THE OAK TREE
ECOSYSTEM
Aaron Thomas
Blackhall
Stephen David
Cronin
INTERESTING FACTS
The oak tree can
live up to
hundreds of years.
An oak tree can
grow to 40
metres. Oak trees
do not produce
seed until it is 35
years old.
ACORNS
The seed of the
oak tree is an
acorn. Each tree
will produce over
50,000 acorns but
only 1 or 2 will
grow into oak
trees.
ECOSYSTEM
Many animals,
plants, insects
and fungi depend
on the oak.
DECIDUOUS
The oak is a
deciduous hard
wood tree. It loses
it’s leaves every
Autumn.
DAIR
The Irish word for
oak tree is Dair.
Several Irish cities
are named after
Dair Like Doire
(Derry) Cill Dara
(Kildare)
T YPE’S OF OAK
There are many
type’s of oak
English Oak
Cork Oak
White Oak
OAK TREE GROWS
Oak tree’s need:
Water (Ground)
Minerals (Ground)
Sugar (Ground)
Sunlight (Sun)
Carbon Dioxide
(Air)
ROOTS
The Oak roots
spread for many
metre’s
underground. Their
main task is to
gather water and
mineral’s. Many
minerals come
from the dead
leave’s.
OAK LEAF
The oak leaf is
one of the easiest
to recognise. It
has a serrated
edge.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 The oak leaf is a
factory which turn’s
water, minerals and
carbon dioxide into
sugar to feed the
tree. This happens
once the sun is warm
enough. The leaf
must have green
chlorophyll for this to
work.
ECOSYSTEM
The oak tree
supports
Insects
Beetles
Ladybirds
Wasps
Ants
ECOSYSTEM
The oak tree
supports many
birds who eat the
insects and nest
in the tree.
Owl
Sparrow
Hawk
ECOSYSTEM
The oak tree
supports small
animals such as:
Wood mouse
Hedgehog
rat
ECOSYSTEM
The oak tree
supports larger
animals such as:
Squirrel
Badger
Fox
ECOSYSTEM
Lichen grow at the
oak tree. Lichen is
a living fungi. The
fungi helps rot the
dead leave’s
ECOSYSTEM
Insects build
homes on the oak
tree. Animals and
insects eat the
fruit, the bark and
the leave’s.
Birds eat the
insects
Birds build nests.
ECOSYSTEM
Wild flowers grow
near the tree such
as :
Cowslips
Primroses
Daffodils
ECOSYSTEM
The leave’s
provide a
wonderful place
for insects to lay
their eggs. Such
as the butterfly.
ECOSYSTEM
The two types of
squirrel (Red
Squirrel and the
Grey Squirrel) use
the tree to build
their homes (drey).
They eat and store
thousands of
acorns.
ECOSYSTEM
The fox uses the
tree to catch other
smaller animals.
MAN
We use the oak to
build ships, furniture
and pot handles.