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You have heard of the popular tongue-twister: how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood, but let’s change it to beavers and ask ‘why.’ If you are looking for some digestible, but true, reasons why and how beavers cut down trees, this is the piece for you! 

Beavers cut down trees to make food easier to access, prepare lodging, and store fat for the winter. The dams and lodges they build also act as protection from predators and the elements. In general, a beaver can cut through a mature tree in approximately 8 minutes.

Before we continue our discussion of why exactly beavers cut down trees (and how they do so), let’s dive into what a beaver is, exactly!

What Is A Beaver?

Beavers are large, semi-aquatic rodents with a broad tail to aid in swimming and large teeth to help them cut down trees successfully. 

These critters are part of the Castor genus and, within this classification, we most commonly see two different species of beaver: the Eurasian beaver and the North American beaver.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute tells us a beaver has orange teeth due to its protective coating and those teeth continue to grow throughout a beaver’s life. This is likely because they chew through so much wood they would otherwise wear their teeth down completely.

Beavers are well-designed to thrive in water and on land, with front paws that are clawed and more easily used to get across terrestrial surfaces, whereas their back paws are webbed and much more akin to those of an aquatic animal.

While you might not expect it, beavers can swim pretty darn fast- up to 6mph, about 3 times as fast as an average human swimmer (though Olympians sometimes swim at a similar 5-6mph.) On land, these critters get a little less refined- walking awkwardly between their clawed front paws and webbed, larger back ones.

Not to worry though, the beaver’s speed (and amazing lung capacity) outweigh any awkwardness they may encounter on land. Beavers can swim for about a quarter of an hour underwater, which we would dare to say is longer than the vast majority of other rodents.

A beaver’s eyesight is not quite up-to-par, so they rely on their ears and whiskers to help them feel out (and ‘hear’ out) spaces. This comes in handy because the dams and lodges beavers build may be secure, but they are also incredibly dark.

Sunset and sunrise may be undetectable markers of time inside a beaver’s lodging because of how thick the wooden walls are. It is a good thing beavers do not need excellent sight, because they certainly would not have good visibility in their homes, regardless.

Also, unlike most other rodents, beavers’ tails are quite broad and can range from being shorter and wider to longer and slimmer, though the general design remains relatively similar across species.

Cool, so now we know a bit more about beavers, but what about different TYPES of beavers?

You can learn even more about beavers in At Home with the Beaver: The Story of a Keystone Species. It provides information about all the species beavers provide habitat to.

American Beaver 

The American beaver is the state mammal of New York- now we bet you did not know that one. (But if you did, props for knowing your stuff!)

This species has a longer and flatter tail, which can help to distinguish this species of beaver. It is also black instead of brown.

The National Wildlife Federation confirms the beaver is the largest rodent in all of the United States, clocking in at 2-3 feet long. Guess what? This length does not even factor in the tail!

These populations are stable, even after a history of being hunted in the Americas for their pelts. In the early 1600s we almost eradicated the animal from what is now New York state, but not to worry- beavers made a comeback and there are now plenty of them all over the continental U.S. 

Eurasian Beaver 

As you might assume after seeing this species’ name, Eurasian beavers populate areas of Europe and Asia.

However, you might not know this once-widespread creature is now found primarily in certain regions of Europe, thanks to centuries of overhunting. 

Certain efforts have been made in recent decades to help beavers become once again populous, but these things take time. 

You can differentiate this species by their broader and more oval-shaped tail when compared to an American beaver.

In the wild, these animals can live between 10 and 20 years, though lifespans fall at the lower end of the range because of environmental factors and poaching.

4 Reasons Beavers Cut Down Trees

Alright, this is it… the moment you have been waiting for! The rhyme and reason of it all. The 4 main reasons beavers do what they do, which will eventually lead us to talk about how they do it.

When it comes down to it, these reasons have to do with survival over comfort. However, the lodges beavers build can be pretty cool and the way they harvest the wood they use is, too.

Here are a few reasons beavers spend so much time and energy working to cut down trees.

Beavers Cut Down Trees For Food

Beavers are herbivores. Haven’t heard the term in a while? It’s okay. 

It means beavers only eat plant products. 

Anything from aquatic plants to leaves off of trees and even the wood itself can make a meal for a beaver.

Funny enough, what they use to build is also their preferred type of food. It seems hard to believe building materials could combine as a meal, but hey, we don’t make the rules!

Beavers cut down trees because they cannot climb them. So, to reach those lush green leaves, they have to bring the top of the tree down to their level. 

At this stage, a beaver might decide to eat more or to break up the branches and twigs along with other tree bits to build a dam or a lodge. 

When you can’t eat, build… right??

You might wonder how there is any nutritional value in these tree bits, but they provide quite a bit of value to beavers. 

Like other plants, they need to be preserved to offer a significant amount of nutrition. This is where the cold water inside dams and lodges comes in handy- it acts as a sort of cooler or refrigerator system to keep these harvested parts of plants cold and full of their nutritional value. 

During the winter, beavers will eat the stems and branches they stored away at earlier times in the year, often as they worked to build their living structures. 

Did you know a beaver’s tail doubles as a place to store fat for the winter? They also use them to warn others of danger when they slap into the water in a certain way.

Beavers Cut Down Trees For Wood To Build Homes

This might be the most obvious of the reasons, the one you were expecting to see. It is true, beavers use a ton of wood for their lodging, but how much do you really know about that?

Beavers are commonly referred to as ecosystem engineers because, as we mentioned above, their lodges truly can affect the entire ecosystem around them.

These creatures are nocturnal and build these structures at night, which makes them appear to be sneaky creatures, while in reality, this is just their most productive period. 

Water levels have to be at least 2 feet deep, but ideally are higher, because they build lodges with hunkering down for the winter in mind. If beavers build a lodge in waters that are too shallow, the bottom half of their home (including those underwater entrances) might freeze during the cold season.

Though lower waters do not work with lodges, they are well-suited for dams that can be built in areas with faster-moving water like rivers, or lower levels of water like small ponds.

