The more I observe human behavior as it relates to this forest, the more I realize that profit has repeatedly been one of the strongest motivations. There are several tall 100-foot, straight pine trees here that are economically worthwhile to cut, chip, or removed by some other means. They are accessible and can be conveniently felled. Someone could easily earn…
People love the scent of a balsam fir tree on a hot summer day or when they chop it down to become their annual Christmas tree. If people concentrate, they can probably pick up additional scents when hiking in the forest. Compared with many forest animals, the human sense of smell is extremely limited. The forest air is awash with…
Looking at the largely barren post-glacial landscape, scientists call it tundra. Yet, it is really a nascent forest. At first glance there isn’t much to see. No trees. No towering canopy. Nothing most people would recognize as a forest. Yet the land is teaming with life. Microorganisms are rapidly reproducing. Fungi are spreading, forming partnerships with the earliest plants, helping…