Bark of the tree

While it may seem to look like a piece of a green seaweed from the ocean, this is actually the skin or outer layer of the tree called bark. Occasionally I've noticed the bark of the trees in my neighborhood begin to peel off like old paint when a new layer isn't added.





The tree the bark came from (pretty unique shape I must say). 

 

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The bark of the trees serve as the skin of the tree and like reptiles, shed away old bark and grows new bark. However beware: If a tree is seen with bare wood beneath the bark or has fungus, it means it is suffering from environmental problems.



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There are two parts of the bark: An outer layer called the periderm which consists of dead tissue cells with parts of the inner layer, and the inner layer, also called the rhytidome consisting of living tissue cells.

The outer bark forms a barrier from the abiotic and biotic environment for the tree.





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