Beech Tree (The Long Run)

In the third part of short story “The Long Run” Halston Merrick remembers a time, when he and Paulina sat under a beech tree and spent a happy time together in the country (Wharton 312). The beech tree stands for a tree with which Halston Merrick connects good and positive thoughts and feelings. Sitting under this tree made him happy the over day.

The beech family comprises seven to nine genera, depending on the taxonomic system, with a total of up to 900 species occurring between the tropics and the temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere (Rudow). The majority of these are hardwood-forming tree species with large fruits enclosed in a fruit cup (Rudow). More than half of them are oak species, while the chestnut and the beeches (see Image above) each represent only about ten species worldwide (Rudow).

In the short story, the beech tree is not specified in more detail, therefore one does not know which specific species the beech tree has. Nevertheless, this does not matter because the tree’s function in the story is to be a place under which Halston and Paulina had a good time together. The tree itself, has no bigger role in the story.

An essential characteristic of beech trees is their enormous growth power. In order to achieve their maximum growth heights of 45 meters, different abilities must interlock optimally (Rudow.)

Another advantage of the beech tree is its low location requirements: in temperate climate with annual temperatures above seven degree Celsius and annual precipitation above 600 millimeters, the beech tree thrives on all types of rock and soil, regardless of the thoroughness of the soil (Rudow). The tree species increases its productivity with increasing temperature and can withstand high temperatures, provided these are not linked to drought (Rudow). Its fundamental niche covers a large part of the range of forest able habitats (Rudow). The only exceptions are extremely dry and very humid or stagnant sites, as well as sites with temporary flooding (floodplains), soil movement (slope debris) or rockfall, which leads to sporadic bark damage (Rudow).

Sources:

• Rudow, Andreas. “Ökologie und Entwicklungsgeschichte der Buche.“ Waldwissen.net. 2019. Forstliche Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg. Web. 03. Nov. 2019. <https://www.waldwissen.net/wald/baeume_waldpflanzen/laub/wsl_buche/index_DE>

• Wharton2, Edith. “The Long Run.” The Collected Short Stories of Edith Wharton. Volume II. Ed. Richard Warrington Baldwin Lewis. New York: A Charles Scribner´s Sons Book Macmillan Publishing Company, 1989. 301-324. Print.