Science Forums 2

[Cedars]

I wondered exactly what Turtle did. What trees? Why, where.....

Example: Dutch elm disease wiped out huge numbers of trees in the Minneapolis/St Paul area. Beautiful trees that worked like a canopy over the streets of the city. You could drive miles under the shaded streets of these trees. It was a terrible mistake having this one species of (fast growing) tree enhancing the beauty of this area. Now they are just empty streets. Some areas have been replanted with a wider variety of tree to try to avoid such an impact in the future. Its going to be 40 years before the canopy returns. I have no idea what the energy consumption impact was from the loss of these magnificent shade trees during the summer air conditioning drain. Live and learn.


Back in the 70s there began a push for tree planting by individuals. One of the positives promoted was trees increase land value when selling your home later. The dismal (for me) part was watching all these same and imported types of conifers being planted as screens between your home and the roads. The lack of imagination by the average home owner resulted in row after row of christmas trees rather than diversity. I am lucky. The people who owned this land before I was here valued diversity and I have 3 types of conifer in different areas. Last year, one of my neighbors stopped by and commented on the Juniper trees (approx 45 years old now) and how diverse they are from the average screen they see planted elsewhere in the neighborhood. Beautiful trees and asymmetrical. But extremely slow growing. For me, worth the wait.

Then there is the aspect of planting for wildlife. A wide mix of tree types provides the most habitat for the greater variety of wildlife. But this only works on a larger scale. If my five acres is surrounded by 50 acres of christmas tree, I will not have the diversity of the areas which are 50 acres of diversity surrounded by 500 acres of christmas tree.

Even in city parks I am somewhat disapointed in the lack of diversity. I think alot could be done by the general public to promote a better regional planning for these spots surrounded by a bunch of people.

Trees, in general are not bad. They store carbon, the use CO2 and produce oxygen. What I dont know is the ratio. For my fish tank (which has live plants) there is a balance that needs to be achieved. The plants need CO2 for growth and produce oxygen during the day. But at night this reverses and the plants take oxygen from the water, but not at such a rate to oxygen deprive the fish (but I have ariation). I dont know what this ratio is for land plants/trees. I do not know if the trees take as much oxygen as they produce. I also dont know if some types of tree produce more oxygen/take more CO2 than others.

There is alot of value in planting trees, but there are also things that need to be taken into consideration when planning this type of long term commitment. We have gone thru the 'just plant a tree' cycle and learned there is more to this issue than that.

Hopefully, later today I will get a chance to scan a copy of the MN DNR pamplet "Managing your Woodland for Wildlife" and link to it. I searched their website and couldnt find it there. It was a freebie handout at the state fair I picked up one year.