These structures are also often works in progress. Beavers may add bedding to the floor of sleeping chambers, create roofs and extra chambers, and make other additions as the need for space grows.

It is common for these creatures to first form a passageway before then digging out a living chamber (the central open space of a lodge) by pushing up on the pieces of wood or even gnawing their way through sections that need to be widened.

Okay, so now that we know a bit more about how lodging works- let’s discuss how beavers might use these spaces for general protection from predators.

Cutting Down Trees Provides Beavers With Protection

Those dams (and also the lodges) beavers build themselves often have many entrances, but they are almost all going to be found underwater. So, natural predators like coyotes, foxes, great-horned owls, and bobcats cannot get in. It can even block otters from entering these spaces.

Beavers design dams to be so much more functional than most people realize, combing style and safety into a secure and sound design. It also helps them stay social with other beavers. 

If danger arises, a beaver can swim quickly into their lodge using those powerful lungs and quick swimming skills. 

On a similar note, if anything occurs inside the lodge, a beaver can escape its home easily and rapidly. 

Dams and lodges are built for easy access by beavers and defense against any predators. 

Just as the beaver is famous for slapping its tail in the water to signal danger, dams are infamous for being the cherished homes and protectors of the species, and for good reason.

This protection extends far past predators and also helps beavers find refuge from the elements. 

When temperatures drop to freezing or below in the winter, beavers have a safe haven underneath the surface. The water may be cold, but beaver’s food storage throughout the summer and fall months has helped them to prepare deeply for a moment like this. 

Storms, ice, and other elements on the outside do not affect the inhabitants of the lodges nearly as much as they would if these animals had to live out in the open air.

Beavers Cut Down Trees To Provide Sustenance for Winter

Beavers do not hibernate, so they need all 3 of the above benefits to be made more accessible during the cold winter months when ground and water freeze over.

During the fall months, beavers will eat more bark than usual to help them fatten up for the cold and long months of winter. 

Even during periods when beavers are not looking to bulk up, tree material comprises the vast majority of their diet, only supplemented by water plants they might find as they swim around. 

During the winter, when resources are low, the natural refrigerator system we have discussed above provides easy and reliable access to food beavers can use to sustain their already-fattened bodies. This helps them to remain active and nourished throughout even the iciest of winter days.

Even if the stockpile runs out- all is not lost!

The University of North Texas describes it like this: if beavers ever run out of food in their naturally refrigerated underwater storage piles, it’s no big deal! Why? They just start eating pieces of their home- easy peasy.

On top of the access to food, let’s not forget the shelters beavers build are complex and protect against more than just predators. Weather-based dangers are also kept safely out of reach of beavers as they stay warm (enough) and safe in their thick wooden lodges and dams.

How Do Beavers Cut Down Trees?

Okay, everything so far is all fine and dandy. Beavers eat, sleep, and live among the trees, but how on earth are those little animals able to cut down entire trees? 

They do not know how to work chainsaws… right? 

Beavers do not need power tools, because they have something naturally powerful on them at all times. 

Beaver’s teeth are no joke. 

Beavers will rapidly chew through the bark and the trunk of a tree, chipping away small pieces of wood at a quick rate, which causes the tree to come crashing down within minutes. 

First, they strip away the bark with this quick gnawing, giving way to the softer wood of the trees, the beaver’s target. 

The way they wear their teeth down while they keep growing makes the shape of their incisors perfectly suited to chomp and chew straight through as many trees as a beaver needs. 

Remember, the reason for this chewing could be a beaver needs to build a new lodge to sleep in, wants to store fat for the winter, needs to be protected from a predator by building a shelter, or simply wants a snack. 

Whatever the reason, it does not take a beaver long to achieve its goal of cutting down any tree- no matter the size.

How Long Does It Take A Beaver To Chew Through A Tree?

Beavers can cut down as many as 200 trees a year, but what does their rate of chewing seriously look like?

One beaver can remove nearly 150 chips of wood from a tree with a 5-inch diameter, which would topple the tree in mere moments. This means it would take about 8 minutes to cut down a relatively mature tree, depending on the species. 

These expert lumberjacks make other species, and machines, look silly.

Beavers prefer trees with a diameter of fewer than 6 inches because the bark of smaller trees is more nutritious. This way, they can reap the benefits of the bark and have a quicker chewing time to cut down the rest of the wood. They use this as food reserves or wood for building lodging. 

A beaver will typically work alone to fell a tree (cut it down), but the colony as a whole will often work to break up sections of the tree. They then divide these sections into food or building materials, and you get the picture!

What Kind Of Trees Do Beavers Prefer?

Beavers use whatever trees they find in their general environment- some popular species of which are poplar, maple, birch, aspen, and willow.

Softwood trees are the most commonly cut down by beavers. 

Since they eat parts of the same trees they use to build, they hold a special preference for those they enjoy munching on. Aspen, poplar, and cottonwood trees are some fan favorites. So, if you have any of these trees and live in a wooded area near any significant aquatic areas- pay extra attention to them. 

Where Are Beavers Found?

In North America, aside from some of the desert regions of the West, beavers can be found all over!

Ponds, lakes, rivers, marshes, wooded areas, streams, and wetland areas are just some environments beavers call home. 

You probably know beavers build dams, but did you know they can also build lodges nearly 7 feet tall, and sometimes even higher?

This is great for beavers because it means they can adapt their environments to fit their needs. Unlike many other animals, beavers can quite literally create new habitats of their own.

It is for this reason beavers need wood, but their motivations are more complex than this alone.

The dams beavers build are made primarily of sticks and reeds. Sometimes, they also add branches and saplings into these wood and mud-walled structures.

These structures can create new habitats because they result in ponds moving, although slowly. They can also support other aquatic life as well as food and water sources for other, larger animals. 

The other structure beavers create, lodges, sit both above and below the waterline, with multiple entrances underneath the surface. However, other parts of the lodge may be above water, such as the sleeping area. 

Beavers typically prepare for and construct these lodges during the summer and winter months to get ready for the winter, but more on this later!

That’s A Wrap!

Well, that’s all we have for you today. We hope you learned a lot of new information about why, how, and when beavers work to cut down trees. 

