Tree ferns are ferns that turn into trees.
There are around 650 species of tree ferns. They do not produce flowers, fruits, or seeds, multiplying on their own through spores and producing sprouts from their stems, relying on no pollinators to reproduce. Yet, many species survived all mass extinctions and climate extremes our planet went through (yes, they were there with the dinosaurs and the first birds!), playing a key role in their ecosystems’ recovery. Tree ferns take extraordinarily long to grow: approximately two centimeters a year, taking about twenty years to fully grow. A species that promotes habitat heterogeneity and the co-existence among plant species, the Dicksonia sellowiana is a creature of primitive forests and is prolific in the highly humid Serra do Mar Mountain Range. Its near extinction came about due to a contradictory custom of extracting it to manufacture pots and plates to support orchids and bromeliads or to shred it to be used as a substrate for other plants, which they do naturally. This led it to become an endangered species and steered the Brazilian Environmental and Natural Renewable Resources Institute (Ibama) to red-list it as an endangered Brazilian species in the 1990s.
Want to see these ancient wonders in their natural habitat? Contact us at info@ecolodge-itororo.com, and we’ll organize a nature tour tailored to your interests!
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