CCS Contest March Theme "Beauty of Nature": Precious Trees

Hello friends of CCS, with pleasure I participate in the March edition of the contest "Beauty of Nature" by @visionaer3003.

Last edition I showed you the Mediterranean maquis, in the south-west of Sardinia.

We still stay in this area, walking distance from home, but this time I want to show you the trees on a country road.

This paved road leaves the town and leads into the countryside. As you can see it is bordered by trees.

These are eucalyptus trees that grow very tall, so much so that they have overtaken and incorporated the electricity poles that are barely seen here.

Eucalyptus trees are often found in rows along roads or create a natural barrier between fields and plots of land. In addition to the fact that they serve as a border, they also act as a natural windbreak limiting the damage of cold winds in winter, but also of dry winds in summer.

Eucalyptus grow very tall, up to 30 meters and on the ground they create a very green ecosystem because they retain humidity. This type of tree is actually native to Australia and Oceania, where it can exceed 100 meters in height. It was introduced in the Mediterranean years ago and, although it grows less tall, has adapted very well!

Of course, being on the side of the road, sooner or later they have to be resized to avoid damage if they fall. Indeed, the characteristic of eucalyptus is that it grows very quickly, a couple of meters every year.

This type of road makes me think of how nature re-appropriates places in a short time, when humans do not take care of it, despite the efforts we make to contain it.

Further on, the sides of the road become higher and more rocky, where we still see more trees, with part of their roots exposed, and other shrubs.

Further on begins an olive grove. Olive trees are very precious here in southern Italy and in many Mediterranean countries because high quality oil is produced with olives. In addition, olives are also produced to eat.

The olive tree is native to Asia, then spread in the eastern Mediterranean, and adopted in Italy in the Middle Ages. It is now considered a native tree in all respects.

The olive tree is a centuries-old tree and resists even in hot and sunny soils, where it doesn't rain for many months. Its growth is very slow and does not grow very much in height. In fact, the trunk tends to grow in width and curve.

Here you see that the grass is green and short because it is well cared for, since the olives are periodically harvested and the trees themselves are cared for and thinned out if necessary.

These trees are even more precious in a land that tends to dry out, they provide some shade for wild animals and some extra oxygen.

I hope you enjoyed this brief description of the nature that surrounds me,

thank you all, have a nice day!