The primary goal is this piece is just like a beaver’s teeth- not dull!

Learning about the surrounding wildlife not only helps us to live more harmoniously with nature, but it also helps us to understand the reasons we should want to!

Also, knowing how and why beavers cut down trees is just one more piece of the puzzle as we work to grow on our personal and collective tree journeys.

Here are the 4 reasons why beavers cut down trees:

• Beavers eat trees from leaves and twigs to large sticks.
• Beavers build lodging materials from cut down wood.
• Dams and lodges double as predator protection for beavers.
• Trees help beavers store fat when eaten, but also protect them from the elements when lived in, during cold winter months.

Essentially, beavers cut down trees and get a snack, a place to sleep, defense, and shelter from the elements. Not a bad four-in-one deal if you ask us!!

Now, we’ll let you go- thanks for reading and learning with us.

I hope this piece helped you learn something new. As usual, good luck as you continue along your tree journey, and we hope to welcome you again soon!

References

Müller-Schwarze, D. (2011). The beaver. Cornell University Press.

Saunders, D. A. (1988.) Adirondack Mammals. State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. 216pp.

Greyhounds of the desert, perhaps better known as cheetahs, are large cats native to the African continent. These large cats are notably fast and physically unique.

When cheetahs are smaller, younger, and more agile, they use trees as a playground. They also use tree climbing for communication, as well as marking their territory. While marking their territory, cheetahs use the high ground to survey the land for potential prey.

Below, we’re going to discuss whether cheetahs are adept climbers and how they climb, along with discussing exactly what a cheetah is! Let’s get to it!

Can Cheetahs Climb Trees?

Funny enough, and unlike other big cats, cheetahs are not natural climbers. 

If you do a quick google search without looking into some research, or even digging through a few search results to compare, you might think cheetahs do not climb trees at all. 

While this is not true, there is some validity because cheetahs do not climb regularly. Their bodies are simply not built with climbing as a priority.

The leopard, for example, is much keener to climb trees. This is likely because it is a jungle cat, while cheetahs originate from the plains of the African continent with fewer trees to climb.

So, in what cases can you find a cheetah climbing a tree?

Why Do Cheetahs Climb Trees?

There are just a few reasons for cheetahs to be climbing in trees, and it is important to know they are not necessarily standard practice for all cheetahs. 

Remember, climbing trees is more of an exception to the rule for these furry felines.

Cheetah Cubs Use Trees As A Playground

When cheetahs are still cubs with smaller bodies and more agility to climb, trees can act as a great location to play. 

There are photographs of mothers and cubs up in trees, even if it may have taken a while to get up into the branches compared to their other big cat relatives. 

Think for a moment about how house cats like to play on ‘cat condos’ and things they can climb. It is the same sort of concept when you see cheetahs, especially young ones, slowly but surely scampering into the trees.

Cheetahs Use Trees For Communication

Information from the Cheetah Conservation Fund tells us this particular instance where it is more common to see cheetahs climbing in trees has some complex meaning behind it.

Trees are not solely a place for cheetahs to play, they also act as a medium for communication.

This is seen most commonly, and pretty recently, in Namibian cheetahs. It was discovered just a few decades ago these trees also seem to act as territorial markers for cheetahs.

The trees cheetahs can climb and use for communication are defined by some physical traits.

Trees with sloped trunks rather than trunks coming up at a 90-degree angle from the ground are better suited for cheetahs to climb. The limbs of these sorts of trees are large and horizontal, providing a great platform for cheetahs to climb around on. 

Let’s dig into how cheetahs specifically use trees to communicate, though, shall we?

Cheetahs Use Trees To Mark Territory

Communication has many forms, but marking one’s territory is a little less complex. 

Cheetahs climb trees to survey the land for prey, but in going into the trees, something else also happens. These big cats will go from play tree to play tree in a given area, leaving their mark as they go.

How do they leave their mark?

Think of other animals, even your pet dog, that mark their territory and you might come up with a few ideas.

Essentially, cheetahs will urinate on the trunk of a tree or leave scat on the branches to stake their claim to an area. 

This communicates with other cheetahs, and perhaps other species altogether, that an individual has already claimed a space.

The reason trees are the chosen location for this action has a lot to do with the environment of the area cheetahs often live in. 

In sandy areas like deserts, shrublands, and open plains, few areas will remain visibly marked up by an animal. 

Sand blows, grass can be stomped and ruffled by many species, and there are few other natural landmarks they can use to claim a place. 

Trees offer a surface softer than rock, higher than some mounds of sand, and they stand out more than some of the other nature surrounding them. 

They are the perfect place for cheetahs to mark their territory. 

How Do Cheetahs Climb Trees?

As we mentioned before, it is not the easiest thing in the world for cheetahs to climb trees.

The body of a cheetah is built specifically for speed, which is what makes it the fastest land animal on earth. They do not just get this superlative by chance, and it means some other abilities like having big teeth to chew and climbing trees, for example, are not the most important to this species. 

Their retractable claws and special pads used to create traction are not only good for running, though. 

While cheetahs may not be natural-born climbers, they can still do so when the conditions are right.

So, how do the smallest of the big cats do it?

Thanks to many physical attributes that make this cat the fastest, the cheetah can climb trees well enough. 

While cheetahs physically can climb trees, they do not do so often. That is why most searches of cheetahs climbing trees will give you pieces saying cheetahs cannot do this activity. 

Cheetahs are not the best climbers, this much is true, but they are certainly physically able.

They Use Their Paw Pads

You know cheetahs have paw pads capable of creating some serious traction but have you thought about all the ways this could benefit these animals?

Cheetahs need this extra traction while running at top speed, but these cats do more than just run. 

As a cheetah is attempting to climb a tree, what might come in handy?

You guessed it- paw pads with an extra bit of grip!

While cheetahs’ paws are not sticky or grippy in how other species’ might be, they have merit of their own. 

The paw pads on a cheetah can help keep some traction as they move their paws along the bark of a tree they are climbing. 

