason, and, as a final consequence, a sharp increase in the degree of swampiness of landscapes and ecosystems. At the same time, on the northwestern coast of the peninsula, where well-drained mountain uplifts reach the sea, and summer temperatures rise due to the influence of the warm air of the Asian anticyclone, massifs of stone birch forests on the slopes of the hills almost come close to the seashore.
Stone birch exhibits a similar duality of reaction in relation to the temperature regime. For example, enduring frosts of minus 50–60° without visible consequences, it nevertheless clearly avoids settling in places characterized by excessive stagnation and, hence, cooling of the air, and therefore having sharply contrasting climatic indicators (these are the lowest parts of the foothills and the surface of the upper river terraces). Another thing is that, giving up such places to flat-leaved birch (white, Japanese), in the process of crossing with the latter it forms a unique hybrid form (“freshwood”), which is somewhat more adapted to both waterlogging and a sharp continental climate.
However, stone birch is afraid not so much of severe frosts as such, but of the depth and degree of soil freezing. Thus, it prefers to settle either where there is no permafrost at all, or where the active horizon (spring-summer thawing layer) coincides with the depth (0.5–0.7 m) of its root system. But it cannot be ruled out that this preference is caused not so much by the freezing of soils, but by an increase in their moisture content (due to the creation of a waterproof screen from frozen rocks) and, consequently, a deterioration in aeration conditions in the active layer.
However, stone birch copes with severe frosts quite successfully - primarily due to the accumulation of snow in forest plantations and the associated sharp decrease in the depth of soil freezing. Already with a snow cover of 60–70 cm, which is established in stone birch forests by early to mid-January (i.e., by the most severe frosts), further freezing of the soil under them stops almost completely. This is why, by the way, stone birch forests occupy the last place among all tree formations of Kamchatka in terms of depth and degree of soil freezing. The only exception is floodplain areas, where the warming effect of nearby groundwater manifests itself.
At the same time, the formation of thick (up to 1.5–2 m or more by the end of winter) snow cover in stone birch forests leads to the fact that spring thawing of the soil is delayed by two to three weeks compared to other biocenoses, since intensive thawing of soils coincides with to the entry of melt water onto their surface. However, this circumstance does not in the least prevent the stone birch from starting the spring growing season even before the start of thawing, and the appearance of expanded foliage - before the snow cover has completely melted.
Finally, it is worth saying a few words about the economic importance of stone birch. The fact is that in addition to the curvature of the trunks, severe damage to the wood by rot and fungi has a very negative effect on its commercial qualities. Among them, the most common polypore is the common tinder fungus, which causes central stem rot (holiness) - one of the main reasons for the decrease in the productivity of stone birch stands and their low commercial value.
And yet, the high physical and mechanical properties of wood have led to its widespread use. For example, the indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka (Itelmens and Koryaks) widely used stone birch in the construction of their semi-underground dwellings, and during the Second Kamchatka Expedition, the Bolsheretsk sea vessel, excellent in its seaworthiness, was built from stone birch wood. And in our time, dense and very picturesque in structure and texture, Erman birch wood serves as an excellent material for making furniture, sleds, dishes, handles for various kinds of tools and other crafts. Moreover, the greatest value in this area of application is the wood of burls, which in all its parameters and characteristics is not inferior to the wood of the famous Karelian birch. This was noted by Steller, who wrote: “... These growths are distinguished by their great hardness and fire resistance and are used in the manufacture of various tableware” [, p. 58–59].
But still, the business resource of stone birch forests cannot be compared with their role in preserving the landscape and ecological structure of the peninsula in its natural state. The fact is that typical “park” stone birch forests with trees of the first (at least 15–18 m) and second (no more than 10–12 m) sizes grow on fairly thick (from 0.5 to 1.5–2 m) sandy loam - loamy deluvial-trail deposits, covering the middle and lower sections of mountain slopes with a continuous cloak, as well as on almost equally thick sandy loams and loams of fluvioglacial foothills and upper river terraces. As forest stands, they are characterized by a very thick and loose sod-humus horizon, as well as a well-developed (up to 10 cm thick) forest litter (“forest felt”), which is formed by dead parts of tall grass. And since the mass of this litter in a dry state reaches 2–3 t/ha, stone birch forests absorb and transfer into underground runoff from 60 to 90% of all those (from 600–800 to 1500–2500 mm/year) precipitation that falls on the slopes mountains and volcanoes of the peninsula. Thus, they turn out to be one of the three leading factors (along with dwarf thickets and loose volcanic rocks) in the formation of underground runoff in Kamchatka that is stable in terms of hydrogeochemical and thermal parameters and characteristics.
Well, then everything is simple. The saturation of soils with water and the high stability of underground flow lead both to a high regulation of the runoff and thermal regime of the Kamchatka rivers, and to the purity of the water itself - due to a sharp reduction in soil erosion. This contributes to the exceptional productivity of salmon - from 240 (on average) to 6000–8000 and even up to 15,200 kg/km 2 of the river basin area. For comparison: in the basins of fish rivers such as the Ob or Amur, the average productivity of fish resources is only 17–22 kg/km 2 .
