Canonfire! Forums-viewtopic-Decidious Treants

Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:32 am Decidious Treants

Obviously Treants loose their leaves in the winter, or they'd stick out like blazing fire in an open field in said season.

But what do trees do when they don't have leaves? They aren't going through the photosynthesis process...

Do trees "hybernate" in the winter? Is that what Treants would do?

Is there a botanist in the house? Word
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Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:00 am Hi all,

Thought I'd try this forum since the real Greytalk listserv is quiet...

One could say that ents live in forest so deep that not even winter touches there. That takes care of your botanical problem and sounds appropriate for discussing tree fairies, though granted it becomes a meteorlogical problem for the campaign setting unless slyvan forests in the Flanaess connect to a demi-plane of Fairy...

~Scott C.

Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:06 pm

Some desiduous trees keep their leaves in winter. One type of oak, I know for sure. But can't remember the name. Ugly as sin in the winter, though. The leaves turn brown but they don't drop. They drop in spring when new leaves bud out.

Maybe treants are similar? With a personality change? Less friendly, more aggressive in winter?
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GVD

Fri Apr 08, 2005 4:17 am The naked treant

Fellers,

In general, deciduous trees (and evergreens to some extent) store up nutrients in their stem and root tissues when they are photosynthetically active, and limit metabolism during the period that they loose thier leaves and the weather is poor (i.e., winter). Most vegetation attempts to reproduce before they leaf-out in the spring, generally using the last of their energy reserves. If the winter is really long, or there is some other stress, the tree will limit or not reproduce and/or produce a limited leaf-out.

In the case of treants, I would suppose that they would not be as active in the winter, and would be aggrevated if they were disturbed during thier down time. However, treants are "magical" and are not bound by any of our "earthly" natural laws...so anything goes!

FL
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Nixiespixies and grigs OH MY!

Fri Apr 08, 2005 7:56 am

So, the Entwives left because they got tired of hearing the Ents complaining about going bald and having swollen feet (roots) in the winter?

Sat Apr 09, 2005 6:08 am

Thank you, Sirs.
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Kneel before me, or you shall be KNELT!

Wed Apr 13, 2005 12:51 pm

Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:06 am

Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:10 am

That, GVD, is a GREAT idea. And the fact that my wife will be all nervous as I tinker with power tools (i.e. the lawnmower) will make it even better! Happy

Thanks!!!

Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:18 am

Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:43 am

Thu Apr 14, 2005 10:03 pm

The primary reason that deciduous trees drop their leaves in the winter is not that it is cold or even that there is less light (though those contribute) but that it is DRY. A freeze means that there is no liquid water available, and the cold, dry air sucks the moisture out of anything that is retaining water.

Trees like other plants need liquid water for the process of photosynthesis. (the water molecule is actually ripped apart, giving its electrons to an electron transport chain that generates energy - the oxygen from water is released into the air, the hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide to make sugar for the plant, as if you cared). So liquid water is the fuel for plants and one would assume for treants as well.

Thus, if treants have access to a supply of liquid water through the winter, there is no reason they couldn't stay leafed out and active. For example, they could make occasional trips to a spring or deep natural well and "drink up", refresh their water supplies, and keep photosynsthesizing. If not, then they probably drop their leaves and sleep through the winter unless disturbed.

That, of course, is a real world description. It is doubtful anything like a tree could make enough energy from photosynthesis to move around, besides the problem of something with lignified cell walls taking a walk. So treants active any time of year defy most basic real world laws. They are obviously feeding on and animated by something other than sunshine. I would say they are tapped into the magic weave of the forst. So if you think that is enough to animate them, they drop their leaves but stay active in the winter. If you don't like that, they sleep.
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Fri Apr 15, 2005 6:17 am

Thanks alot Kirt, that was very informative. I think I like the "angry-if-disturbed, sleeping treants," but real world mechanics are a sweet bonus. Wink

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Kneel before me, or you shall be KNELT!