Similar to how humans wear special shoes to go rock climbing and bouldering, cheetahs’ paw pads help create some stability not only as they run but also as they climb trees to mark their territory.

Their Semi-Retractable Claws Help Them Climb

In a similar vein to the paw pads, the retractable claws cheetahs get to sport also offer some help when these big cats go climbing.

Let’s draw another parallel to human sports for a moment. 

Bear with us here.

When rock climbers hit sheets of ice, when mountaineers reach the snowy tops of mountains, when park rangers go on steep solo treks, they all wear shoes with some sort of spike. 

While the semi-retractable claws cheetahs have are uncommon in the overall cat family, this irregularity comes in quite handy- no pun intended.

First, what does semi-retractable mean?

When a cat retracts its claws, it is moving a tendon to contract the claw up and into its paw. This, in most cat species, works to help them keep their claws sharp while maintaining a level of surprise when hunting prey. 

Semi-retractable means the claws cannot go all the way into the paw of the cat. 

So, cheetahs are always walking around with at least a partial claw out ready to grip, tear, or whatever else a claw might do.

This is beneficial in more ways than one. For instance, cheetahs can use their claws at different lengths to grip onto the tree they are climbing. 

This may not be great for the tree if a cheetah digs too deep, but it will undoubtedly help it climb up there.

Now, aside from aspects of physique related to the paw, there is one more big factor that might just determine how successfully a cheetah can climb up a tree. 

This factor is age.

Young Cheetahs Are Better Climbers

For a moment, think of what it was like to be playing in a tree as a kid. You probably felt more limber, a little more courageous, and it was likely easier to wind through the branches than it would be as an adult. 

If you are still a kid- enjoy climbing those trees with ease!!

On a related note (we promise), young cheetahs have an easier time climbing up trees than their older relatives do. 

Thanks to their youthful bodies being small, lightweight, and not yet as strategically built to run ultra-fast, cheetah cubs have an advantage when it comes to climbing.

Little cheetahs can scamper up trees using those padded paws and semi-retractable claws because they have less bodyweight to pull up with them and can more freely move among the branches. 

This is, again, not to say that adult cheetahs don’t climb trees, but their youthful counterparts just do it in a breeze

What Is A Cheetah?

A cheetah is a carnivorous mammal that inhabits broad sections of Africa. 

Its status is vulnerable, which falls in between ‘near threatened’ and ‘endangered’ on a conservation scale. 

Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute tell us cheetahs can accelerate from 0 to 45mph in just 2.5 seconds. This fun fact makes cheetahs the fastest land mammal on the planet.

Did you know cheetahs can reach a speed of 60 to 70mph?

Think about driving a car. Not just anywhere, though. Just imagine driving a car on the highway, looking over, and seeing a huge cat running right next to you. 

A cheetah could compete with the speed of a car any day, something we hope to leave up to the imagination for now.

If you are looking for more information on cheetahs and their current day plights, check out Remembering Cheetahs: Remembering Wildlife. It contains photographs from some of the top wildlife photographers in the world, and raises money for charity with each sale.

Identifying A Cheetah

Cheetahs have small heads and high set eyes, as well as a black tear mark from the inner corner of the eyes down to the mouth. 

You will see white sections of fur around the cheetah’s eyes and neck, as well as the underside of their belly, while the rest of their body is a yellow or tan color as the base. 

If you did not already know, cheetahs sport black spots all over their bodies, which act as camouflage within the grasses of the savannah and the shadows cast by this environmental feature.

The appearance of a cheetah is important, but the traits they physically use are even more significant when understanding how cheetahs live and survive in the wild.

Physical Traits Of A Cheetah

Cheetahs, as a species, have many highly beneficial physical traits, as well as some superlatives they hold, like the fastest land mammal.

With partially retractable claws and special paw pads, cheetahs have the gift of great traction even as they exponentially speed up from rest to their peak speed of 70mph.

Every part of a cheetah’s physique helps with its speed. From a tail made to help with turning and balancing to a slender body with long legs, speed is a part of this animal’s very nature.

Some traits hinder cheetahs more than help them.

Cheetahs have large lungs and nostrils meant to provide a ton of air to their lungs while running, which means they have much less space for their teeth. 

Since cheetahs have such relatively small teeth, they have to suffocate their prey.

While cheetahs are undoubtedly lethal to their prey, they cannot fight with other predators and are at a disadvantage because of their small teeth.

Where Do Cheetahs Live?

The areas of the African continent cheetahs inhabit include North, Eastern, and Southern Africa.

There is a species of the cheetah native to Iran, but is critically endangered, unfortunately. The Iranian cheetah is one of the most endangered felids in the world.

Countries like Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, and Tanzania are home to most cheetahs thanks to their dry environments with shrublands.

The spots cheetahs sport on their fur helps them blend into these grass and shrublands. The shadows from a direct and harsh amount of sunlight give off a similar black cast within the tan grass.

So, we know now where cheetahs live, but how long do they live?

Lifespan Of A Cheetah

If you have a house cat, you might be ready to predict the lifespan of a cheetah. They are all just cats, right?

Well, not quite. 

Cheetahs actually only live between 8 to 10 years in the wild. Territorial conflicts, a constant pressure to catch and keep prey, and other environmental factors, cause their lifespan to be about ⅔ of a common house cat’s.

In human care, however, cheetahs can live up to 15 years.

This is because captivity removes some of the environmental factors, though the lifespan of this creature is relatively short no matter what way you swing it. 

In this pretty brief life, what is a cheetah’s diet like?

What Do Cheetahs Eat?

Many big cats are nocturnal hunters, giving them the benefit of slinking around in the dark. 

Cheetahs have speed on their side and do not need this leg up. So, you can expect cheetahs to hunt in the early morning hours as well as late afternoon.

The primary food source for cheetahs is animals ranging from small to medium, such as antelope and the young of larger animals like warthogs. 

Game and birds also contribute to a cheetah’s diet, though they are not the majority of the food these animals use to sustain themselves.

Cheetahs have to be on the defensive during mealtimes, as other animals like lions and vultures create competition. 

Even though these big cats are fast, they are often bullied into losing their prey by other predators thanks to their lack of ability to fight. 

