Recent climate fluctuations, including drought in south-central Kansas, is having a devastating affect on the tree population in Wichita, according to the Kansas Forest Service. More than 6,000 trees are slated to be cut before year's end. The trees have been negatively impacted by root loss that began in 2008. And record-setting temperature swings and last winter's mild weather have unnerved the city's trees.

Turns out trees are our friends, and maybe even a way to increase our home's market value. CNN Money and Money Magazine recently reported that trees can increase the value of our real estate by as much as 10 percent. The Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers notes that the trees must be well-cared for to provide such benefits.

The Kansas City Star reported that The Missouri Department of Transportation will purchase 250,000 seedlings to replace trees eliminated during highway construction projects.

The Bur Oak is such a great Missouri shade tree that the University of Missouri used a photograph of it in an article entitled: "Selecting Landscape Plants: Shade Trees".

The graceful tree grows well in neighboring Kansas, where Kansas State University named it "Tree of the Year". Here are the features that make the Bur Oak a beautiful tree to walk beneath, lie under, or gaze at on a warm sunny day.

• Adaptable to most soils.
• String limbs that are relatively resistant to storms.
• Tolerates urban conditions well.
• The Kansas Forest Service notes that the Bur Oak is robust and resists diseases.
• The Quercus marcocarpa has a sizable height and crown.
• The Bur Oak is native to Missouri, and is so common that there is a nature center named after it -- Burr Oak Woods. (The tree can be spelled Bur or Burr.)

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