From an evolutionary perspective, why is birch bark white?

Birch comes in many subspecies of different bark colour and is an interesting example of genetic adaptation in nature. Here are some examples. My own favourite is the silver birch (Betula pendula), a European sub-species with a slightly more silver tone to white birch and has a more 'gnarley' bark. read more

Birch comes in many subspecies of different bark colour and is an interesting example of genetic adaptation in nature. Here are some examples. My own favourite is the silver birch (Betula pendula), a European sub-species with a slightly more silver tone to white birch and has a more ‘gnarley’ bark. read more