Remember the discussion about cheetahs having small teeth? Well, it comes into play here when we consider they are much less likely to win in a fight with a lion.

Cheetahs do not come back to prey once they leave them, so they must eat quickly and efficiently to avoid losing them altogether to a competitor.

That’s It!

Well, that’s pretty much all we have on cheetahs and trees. 

While the big cats can certainly climb trees contrary to other random internet searches you might find, the activity is not their forte. 

Unlike other big cats like lions, leopards, jaguars ,and more, cheetahs often stay on the ground. 

They can run laps around any of their cousins any time though. Cheetahs have their own set of rules to go by. 

Remember, there are 3 reasons a cheetah will climb up in a tree:

• Play: Young cheetahs love to climb around and play wherever they can. After a while, it is all about the hunt, and these youngsters make use of their ‘free’ time in those early days. 
  
• Communication: There are ways animals, including cheetahs, communicate that have nothing to do with sound. Cheetahs climb trees to see prey, to stake a claim, and to convey several other messages. 
  
• To Mark Territory: Circling back to communication, cheetahs’ main purpose for climbing trees seems to be marking their territory. It is hard to leave a mark in the constantly blowing sand, and trees offer a great blank slate to stake a claim.

We hope this piece gave you some extra insight into the relationship between cheetahs and trees. 

Until next time, we hope you continue your tree journey and keep learning about all the crazy interactions that make our planet so interesting!

Oh, and (as always), thanks for sticking with us.

References

​​Farhadinia, M. (2004). The last stronghold: cheetah in Iran. Cat News, 40, 11-14.

Marker, L. L., & Dickman, A. J. (2003). Morphology, physical condition, and growth of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus). Journal of mammalogy, 84(3), 840-850.

Journals, notebooks for school, official documents, dictionaries, novels, handwritten notes; paper is everywhere in our lives. Even as technology becomes the norm, we see paper products everywhere we go.

One tree makes over 8,000 pieces of paper while approximately 1/500th of a tree is cut down for every piece of paper. Americans use over 850,000,000 pieces of paper per year, equalling over 106,000 trees. Most paper is produced from softwood trees such as pine trees, spruce trees and fir trees.

Keep reading to discover more about the paper industry. What you learn may surprise you!

How Is Paper Made From A Tree?

There’s no doubting most paper is made from wood pulp. Maybe you will remember an elementary school teacher telling you to write in pencil to erase your mistakes so it would sacrifice no more trees than necessary. Just us? Hmm, okay. 

Anyway, the process is quite simple, and it’s old. It is derived from one created in China back in the 100’s A.D. and has evolved into the paper, and the processes used today.

How Is Wood Pulp Made Into Paper?

To start things off, raw wood gets processed into pulp. Then comes the combination of wood fibers and chemicals, which can happen in one of two ways.

Mechanical Pulping 

Literature from Princeton University tells us softwood trees lend themselves better to mechanical pulps. The process grinds down wood fibers more than the chemical method will. 

Therefore, the paper produced from mechanical pulping, the less common of the wood pulping methods, is a thinner, weaker paper. Think of newspapers or phone books (talk about something old), and you will get a sense of the thin type of paper created through this process. 

Chemical Pulping

A more common method, chemical pulping, uses both soft and hardwoods and creates most of the paper products we know and love today.

Much of the naturally glue-like substance found in pulp is eliminated through this process, which results in a much stronger paper.

Everything from fine printing paper to paperboard and writing paper, found in journals and notebooks, is a byproduct of the chemical pulping process. Since wood fibers are not simply being ground down, there is a wider range of paper types you can create using chemicals to break down the fibers.

What Comes Next In The Paper-Making Process?

The initial pulp is very wet and needs to be dried to create sheets of paper. 

Funny enough, this part of the process has changed little since the ancient Chinese practices that spearheaded the idea of turning wood into paper. 

Wood pulp is sprayed onto large screens, which then go through many rounds of drying processes. First, the pulp is squeezed until it is about halfway wet and appears to be more of a damp paper than a liquid pulp. 

Eventually, the pulp gets pressed to remove even more water, and the paper is truly coming into its final form.

To create different textures, thicknesses, and tones, the paper may go through different treatment processes to arrive at its desired state.

Finally, the paper product is rolled into huge reels of paper before being sent off to be cut and organized. Paper can turn into journals, envelopes in which we buy printer paper, and so many more things. Maybe the lined paper that was treated becomes spiral notebooks for children to practice their alphabet, and blank white paper is waiting for official statements and apostilles to be sent between governments. 

The opportunities are endless for this product made from a tree not so long ago.

Can Paper Be Made from Any Tree?

As we briefly mentioned above, while discussing the pulping processes, hardwood and softwood are turned into paper.

Most of the wood that gets turned into pulp comes from softwood trees. These trees are coniferous trees such as pine, spruce, and fir, among others.

Coniferous simply means ‘cone-producing’ and it is these types of seed-producing trees that earn their classification as softwood trees. 

Essentially, however, yes. Certain types of wood may have wood fibers that break down into a pulp better (hence softwood trees being the preference), but all wood can technically be turned into pulp to create paper.

Which Type of Trees Are Commonly Used To Create Paper?

The Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, helps to provide a great snapshot into what types of trees are commonly used to create paper.

Softwoods like pines, spruces, hemlocks and firs stand among other conifers such as bald cypress, Douglas-fir, larches, red cedar, white cedars, and redwood to create the portfolio of trees most commonly turned into paper.

While softwoods are the majority, a good 85% or so of the trees selected for this process, it leaves us with a solid amount of hardwood trees also being utilized. 

Hardwood trees that turn into paper include poplar, birch, maple, beech, sweetgum, tupelo, and many others. Unlike paper made from softwood, we typically use wood produced by these trees for hardboards, materials inside shipping boxes, and other less ‘refined’ uses.

How Long Does It Take To Make Paper From Trees?

Well, if we start from the beginning…

Growing trees can take between 10 and 20 years just to have a reasonably sized organism that can produce enough pulp to create paper. 

