Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Red Maple 2
Identification
The red maple tree is commonly known for the red color of the leaves in the fall. When it's not foliage season you can identify them by the shape of the leaves. The leaves have more triangular lobes and smaller teeth than other maples. The bark of a red maple is a light brown. Also in the spring red buds open to reddish orange flowers and the leaf veins stay red all summer.
Niche
Energy role
The red maple is a producer because it gets its energy from the sun, carbon dioxide, and water. They are important to the food chain because they provide food for animals like small insects, white-tailed deer, squirrels, birds, and a few other animals.
Other Roles in the Ecosystem
In addition to being a producer the red maple is often used for its lumber which humans use to make furniture, butcher blocks, pallets, and many other things. The red maple is also used for shade and shelter for many birds, insects, and other animals.
Sources~ “Trees” a Golden Guide from St. Martins Press, http://www.kentuckyawake.org/Red_Maple
Sources and Credits
- (c) Virens (Latin for greening), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/35147122@N00/4171956750
- Adapted by mtastudent from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_rubrum
More Info
- iNat taxon page
- Atlas of Living Australia
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- BOLD Systems BIN search
- Calflora
- CalPhotos
- eFloras.org
- Flora of North America (beta)
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- Go Botany
- HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
- IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
- Jepson eFlora
- Maryland Biodiversity Project
- NatureServe Explorer 2.0
- NBN Atlas
- OregonFlora.org
- SEINet Symbiota portals
- Tropicos
- USDA PLANTS database
- VASCAN by Canadensys
- World Flora Online
