Trees are typically organized into two categories: hardwoods (angiosperms) and softwoods (gymnosperms). A new study suggests that there is a third type of wood—known as "midwood"—that could explain the nanoscale architecture of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), which contains structural elements whose size is squarely in between hardwood and softwood. Because tulip trees grow quickly and are surprisingly efficient at storing carbon, the researchers hope that further study could help us unlock their secrets and potentially breed tulip tree-like wood into other species for carbon capture purposes.
Liriodendron tulipifera, more commonly known as the tulip tree or yellow poplar, is one of the most beautiful trees in North America. A member of the magnolia family, this fast-growing tree—putting on average 25 inches per year until reaching a height of around 150 feet—sports distinctive leaves, and its wood is used purposes ranging from furniture to toys and musical instruments. Most importantly, the tree is a carbon capture champion, and is estimated to soak up two to six times more carbon in forests where it is the predominant species .
But what exactly makes it so carbon hungry? To answer this question, scientists from the University of Cambridge and Jagiellonian University in Poland analyzed the nanoscale architecture of the secondary cell wall (read: wood) in hydrated samples of the tree using a technique called "low-temperature scanning electron microscopy." Wh.