Turning wood into pulp and pulp into paper, however, can take significantly less time. It is possible to re-create this process in short periods if you have the right materials.

How Much Paper Is Wasted Every Year?

Middle Georgia State University tells us that the average American family throws away up to 13,000 separate pieces of paper per year. Mostly packaging, junk mail, old notebooks, and other undesired paper products, it is unbelievable how quickly that adds up.

According to the University of Southern Indiana, Americans use over 850,000,000 tons of paper per year. We just tried to convert it to pounds for you and got a number wider than the screen, but it is nearly 700 pounds of paper per person. Certainly, not all of that paper gets to stick around, right?

How Much Paper Can One Tree Produce?

One tree makes over 8,000 sheets of paper, which sounds like a lot but is less than you’d expect. 

Think about a copier case of paper, which normally has about 10 reams (packs of paper) at about 500 pieces each. You are already at 5,000 pages and over half of a tree was used to create that single box of paper. 

If you work in an administrative office, school, or any other facility heavily reliant on paper usage, the number of trees used to create the paper you are using could be much more than you expect. 

Suddenly, those elementary school teachers telling us not to waste paper don’t seem so off-base. 

Let’s circle back to the amount of paper an average American family throws away a year, just in junk and packaging materials. When it’s all said and done, over a tree and a half is wasted.

What Is Tree-Free Paper Made from?

Using tree-free paper is a great way to work toward the future and sustainable steps. 

Using fewer trees contributes to lessening deforestation, not to mention that some of these tree-free options are pretty darn cool!

CalRecycle informs us that woodless paper sources fall into two categories:

1. Crops that are specifically intended to produce paper
2. Residue from agricultural crops also repurposed into paper

If you have been searching for woodless paper options, alternatives to the norm, this section is just for you!

Kenaf 

This tropical plant was traditionally used for sacks, ropes, and other sorts of cords. Now, however, it is being used as a treeless way to create more paper. 

This plant is also used to create paper’s distant cousin- canvas. This is not surprising, as sacks and canvas have similarly textured patterns, and you can use the fibers in similar ways. 

Kenaf has become more sought after in recent years for its properties and uses beyond paper-making. Only time will tell if this becomes a staple in the paper world.

Hemp 

Hemp has become very popular in recent years for its versatility. 

Seen in everything from soaps and hair care products to being the primary material in backpacks and clothing items, this one does it all, including paper!

Hemp crops grow exponentially quicker than trees do, and they can produce a pulp that results in a similar paper all the same.

The infrastructure has not developed completely, meaning it is a bit more expensive to create paper using hemp. However, this process is so much better for the environment and all the trees involved.

Currently, hemp paper’s use falls under specialty use most often, as opposed to commercial production for things like notebook paper or printer paper. Hopefully, as this option advances, we see hemp paper more readily available.

Straw From Rice, Wheat, Or Rye

More agriculturally focused crops often discard some of the straw growing on parts of the plant. The part humans rarely eat. 

We often give this straw to animals, but there are so many other ways to use this part of the plant. 

The fiber in straw is comparable to that of wood fiber, and the pulp is used to hand-make paper in a unique, eco-friendly manner.

This is not a new concept, however, and is a standard practice already in many Asian countries that emphasize using all of their resources.

Essentially, instead of burning or plowing most of the straw from agricultural crops, it could instead replace a fair amount of the tree-based paper we so often use at this point.

Coconut

Coconut? Yes, coconut!

But coconut is not at all similar to the wood of a tree or the fibers in straw or kenaf!

This may be true, but the husk of a coconut has plenty of fibers you can use to create something useful. Instead of discarding the husk of a coconut, once the water and fruit have been removed, it can help to produce a very useful, thick textured paper.

Contrary to how newspaper paper works, as a flimsy product, coconut paper could prove quite strong for projects where you use markers or water-based writing utensils. 

You may have even seen this type of paper before and had no idea what was behind the final product. 

The hair between the fruit and husk of a coconut is the perfect texture to create paper. When pieces of the hair remain, they add dark spots to the paper, which can give it a worn, authentic feel. 

If the overall ‘vibe’ of the paper doesn’t matter to you, these little strands of fortitude highly reinforce your paper. 

Stone 

Yes, you read that right, too. Even crushed stone can turn into a sort of pulp-like substance. This substance can also create paper.

Stone paper notebooks and products like this Pictostone Executive Notebook are making a lot of headway in the journal space these days. 

The paper is smooth but somehow manages not to smudge. It is both strong but has a softer appearance, like if we combine the strength of coconut paper with the look of tree-based paper and the softness of hemp paper. It’s a 3-for-1 you can get behind!

We might go as far as to say this is the next big thing in the paper, at least for those who prefer handwritten notes jotted down in planners or the feeling of putting pen to paper as a way to create artistic works like poetry or short stories. 

Knowing your paper comes from one of the myriad origins, other than trees, is not only a good feeling but a cool one. It is amazing how many of our natural resources can create such a similar product, and in such different ways.

That’s A Wrap!

Now that you have learned a little more about what goes into the making of paper, how paper is made, and other ways to create tree-free paper, we hope you are intrigued. 

Try some tree paper alternatives, and see what you think! It’s a fun way to experiment with something we use oh so often in daily life, all while helping the planet, too!

We sincerely hope that you enjoyed this piece. As you continue along your tree journey of learning and exploring, take a moment to consider how you can help save some of those trees we all love so much.

For now, though, we will see you next time. Thanks for reading!

References

Fratzl, P. (2018). Wood made denser and stronger.

Gurav, S. P., Bereznitski, A., Heidweiller, A., & Kandachar, P. V. (2003). Mechanical properties of paper-pulp packaging. Composites Science and Technology, 63(9), 1325-1334.

M’hamdi, A. I., Kandri, N. I., Zerouale, A., Blumberga, D., & Gusca, J. (2017). Life cycle assessment of paper production from treated wood. Energy Procedia, 128, 461-468.

Fig trees can provide deliciously sweet fruit, but they require some tender loving care to get them established. There are over 750 species of fig trees, most of which are tropical and subtropical in distribution around the globe. It will surprise you to learn many backyard growers can grow fig trees, even if you do not live in the tropics!

