What makes trees special for you?

Trees

Forests do us a great service, providing a lot of goods and services, as well (apart from in our plantations) a very biodiverse ecosystem, habitat for a great number of plants and animals. Some tree species prefer particular temperatures, whilst others prefer particular kinds of soils or conditions (for example mangroves). Different tree species provide us with different types of wood (e.g. hardwoods and softwoods for construction and furniture, oak for ships and beams, yew for bows, alder buckthorn for charcoal, apple for sweetly-scented firewood). Some trees provide food for humans (e.g. apples, dates, coconuts, olives, nuts) and/or animals (beech mast, acorns). The cacao gives us cocoa and chocolate. Maples give us maple syrup. Cinchona bark gives us quinine. The rubber tree gives us latex and rubber. Some trees give some of us allergies. Others give us paper.

Trees have been central to our traditions and mythologies for a long time, from Eve picking fruit to the Buddha sitting under a tree. Many individual specimens are known for the famous people who spoke or fought or died under them, or even hid in them. Robin Hood lived in Sherwood forest. The cedar is the symbol of Lebanon, and the maple leaf of Canada. "The Survivor Tree" is an 80-year-old elm tree that survived the Oklahoma City bombing. Many U.S. states have state trees. Some of us decorate certain kinds of spruce and fir for Christmas. We build tree houses for our children or ourselves. We make telephone poles out of them. We use trees as landmarks, and name our pubs, villages, towns and cities after them. We have used trees for gallows and still use them to hang ourselves on occasion.

Trees are integrated into our language. We tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. We include them in poetry ("under the spreading chestnut tree") and in Christmas carols and other songs. We bark up the wrong tree. We sing of hearts of oak. We talk of family trees, the evolutionary and the tree of life. We use dendrology to estimate the age of archaeological artifacts, and tree pollen to estimate the climate and season of much older deposits.

We stand in awe under giant sequoias, and plant cathedrals of trees. Some of us show our love for nature by hugging trees and replanting them, and some of us chain ourselves to them to protect them. We love their shade on hot days, and plant lines of trees in our streets. We love the warmth and atmosphere of burning wood on cold days and nights. It is said that Newton came up with his theory of gravity under an apple tree. They have inspired philosophy too:

   There was a man once who said, "God
   Must think it exceedingly odd
      If he finds that this tree
      Continues to be
   When there's no one about in the Quad."

   "Dear Sir, you're astonishment's odd
   I am always about in the Quad.
      And that's why the tree
      Will continue to be
   Since observed by Yours Faithfully, God."

Older trees, particularly if they are natives, can play host to a variety of plants (epiphytic and parasitic), fungi, birds, insects and other creatures such as tree frogs. Flying squirrels and a variety of primates leap from tree to tree.

Different species of trees have different tolerances for climate change and for pollution such as acid rain. They may also be susceptible to infestations by different insects or fungi, for example Dutch Elm disease.

New Bug Chewing Ash Tree Leaves in N.D.

The cottony psyllid, or jumping plantlice, has arrived in Bismarck, North Dakota, and is munching its way through the leaves of certain types of ash trees. A European species, the tenth of an inch long bug probably arrived as an alien species via Alberta, Canada. It kills drought-stressed ash trees.

Koa Trees Seeing Comeback in Hawaii

The Koa tree is important culturally, economically and environmentally on the island of Hawaii. Conservationists and small timber harvesters have been replanting the valuable, slow-growing tree where it used to cover the land in forests. It takes 40 years to mature, but conservationists hope to restore some habitat for endangered native forest birds and are fencing off areas of land.

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New England Shellfish Growers Feel Snubbed

The Small Business Administration is providing low-interest federal loans to help shellfishermen who have been out of work due to the closure of the shellfishing areas in Massachusetts due to the red tide algal bloom, but shellfish growers, who plant and harvest shellfish and are also out of work, are excluded.

Warm Water Temps May Be Harming Sockeye

Scientists suspect that the deaths of up to 200,000 sockeye salmon last year between the Ballard Locks and spawning grounds above Lake Washington may have been due to higher water temperatures, particularly in the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Lake Washington has become warmer over the past 30 years. If temperature is the culprit, global warming could be a major problem for the salmon run. Chinook salmon were less affected. Sockeye salmon were introduced in the 1930s. Scientists are to study the progress of salmon at various stages of their journey through canal, river, lake and stream.

Photo courtesy of NOAA

Great White Shark Dies in Captivity

A 5-foot, 60-pound great white shark that had been captured by mistake by fishermen 8 days ago has died at Monterey Bay Aquarium, shortly after it had been moved to a large holding pen. The pen had only just been set up, the shark having been held in a small one in the meantime.

USDA sees mad cow test results in next few days

The final test results of a U.S. beef animal suspected of having mad cow disease should be complete some time next week.

N.C. Counties Say PETA Euthanizes Animals

Two North Carolina counties have stopped handing over animals from shelters to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), after hearing that animals were euthanized instead of re-homed. Two PETA workers have been charged with dumping the bodies.

GMO foods can bring benefits, vigilance needed-WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that genetically-modified foods can be beneficial, but that there should always be safety checks.

Vermont Nuclear Plant Will Not Face Fine

A Vermont nuclear plant lost track of two rods of highly radioactive spent fuel, but they turned up safely in the plant's spent-fuel pool. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission decided not to fine the owner.

China's Appetite for Resources Hits U.S.

China has an enormous appetite for foreign oil and gas. China's state-owned CNOOC Ltd. has now put in a bid of $18.5 billion to acquire Unocal Corp. of El Segundo, California, trumping U.S.-based Chevron Corp.'s bid of $16.6 billion. The board had already recommended the Chevron bid to the shareholders. China became a net petroleum importer in the 1990s. China has already bought oil and gas fields in Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Peru, Azerbaijan and Indonesia.

Senate Wraps Up Energy Bill Talks

The Senate agreed to 92-4 to limit further debate to only a few amendments to the Energy Bill, paving the way for a vote on the whole bill soon.

Carmakers must do more to cut CO2 pollution - EU

The European Union executive says that car manufacturers must work harder to meet their promise to cut carbon dioxide pollution from vehicles to 140 grammes per km by 2008. European 2003 models achieved 163 grammes per km in 2003, a reduction of 11.9 percent since 1995.

Death Toll From China Floods Rises to 131

More rains have brought more floods and landslides in southern China, bringing the death toll to 131. Yet more rain is forecast.

Death Toll Hits 390 in Asia Heat Wave

The heatwave has now lasted more than two months. Monsoon rains are forecast for next week.

U.S. May Develop Tsunami Warning System

The United States is considering developing a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean along with other nations. The Agency for International Development began this week to spend the $656 million approved by President Bush in May for reconstruction in the area devastated by the December 26 tsunami.

What makes trees special for you?

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