biology

Ulmus mexicana

Ulmus mexicana is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ulmus mexicana rather than just read about it. In short: Ulmus mexicana, the Mexican elm, is a large tree endemic to Mexico and Central America. It is most commonly found in cloud forest and the higher elevations (800–2,200 m (2,600–7,200 ft)) of tropical rain forest with precipitation levels of 2–4 m (79–157 in) per year, ranging from San Luis Potosi south to Chiapas in Mexico, and from Guatemala to Panama beyond.

Key takeaways

Ulmus mexicana belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ulmus mexicana to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ulmus mexicana from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ulmus mexicana, the Mexican elm, is a large tree endemic to Mexico and Central America. It is most commonly found in cloud forest and the higher elevations (800–2,200 m (2,600–7,200 ft)) of tropical rain forest with precipitation levels of 2–4 m (79–157 in) per year, ranging from San Luis Potosi south to Chiapas in Mexico, and from Guatemala to Panama beyond. The tree was first described botanically in 1873.

Description Ulmus mexicana is one of the tallest elm species, occasionally reaching a height of 84 m (276 ft), and a d.b.h. of 2.5 m (8 feet), certainly one of the tallest trees in Mexico. The tree is also distinguished by its deeply fluted grey trunk, supporting a deep crown, its dense foliage casting a heavy shadow. The leaves vary widely in size from 3–16 cm in length by 2–7 cm breadth, elliptic to obovate, surface glossy, but dull on the underside, with petioles 5–10 mm long. The tree has distinctive racemose inflorescences up to 7 cm in length comprising nine clusters of 40 perfect apetalous wind-pollinated flowers which emerge between December and February. The small samarae, 9.0 × 2.3 mm, are covered with long straight hairs, and are shed in March [2]. Natural regeneration is poor.

Uses

Although much of its natural range is threatened by deforestation, the tree is singularly unpopular in the timber trade on account of its deeply fluted trunk, and thus not considered endangered. The timber is hard and heavy (Gs 0.55), but difficult to dry, and can warp badly. Moreover, its high silica content (0.35) damages tools. The wood is used for tools, furniture, and floors, whilst the foliage is commonly used as fodder for cattle. The tree is occasionally planted for shade or ornamentation.

Etymology In Costa Rica the Mexican elm is known as Tirrá; the neighbourhood (district) of Tirrases in Curridabat, San José, takes its name from the tree.

References

External links https://web.archive.org/web/20060627090133/http://cloudbridge.org/trees/ulmus_mexicana.html The Mexican Elm in Costa Rica

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ulmus mexicana

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ulmus mexicana claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ulmus mexicana before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ulmus mexicana ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ulmus mexicana

In research: Ulmus mexicana appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ulmus mexicana in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ulmus mexicana is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cloud forest flora of Mexico, Elm species and varieties, Flora of Central America, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ulmus mexicana outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ulmus mexicana in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ulmus mexicana means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ulmus mexicana out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ulmus mexicana in simple terms?

Why does Ulmus mexicana matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ulmus mexicana?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ulmus mexicana.