Forest fires are natural and important. They shape our ecosystems. Meadows and grasslands often exist because past fires kept trees and shrubs from growing there. Many species are dependent on fire’s natural role. Fires shape plant and animal communities and ecological processes, including water and nutrient cycling. Fire on the east and west sides of… (read more)
When it comes to reversing climate change, trees are a big deal. Globally, forests absorb nearly 16 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, and hold it in their branches, leaves, roots, and soils. This makes them a valuable global carbon sink, and makes preserving and maintaining healthy forests a vital strategy in combating… (read more)
Last week I wrote about the Northwest Forest Plan of 1994. While the Plan was innovative at the time, it didn’t consider some important issues we now face, such as global climate change, the role of Tribes and Indigenous knowledge in land management, and the need to protect communities from uncharacteristic wildfires. The Forest Service… (read more)
As I said last week, President Biden has signed an executive order on Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies, which calls for a review of forest management practices on federal lands, especially the mature and old-growth forests. This executive order pertains to National Forests, not state or private lands, and specifically calls out the… (read more)
Last October I wrote On the Importance of Forests: “Our world’s forests are one of the most effective nature-based solutions to climate change and the wildlife extinction crisis. Forests are home to 80% of all land-based wildlife species. They function as a massive carbon sink for Earth and are also key to maintaining regional rainfall patterns. Despite this, forests are undervalued… (read more)
Roots are the foundation of a tree, supporting the tree and holding it in place while also taking up water and nutrients from the soil. Many people imagine tree roots as a mirror image of the branches, but tree roots actually grow mostly horizontally from the base of the tree, rather than downward. Buttress roots right… (read more)
Shinrin-yoku is the Japanese practice of bathing your senses, or immersing yourself, in the forest; it’s a process of slowing down to pay attention to nature. Research shows that forest bathing reduces anxiety, strengthens your immune system, and helps you sleep better. And it will also help you to develop a stronger connection with nature. … (read more)
Eugene rests in the Willamette Valley Oak Savanna ecoregion. Oak savannas are landscapes characterized by widely spaced oak trees and a prairie-like ground layer vegetation. The white oaks of this ecoregion are considered keystone species because “they support more life-forms than any other North American tree genus including fungi, insects, birds and mammals.” (U.S. National Park Service)… (read more)
I talked about intact forests last week, but we hear more about old-growth forests in Oregon. Oregon Wild says, “generally speaking, old growth means a forest that has not undergone any major unnatural changes (such as logging) for more than 100 to 150 years, contains a diversity of tree species and structures, and provides a home for a diversity of wildlife species. Natural disturbances like… (read more)
Our world’s forests are one of the most effective nature-based solutions to climate change and the wildlife extinction crisis. Despite this, forests are undervalued and largely unprotected. More than 75% of the forests on the planet have been damaged or destroyed by roads, mining, logging, oil extraction or industrial farming. The remaining 25% of our planet’s forests are what we… (read more)
Click the picture for information about community group use of the Meeting House.