Fig trees thrive in well-drained, fertile soil containing organic matter and moisture. They have shallow root systems, which makes them susceptible to damage from heat, cold, drought, and tillage. Fig trees grow best in warm, sunny spots and withstand temperatures as low as 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fig trees are often planted near buildings that may protect them from harsh winter winds and weather. If you are dreaming of the sweet taste of the tropics in your backyard, read on to learn some tips for planting and caring for a new fig tree.

Plant The Right Species Of Fig Tree For Your Area

This is a qualified question you need to get right! Since there are so many species of fig trees, it is really important to choose one that is suitable for your climate.

Always be on the lookout for any fig growers in your area, as they will be your best resource for learning what works best in your region. If you have a trusted nursery, or Master Gardeners Association to contact, that would also be a great place to ask for advice.

When growing unique food, such as figs, tapping into local wisdom can be priceless.

Most fig trees in the United States grow best in California, Texas & Florida but can be grown in any conditions that meet the requirements of the tree, including indoors! Fig trees can also grow in many southern states including Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Oklahoma as well.

Plant A Fig Tree From A Cutting

Fig trees are usually propagated from cuttings. The method is so simple and used so often, no special consideration of other methods is necessary.     

In fact, growing fig trees from seeds is quite unique unless you live in a native fig growing region where the fig wasps live to pollinate the flowers. The only way that pollen can reach the female flowers on the fig tree is through a narrow entrance hole. Female fig wasps can carry pollen through these entrances. 

If you know someone in your area growing a fig tree, consider asking them to take a cutting for you! Cuttings are taken during the dormant season from well-matured wood of the preceding season’s growth. Be sure to not use the long, slender, sappy shoots that sometimes sprout from the ground.  

Cuttings are usually 8-10 inches long pieces of solid wood (not pithy), which is usually found in the center of the branches. For cuttings made in the fall, pack with damp moss and moist sand. Keep them moist and cool so they will remain dormant until the weather is suitable for planting in late winter or early spring.

You can be assured any fig tree purchased from a tree nursery started as a cutting. They are then grown in a pot for at least a year to get their roots established before going to the nursery.

If you’re deciding to grow your fig tree in a pot, make sure to visit our article: 4 Best Soils For Potted Fig Trees

Plant Your Fig Tree During Late Winter or Early Spring

It is most often agreed you should plant your fig trees in the late winter or early spring while the tree is still dormant. Fig trees are deciduous, meaning that they lose their leaves at the end of each growing season. Plant your fig tree before new leaves are emerging for best results.

If you decide to plant your fig tree during the growing season, or after the tree has already ‘leafed out’, there is still a significant chance your tree will survive. It will be of most importance that you keep the roots well-watered, especially when planted later in the season. 

Alternatively, planting in the late fall is another option, since the tree has gone dormant and lost its leaves. Just be sure to give extra winter protection to the young roots by covering the roots with a heavy layer of mulch.

You will want to do this regardless of when you plant it, for the first 3-4 years. This is especially important if you need to protect your tree from cold weather.

The Best Types Of Soil For Your Fig Tree

Backyard fig trees and figs grown in an orchard thrive in well-drained, reasonably fertile soil. They also desire plenty of humus, and moisture, according to the book Fig Growing in the South Atlantic and Gulf States by H.P. Gould.  

Gould also states you can also successfully grow fig trees in clay-type soils, even though they are not as well-drained. As long as there is sufficient fertility and organic matter, heavy clay soils that are amended will still hold moisture better than light, sandy soils.

Soils that are light and sandy are often low in fertility since the drainage is so effective. Water will wash away all the nutrients as it drains through the larger sand particles. By adding a lot of organic matter, or humus, to sandy soils, you will increase your odds for success.

Fig trees that were planted on alluvial floodplains and river bottoms often have good moisture and sufficient nutrients, naturally. The agricultural community widely recognizes (and envies) these soil types as being ideal sites to grow a variety of crops. Figs are no different, as they often experience strong growth and dark foliage in these sites. 

No matter what the soil type, fig trees can suffer badly in times of drought without sufficient humus and moisture to protect their roots from heat. These hot, dry conditions are extremely favorable for nematodes, a type of parasite that may feed on the roots of fig trees.   

Use Soil pH Amendments To Help Your Fig Tree Thrive

When planting species that aren’t native to your region, I find it incredibly helpful to understand the natural habitats where these species may have thrived in. Such as, what do we know about tropical and subtropical climates?

These places have adequate moisture, a lot of vegetation (and humus!), which is a great place to start. Since a lot of rain also causes more acidic soils, we might assume that figs also prefer slightly acidic soil. However, growers of figs have remarked that when they increase their acidic soil’s pH with garden lime, their fig trees will thrive. 

A study conducted at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica determined that neutral soil pH levels resulted in faster fig tree growth and higher survival rates of young seedlings. A neutral soil pH is 7, which is neither acidic nor alkaline.  

If you don’t know what your region’s natural soil type is, reach out to your local extension office or call a Soil and Water Conservation District for that information. Garden centers and Master Gardener Associations will sometimes offer free soil testing as well.

There are very easy-to-use pH meters available for purchase. The Sonkir pH 3 in 1 Soil Moisture/Light/pH tester is a great tool that provides very useful information for the home gardener. It doesn’t require any batteries, since instead, it uses a sensor design to test pH, soils moisture, and even light!

If your garden soil pH is less than 6, then your fig tree would likely benefit from adding garden lime to the soil. Lime is a garden soil additive that is usually added in the fall, so the winter moisture will help the lime break down and make the soil ‘sweeter’, or less acidic.  

Jobe’s Organics Garden Lime is a granular de-acidifier that will raise your soil’s pH. Follow instructions on the package for how much to apply. If you need results fast, choose a finer grind lime product, like the Calcium Carbonate Limestone Powder by the Seed Supply.

