TREES OF LIFE:FORESTS IN PERIL
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CHAPTER TWO!

11/27/2017

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​To continue our search for the understanding of our natural world, we must accept the important role diversity plays in the creation of this complex planet. The multitude of relations and interactions that support life are almost beyond human comprehension! If a link in the chain of life is broken or missing, serious consequences can and will occur. Destroy the microfilaria in the soil under a tree and the transpiration process is significantly interrupted. Plant seedlings in a plantation and you eliminate the social network within the forest community. Yes, the science of forestry is far more complex than simply producing a sustainable flow of forest products and we must focus on maintaining or enhancing diversity  as the driving goal!
​Let's look a little deeper. 99% of all life on our planet are plants, and only 1% are animals, and that includes everything from insects to humans. Not only are there billions of species on this planet but, human beings account for only a minuet niche in the circle of life. Humans do however, create the greatest demand for earth's resources, and our human population will soon reach 10 Billion worldwide. A close examination of history provides indications of what our future holds for  human life. The failure and collapse of past societies such as Easter Island, the Aztec and Mayan cultures, the Norse settlement in Greenland, were all the result of environmental issues with population expansion and deforestation being two of the major issues. Our continued insistence that forestry is an agricultural process focused on "growing trees as a crop" and the current goal of management to provide a sustainable flow of goods and services from the remaining forested lands, can only lead us toward the historic examples of the past.
​Since the arrival of the European settlers on the North American Continent, forested lands have been seen as a storehouse of valuable resources or obstacles needing to be cleared for agricultural uses. Even with the establishment of the science of forestry in the late 1800's, the new science focused on what we can take from the forests. The scientific knowledge of our relationship with the natural world has been obvious for hundreds of years, yet forestry continues to manage the resources from the forest.  Over half of our original forested lands are gone and we are deforesting the equivalent of 20 football fields every minute worldwide. The "Null-Alternative", do nothing, can not provide the desired future we seek!      
   
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CONCERN FOR THE FUTURE!!

11/23/2017

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​​Had an interesting trip to the Southwest with no problems, which provided an opportunity to observe the variety of forested lands we passed through. After 2000 miles and much consideration, I felt the need to summarize the concerns I have been writing about for 5 years now. I realize some information has been presented previously but, it seemed appropriate too highlight the problems that require our attention if we truly care about our future.
​To understand the magnitude of the problems, I believe we must first understand the detail and complexity of the magic of this thing we call life. Science has identified several billion different species that inhabit our planet and we are told, that we have discovered less than 20% of the species that live in the seas and on the lands. According to the last statistics I saw, we are losing about 4000 species yearly and discovering 10,000 to 15,000 new species annually. Although, I sometime question this next statement when I am fishing during the black fly season, every individual species fills a necessary niche in this complex mystery of the circle of live. These facts demonstrate the importance of diversity in the creation of life on this planet. Life could not exist or function without the diversity of species, and even the diversity between individuals within each species. Consider the human species. Societies could not function were it not for the fact, that each individual is born with a unique set of talents and skills that allow them to contribute to the diverse requirements of the society. I view a forest community in the same way. Visit a forest community that has been allowed to regenerate by natural seed sources and view the diverse species and age classes that exist. Each community has unique and different plant and animal species present and a different mix of relationships present. The knowledge of this complexity must be understood before we begin the process of management! The main thing that stands out for me is the necessity of DIVERSITY in sustaining life in the future!
​We are going to have to continue this discussion the next time, as there are many more facts that must be considered before we can appreciate the need for change for the future!!              
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NATURES WAY, FINALLY!

11/4/2017

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 I just read an article entitled, " The Largest Ever Tropical Reforestation Project is Planting 73 Million Trees Using a New Technique". My first reaction was the article was interesting but somewhat miss-leading, as this project does not use a new technique. In fact, the process is millions of years old. It is, however, exciting that after all this time, Brazil  has, apparently, become one of the first countries to recognize and apply "Natures Way".
As the title suggests, the goal is to undertake a massive effort to reforest 70,000 acres of lands once covered with tropical forest communities. This project is intended to be Brazil's contribution to the worldwide effort to attack the issue of global warming. I am impressed but, the best is yet to come! First of all, the leadership for this project appears to understand the importance of bio-diversity in this reforestation effort. Finally! The old stand-by process of planting seedling, usually all the same species and age-class, destroys diversity and can only be considered successful if your only goal is the production of wood-fiber.  If you care about the sustenance of life and our human requirements forests provide, then natural diverse forest communities must be your driving goal.
The next step, although in this project driven by economics, is also a major requirement in Nature's Way. The seeds from over 200 indigenous tree species will be collected and scattered over the lands once forest covered. Direct seeding using native species, outstanding! The article quotes The Food and Agriculture Organization and Bio-Diversity International, as having tested the process and experiencing a 90% germination success rate. The Brazilian's call this new planting process, "muvuca". New for Brazil but, is actually the story of "Creation" and the process that established our original diverse forest communities. Amazing how retracing our footsteps can lead to discovering the wisdom of understanding Nature! Sharing the Traditional Knowledge's of our indigenous people can provide a more desirable future!
The most exciting part of this project for me, is the involvement of our indigenous people in the seed collection and direct seeding of their lands. This is the land of their ancestors, their land, and together we can change the future!
This is not all the detail required for the future management of our valuable forested lands but, after my 50 years in the science of forestry, it is an exciting step forward. If you are willing to take the time to truly study the complexity of Creation, you will discover that diversity is the most important factor in almost every aspect of life on our planet. There is hope!
Our next edition will be from New Mexico.

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