Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) Phloem Wells

Holes in deadwood in a dense mixed hardwood/coniferous forest in NW Georgia (Gordon County), US.

comments (3)

Christine Young

Lion

Cool - they are nice phloem wells. Posted 7 years ago
1. Flown Kimmerling
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks for giving me the proper nomenclature! Posted 7 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    No prob ;)
    
    They make xylem and phloem wells. Xylem wells are larger and round. The phloem wells are rectangular and are made in horizontal and vertical rows.
    
    The reason for the two kinds of wells is because trees make two kinds of sap. The sap that's readily tapped in early spring for maple syrup is xylem sap, which is a thin liquid that carries water and little nutrients from the roots upwards to the leaves. So, during early spring, the xylem tissues have high sugar content (to fuel leaf growth), and so sapsuckers drill through the phloem to make xylem wells and get that sap out.
    
    Phloem sap carries the nutrients produced in the leaves downward to other parts of the tree. So, after the trees leaf out, the sapsuckers start on the phloem wells.
    
    TMI?? ;P Posted 7 years ago