Similarly, it blows my mind that all trees are made of air, specifically the carbon in it. I used to think that the biomass must come from the soil, but reality is more interesting.
replyKind of like how the vast majority of weight loss in animals happens via exhaling.
replyWeirder still is the realization that all the air is just trapped light.
Actually, all matter is just trapped energy.
replyThere is no such thing as energy.
replyRather, no such thing as matter. Energy is pervasive.
replyIt's also kind of weird to think that soil, really, is just ground up "stuff" that used to be trees, plants, rocks, etc.
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replySequoia are still limited in height by gravity, probably due to capillary pressures. [1] If they evolved to be segmented, they could probably do it.
reply[1] https://www.sfgate.com/science/article/REDWOODS-How-tall-can...
There’s also a theory that the moss on these trees is mutualism instead of simply epiphytic. The moss holds moisture, which can be accessed by the tree.
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