“Trees are not lumber production machines. We’re talking about feeling beings…” – The Hidden Life of Trees (Movie Trailer)
While I’ve not yet read the book “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben, I’ve recently learned a film was produced under the same name. The book has garnered worldwide attention and so I’ve moved this title up on my list for consumption. Having now watched the movie trailer, the aforementioned quote caught my attention which may indicate the book/movie should fall into a long-term classification as merely one mans perspective, and not a book of universal truths.
While I am excited to start this title, I have noticed that the author does not seem to focus any attention towards the US South which is widely known as the “wood basket of the world”, and makes up approximately 40 percent of the USA’s forested acreage. I’m interested to see what considerations are highlighted in the book/movie in light of the authors disregard for this important contributor to the worlds forests.
Forests are a broad group of biological systems for which a mosaic of diverse ecosystems apply. All forests left to their own devices eventually end up in a [slow] biological tug-of-war, with plants fighting for available resources, often leading increased natural hazard risks potentially impacting the ecosystem itself and the humans that depend on these resources.
A long-term forest management plan is a requirement for forests to thrive and serve as a viable nature based climate solution for the long haul. Planting a tree (or not planting a tree) is only one step in a complex array of decisions and activities to be considered, no matter the ultimate objectives.
GeekyForester.com 