What the forests tell us
From a very young age I have been fascinated by nature, the lakes, the rivers and the immense forests that I visit every year since I was a child in the south of Chile. Since then I have seen how landscapes have changed. There are more and more roads, more houses, more communities, more life. At least that’s what I thought. But the truth is otherwise. There is less life than 30 years ago, where in the corners of the native forests you could find pumas footprints, you could hear the sound of birds and you could enjoy the purity of the water feeding life. That’s not so easy to find anymore, and sadly, it’s a global trend. According to Greenpeace data, 80% of the planet’s forests have been deforested or irreparably damaged, forests that are home to millions of species, but that we are exterminating. The uncontrolled consumption of modernity is destroying the resources of life. Native forests are replaced by more economically profitable trees, by spaces for the livestock industry or by ground for housing.
But there are ways to reverse the damage we have caused. An interesting study by Suzane Simard, a forester and professor at Columbia University, shows that trees can communicate with each other. Through their roots they create an extensive network from which they can benefit. Simard also realized that there are “mother trees” that distribute nutrients to the most defenseless or growing species. This discovery could be of great help to regulate deforestation and make it more sustainable, since trees that fulfill the role of matriarchs can be identified and left alive so that they continue to nourish the forest and allow the soil to recover.
Massive disturbances we make to forests affect hydrological cycles, degrade wildlife habitat, and emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As the climate continues to change, we create the perfect storm for extreme events like the mega wildfires we’ve witnessed or the spread of life-threatening diseases. We must take care of our forests and it is as simple as carrying out certain activities. First, we have to visit them and engage with their environment in a responsible way and understand what we are sacrificing for further “progress”. Second, we must save mature trees, they are the gene bank that we will need in the future to repair the damage we have caused. And third, we must give Mother Nature what we have taken from her, her regeneration tools, through species diversity.
Forests want to tell us something and if we pay attention to them, we will realize that they are asking us for help.