If you live in an area with naturally sweet, or alkaline soils, then you may need a different amendment to lower your soil’s pH to closer to 7. Clemson University recommends using aluminum sulfate and sulfur to lower soil pH. Aluminum sulfate will change the soil pH instantly due to how quickly it will dissolve into the soil, whereas the sulfur may take several months to change soil pH conditions.

Rich aluminum sulfate works in all types of soil, including sandy soil, loamy soil, and clay soil if you’re needing results fast. This Bonide Aluminium Sulfate is an easy to apply option. It also includes an application chart to help you determine how much of the product to add to your soil.

If you’re amending soil or planting in the fall, you could use True Organic Plant Foods Prilled Sulfur as a granular amendment. It is beneficial to your tree’s overall growth, and can even give your leaves a darker green color.

In summary, it is very helpful to know the natural pH of your soil so that you can add amendments, if necessary. Be prepared to add pH adjusting amendments each year if your soil is not naturally between 6.5-7.5 for the healthiest, luxuriant foliage and fruit.

How To Plant Your Fig Tree Outside

There is a common joke among the conservation community that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. But alas, here we are, dreaming of a canopy of figs while likely looking at a short twig of a tree. Let’s get this right so that our dreams come true!

Choose Strong Fig Trees To Plant

A one-year-old nursery plant with sufficient roots should be strong enough to plant. Keep in mind that the more roots they have, the bigger hole you will have to dig!

If you have a stressed, root-bound tree that has been in a pot, you will need to spread the shallow fibrous roots out gently and possibly even trim them. If you remove many roots, then you should also trim back the tree to help provide balance for nutrient and water needs.  

Choose A Sunny Site With At Least 6 Hours Of Sun Each Day

To be considered ‘full sun’, a plant typically needs to be exposed to sunlight 6 hours a day during the growing season. The fig tree can take some shade throughout the day, but be sure to plan for that full 6 hours to get the maximum fruit production and healthiest tree.

Make observations about where other trees are growing and consider how big they will be in 20-40 years. Will your fig tree get shaded out and out-competed for light?

Plant At Least 20 Feet Away From Any Buildings

Fig trees can grow a canopy up to thirty feet wide. Their roots are shallow and will seek the most optimum growing conditions with adequate moisture and shade from the heat.  

Plant Near A Water Source Or Hose

Fig roots are naturally shallow-rooted, very fibrous, and sensitive to very hot and cold temperatures and disturbances. They prefer even moisture throughout the year, never drying out.

In nature, they are often found growing along larger river systems in the riparian area on the edge of a forest. On your property, consider how the water is draining and how high the water table is when choosing your planting location. Ideally, groundwater and rainfall will water it, saving you the trouble of irrigation once you establish your tree.

Add Extra Organic Matter To Your Planting Hole

Having well-decomposed organic matter mixed into the soil as you plant your fig is crucial.  This one step will protect your roots from the stresses of living outside in a non-native habitat while giving them the nutrients they need to get established in the first 3-4 years of their life. 

By adding humus, or organic matter, to the planting hole, and surrounding area, you will provide the best possible start to your fig tree. Just visit your local garden center and ask for the best planting mix full of organic matter, or make your own!  

To make your own humus, collect and mix organic matter from compost, a decomposing log, worm castings, rotted leaves, or old grass clippings, as examples. The humus you use cannot be in big clumps, as you’ll want to fill in between the fine, fibrous root system of the tree to eliminate any air pockets. If you make your own, sift it through a screen.

Decide On A Bush Or Fig Tree Form

Hopefully, you know approximately where on your property you’d like to plant your fig tree (s). You can grow figs as a taller tree form, or a shorter, bushier habit with the right pruning. 

If you decide on a tree form (single stem), be sure to plant your stem one to two inches deeper than their current soil level in the pot. This is not normal tree planting instructions, as trees often prefer to keep their trunk at ‘soil level’.  

If you desire a bush form, plant at least four inches deeper than the soil level in the pot. This deeper planting will induce branching from below the surface of the soil and send up additional stems.

Cover Fig Tree Roots With Mulch

Fig trees are often injured or killed to the ground by cold temperatures. The older the tree, the less prone they are to winter injury; such as by 3-4 years old, their roots have become hardier and their branches thicker.

Adding 3-4 inches of wood mulch, straw, or other local mulch is necessary if you live in colder climates with hard freezes. Think of it as adding a warm blanket to the roots to help protect those young roots at the surface from freezing.  

As a bonus, during the growing season, the mulch will decompose and add additional organic matter to the roots, helping to keep them moist and providing extra nutrients.

One last comment here about most mulches. They are often very carbon-rich, and to decompose, they will use up any nitrogen that may be in the soil from all of that amazing humus you provided. Be sure to read the last notes about fertilizers to learn how to stay proactive in the nutrient cycle!

Don’t Forget About Fig Tree Fertilizers!

Whew! That was a LOT of information! I hope you got through it ok and are feeling motivated and educated to plan for your fig paradise. On a final note, I wanted to be sure to include some well-balanced fertilizer recommendations to add each spring.

Be sure to add a well-balanced fertilizer to your fig tree each spring to keep it vibrant and growing up to be its best, fruity self!  

Options include a granular fertilizer, such as Jobe’s Organic Fruit and Nut Fertilizer that gets sprinkled around the base of the tree and the roots; or Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes that get inserted around the tree’s drip-line, where active roots are growing.  

There are many others to choose from, but remember that when you choose a product that says it is for fruit trees, you’ll get a higher phosphorus number that is specifically for healthy roots and fruits.

Dreaming of a fig-alicous future for you (and me!)

References:

Gould, H.P., 1921. Fig growing in the South Atlantic and Gulf states (No. 1031). US Department of Agriculture.

Compton, S.G., Wiebes, J.T. and Berg, C.C., 1996. The biology of fig trees and their associated animals. Journal of Biogeography, 23(4), pp.405-407 

Banack, Sandra Anne, Michael H. Horn, and Anna Gawlicka. “Disperser‐vs. Establishment‐Limited Distribution of a Riparian Fig Tree (Ficus insipida) in a Costa Rican Tropical Rain Forest1.” Biotropica 34.2 (2002): 232-243.