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Tree Identification <br />Classification <br />You may recall from a biology class that each unique plant, animal, and fungus on earth has been given a <br />scientific name, or binomial (at least, those that have been discovered so far!). This scientific, or binomial, <br />name includes one word for the genus and one word for the species (e.g. sugar maple = Acer saccharum). <br />The genus classification (such as Acer) includes any number of individual species that share common <br />characteristics. The species classification (such as saccharum) is unique to individuals that can freely <br />reproduce with each other, and are distinct from other related species. <br />Most trees in this survey will be identified down to the genus level for simplicity. However, there are <br />some trees for which there is value in identifying the species because different species within a genus may <br />be at risk for certain pests or diseases. For example, you will differentiate between the white oak group <br />and the red oak group due to the high risk of oak wilt associated with the red oak group, and the risk of <br />bur oak blight on bur oak, which is in the white oak group. <br />11 <br />