In turn, this seemingly purely ecological aspect of stone birch forests results in the highest economic effect. Until recently, salmon, accounting for only 5–7% of the annual production of fish and seafood in Kamchatka, provided the region with 33–35% (in monetary terms) of all its commercial products. By the way, this was 2–2.5 times higher than the cost of marketable products produced by all non-fishing industries combined. And even today the economic importance of salmon is not much less.
Botanical characteristics
Erman's birch or stone birch, translated as Betula ermanii, is a tree that reaches a height of up to fifteen meters, and sometimes twenty, while the diameter of the trunk can reach up to seventy-five centimeters.
On average, within one year, stone birch grows in height by twenty centimeters and in width by about fifteen. Its bark is brownish-gray in color, with small cracks; at a young age it peels off, one might say, in rags.
The buds are elongated, sharp, bare, sometimes they are pubescent along the edge, and may be slightly sticky. The leaves are ovate with a heart-shaped, wedge-shaped or rounded base, their apex is short-pointed, their length varies from five to fifteen centimeters.
The leaves are double-edged, dark green on top and lighter underneath. The size of the petioles varies from five to thirty millimeters. The length of the earrings can reach four centimeters. The fruit is a nut with narrow wings.
Its seeds are very light, and they scatter across the wastelands, after which they quickly and germinate. It doesn’t take long before the clearings are filled with dense birch groves with lush crowns.
It is worth saying that this birch is considered one of the most beautiful Russian trees. For many people, it is associated with the beautiful Russian nature. How many poems poets dedicated to her, and what songs our people composed about her! Both in summer and winter, its beautiful crown amazes with its graceful hanging weeping branches.
Propagation and cultivation
Erman's birch grows in Russia. It can be found in parks and squares. In Kamchatka it grows on rocks and on the slopes of volcanoes; it easily withstands strong winds and cold winters.
We can say that stone birch is practically the basis of the Kamchatka forest. The growing conditions have left their mark on it, making it look exotic.
Its trunk is highly branched and bizarrely curved. The crown is spreading and quite sparse. She lives quite a long time, up to about 300, and sometimes 400 years.
Part used
The buds, bark, and leaves of the plant are used for medicinal purposes. Triterpenoids, flavonoids, ermanin, apigenin, quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, and ramnazin were found in them.
Collection and procurement of raw materials
The buds are usually harvested in early spring, during the period of their swelling, before the leaves begin to bloom. At the same time, the branches are carefully cut off and placed in small bunches, which are then dried in the open air for a month.
After they are completely dry, the buds are carefully separated from the branches, and then cleaned of various impurities on a winnowing fan. They should be dark brown in color with a pleasant aroma and have a slightly bitter taste.
The leaves begin to be harvested at the beginning of flowering, this happens around the month of May, when they are still very fragrant and sticky. Dry them in a ventilated place or use special dryers in which the temperature is maintained at 30 degrees.
The finished raw materials are packaged in cloth or paper bags and hung in dry rooms where there is good ventilation. The juice is usually collected in early spring, even before the leaves bloom. For this purpose, the bark is cut and this aromatic liquid is extracted.
You can also harvest birch bark, which is an outer, slightly hardened layer of bark. The best raw material is considered to be that obtained from the middle part of the birch tree. By dry distillation, valuable coal and tar are obtained from this wood and bark.
Application
For humans, Erman's birch is not only of aesthetic value, but is also used for medicinal purposes. Many people like to take a steam bath with a broom made from its branches. The buds and leaves are used as a diuretic and choleretic agent.
Medicines that have a number of beneficial effects are prepared from birch. They are used for diseases of the digestive system, as well as the respiratory, genitourinary and nervous systems. The drugs also help with skin pathologies.
An alcohol tincture, which is prepared from birch buds, is used internally for colds, for joint pain, it is rubbed on the affected areas, and it is also taken for problems with the digestive tract.
The tincture has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, so it is used in compresses and for rubbing. It can be diluted with water and rinsed in the mouth for inflammatory diseases, for example, stomatitis.
It is useful to drink birch sap, since it has a complex beneficial chemical composition, it contains vitamins and minerals, for example, potassium salts, iron, and calcium.
Birch tar is used as an external remedy in the form of liniment, for medicinal purposes for skin diseases, for example, eczema, scaly lichen, scabies and other manifestations. It is part of Wilkinson and Vishnevsky ointment.
Recipe
To prepare the infusion, you need to stock up on 20 grams of dry crushed leaves, which must be poured with 400 milliliters of boiling water, after which the drug is infused for an hour. Then it should be strained and taken half a glass four times a day.
Conclusion
Before using stone birch infusions and tinctures, it is recommended to consult a doctor.