It is as vital to the next breath we take as it is to the breath and health of all future generations and ecosystems to come. Protecting, planting & propagating, as well as nourishing and maintaining the health of our carbon sequestering comrades is just one of many initiatives that the Green Peace Corps. will spearhead. It has been said that trees are the “lungs of the earth” we are here to widen that lens and refocus the notion towards a much more holistic concept of trees.
“Globally, trees are often recognized as the ‘lungs of the world’ because they exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the atmosphere. However, this is an understatement. If we think in these terms, trees are also the kidneys of the world as they regulate the flow and use of water by intercepting rain and releasing it slowly to the ground where it can either run off into rivers, or enter the groundwater. Thus, trees are also like the skin of the earth, being the interface between the vegetation and the atmosphere for the exchange of gases and water. Similarly, trees are like the intestines of the earth exchanging nutrients between the soil and the vegetation, fueling the nutrient and carbon cycle. Finally, they are akin to the heart of the world, as they drive the ecosystems that make the world healthy and function properly.” 1
“Restore the ancient alliance” is action number three of the manifesto of Phyto-centred-Design5. As humans we have the kismet opportunity to assist in the betterment of our environment. We can choose to mimic nature and use the tools available to us to ensure the health of our trees and forests are maintained. In “seeking partnerships based upon reciprocity” we can learn to strengthen the bonds and health of our planet. Not only can we assist in providing the “prescription” needed to heal an ailing tree effectively be it through a range of methods such as, inoculation of the mycorrhizal or saprotrophic fungi, addition of bio-stimulants, preventative pruning and mulching and so on. The reciprocation of benefits between our species is well studied both on the physical/physiological level but also, in humans, on a psychological level.6 All the more reason to stronghold our ally-ship with this magnificent flora.
- Roger Leakey is Vice Chairman of the International Tree Foundation, Vice President of the International Society of Tropical Foresters, and is author of “Living with the Trees of Life – Towards the Transformation of Tropical Agriculture” (2012) and “Multifunctional Agriculture – Achieving Sustainable Development in Africa.” Learn more about his work at www.rogerleakey.com.
- Benjamin Franklin Quotes- Ounce of prevention, pound of cure | University of Cambridge
- Stamets, Paul (2005). Mycelium running: how mushrooms can help save the world. Ten Speed Press. p. 65. ISBN 1-58008-579-2. mycoforestry.
- Dahlgren, R. A.; Driscoll, C. T. The effects of whole-tree clear-cutting on soil processes at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA. Plant and Soil. Volume 158, Number 2 / January 1994.
- The Manifesto of Phyto-centred Design – Plant Fever
- The healing power of trees | Psychologies
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” was written in the famous axiom advising fire-threatened Philadelphians in 1736. Clearly, preventing fires is better than fighting them, but to what extent can we protect ourselves from natural disasters or on a larger scope, climate disasters?
This being understood, doctoring the trees and the adoption of agroforestry and mycoforestry shall be integral to the future health of all ecosystems who journey towards survival. “Mycoforestry is an ecological forest management system implemented to enhance forest ecosystems and plant communities through the introduction of mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi. Mycoforestry is considered a type of permaculture and can be implemented as a beneficial component of an agroforestry system. Mycoforestry can enhance the yields of tree crops and produce edible mushrooms, an economically valuable product. By integrating plant-fungal associations into a forestry management system, native forests can be preserved, wood waste can be recycled back into the ecosystem, planted restoration sites are enhanced, and the sustainability of forest ecosystems are improved. Mycoforestry is an alternative to the practice of clearcutting, which removes dead wood from forests, thereby diminishing nutrient availability and reducing soil depth”3
