[♪ INTRO]
Hey there! Squeaks and I were just warming up a little bit.
It snowed at the Fort recently, so we decided to head out for a nature walk.
Sometimes you notice things in the snow that you might not normally see.
For example — I was lucky enough to see some animal tracks!
And just look what Squeaks found!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Yes! Squeaks found some pine cones along the trail.
Because pine cones are brown, they can sometimes be hard to notice on the ground.
But they stand out quite a bit against the white snow!
So we picked up a couple of them and brought them back to the Fort with us
to take a closer look!
Oh, check it out, Squeaks!
The pine cones we picked up have changed a little bit since we brought them in.
When they were outside… they were all closed up.
There weren’t any gaps or spaces on the cone that we could see.
But now that they’re inside… they’re starting to open up a little bit.
We can tell because there are spaces between the pine cone’s scales.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Yes, scales.
We use the same word for these woody parts of the pine cone as we do
for the scales that cover the outside of a fish.
They look a little alike, don’t you think?
[Squeaks squeaks]
We can see that our pine cones’ scales have spread apart.
[Squeaks squeaks]
“Why?” That's a great question!
To understand the answer, we should talk a little bit more about pine cones.
And look inside one!
If we look underneath the scales of an open pine cone, we can see
that this kind of cone has seeds inside.
And seeds are how some plants reproduce – how they make new, baby plants.
Plants need light and water to grow.
So seeds need to travel to places where theres’s enough light and water
for them to grow into big, healthy plants.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Great question, Squeaks!
Seeds don't grow as well beneath their parent plants because it's harder
for them to get enough light and water.
Imagine a little pine seed fell from a pine cone and tried to grow right where it landed.
Not only would the parent tree block the seed from getting the sun it needs,
but it would actually guzzle up all the water it needs too.
This is why many seeds need to travel far away to grow.
And the pine cone helps them do that! Are you ready to see how?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Let’s take a closer look at what makes these pine cones open and close.
We’ll take two of our pine cones, and leave one here on the table.
And we’ll put the other one in this glass of water!
Let’s see if anything happens.
Oh, look, Squeaks… the two pine cones look different now!
The one we left on the tabletop has opened up some more.
There is more space between its scales.
But the one we put in the water closed up again!
So whether a pine cone is open or closed depends on if it’s wet or not.
The cone changes based on the environment it’s in! Cool!
So why do you think the pine cones we picked up on our walk were closed, Squeaks?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Yep, you’re right. We picked our pine cones out of the wet snow.
So the pine cones were closed up tightly, holding the seeds inside.
Which means that when it’s wet outside, the seeds are trapped inside the pine cone.
So why do you think that is?
How do you think we can figure out what’s going on, Squeaks?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Good guess! We can find some clues by looking at the structure,
or shape, of these pine seeds.
Hey Squeaks! What does this part of the seed remind you of?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oooh I agree! It reminds me of a sail… or a kite.
And it’s a good clue to how these seeds travel.
When the wind blows, it blows against this wide, flat part of the seed
and carries it far away from the parent tree.
But when the seed is wet, it’s heavier, and it won’t get carried as far by the wind.
When the pine cone is wet, parts of its scales get filled with water.
The water makes them curl up and close.
So in wet weather, the pine cone closes up and keeps the seeds inside.
And this is good for the tree, because they wouldn’t get carried very far
by the wind, so they might not land in a good place to grow.
But when the weather is dry, the pine cone’s scales stretch back open…
so the seeds have a better chance of getting carried off by the wind!
The pine cone opens at the right time to spread the seeds!
[Squeaks squeaks]
You’re right… it is pretty cool!
And speaking of cool, how about we go and warm up a little bit more?
I’ll make some hot cocoa as a treat!
Thanks for joining us here on SciShow Kids.
If you want to keep learning and having fun with Squeaks, me,
and all our other friends, be sure to hit the subscribe button,
and we'll see you next time here at the Fort!
[♪ OUTRO]