Septimber- Halloween

Image credit: Morton Parish Council

Pumpkins, black cats and witches are all associated with Halloween without a second thought. As are trees of black gnarled appearance often sporting a rather angry or creepy face. But do their association with the creepy go deeper than the deadly tales of hanging trees and tales of lovers becoming forever entwined?

It could be that the association of trees in graveyards and their tattered look during mid to late autumn brought about many tales to scare children and keep them from the real dangers of playing around graves. Yet, while I can't say for certain that Yew trees keep the devil at bay or even take in lost souls’ other species do keep untoward chemicals and organisms at bay. For example, Willow trees take in nuclear radiation making sites safer over time. Oil from pine trees also dispel the unwanted, they are antibacterial and mildly antiseptic. Alder have a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria, Frankia alni, which takes in nitrogen from the atmosphere making it available to the tree where the nodules the bacterium have created are located.

The most obvious way trees help to clean our environment is their utilisation of carbon dioxide (CO₂). A reduction in CO₂ reduces many problems faced on our planet including climate change and local air pollution. This in turn improves the health of many people such as asthma sufferers.

So, you see there are many scary things at Halloween and whilst there is always some truth in folklore or myths, rest assured that trees definitely do more good than harm.

This post was written in collaboration with Manchester City of Trees. Visit their blog to read more on folklore and tales of spooky trees. As well as this find out about the research they are doing on the trees around Greater Manchester (UK) and their benefits for the population.Terrifying Trees post

More information on what trees do for us here.

Septimber - Quote

Photo credit: Katie Tinker 

Just a thought to remind us all that in life and our world everything is of equal importance. In everyday life we can make the world a better place and that is what counts.

This brings Septimber to a close, there will be one final post later in October which has taken longer to prepare than expected. Stay tuned for this fun facts post.

Septimber – Woodland management

Many woodlands go undisturbed for centuries with so little human influence that you would not know anyone had been there at all. However, as humans realise the importance of woodlands and forestry so too do they see how important it is to manage and monitor them. It is of particular importance to manage a woodland as an individual and not assume that what works for one will work for all. For instance, there is little point in managing a woodland for dormice when they have never been found in the region before. Whilst if they were once present then the woodland could be managed to encourage their return.

There are many factors which must be considered when designing and implementing a management strategy. Its current use for one, is it used for recreation or has it been left abandoned? What are the plans for the future? Knowing this can change the type of plan drastically. For example, if the woodland is to be used commercially then the species and planting layout (i.e. in rows) are important. In a woodland to be used for conservation the tree species present are still significant whilst the structure of the understory and canopy is of equal consequence. Environmental issues such as flooding and drought must also be understood otherwise increasing or decreasing the woodland could do more harm than good. So, you see it is not a simple task to form a management plan that will actually work.

Septimber - Deadwood

Whilst this tree was still living when this photo was taken it is very old and its twin has already died.

Though it can be sad when a tree dies whether from old age, damage or from falling there is something good which comes from this loss. Deadwood both part of a living tree or laying on the ground has many uses for many species. Fungi, insects and birds all use deadwood, they grow on it, eat it or nest in it. Woodpeckers for example require deadwood which they hollow out for nesting, woodlice on the other hand consume deadwood¹. As well as being utilised by mobile species, as deadwood decays nutrients stored within it, such as Nitrogen (N), are broken down and returned to the soil for living plants to use again. So, you see whilst a tree dying is sad and does leave a hole in an ecosystem, particularly if an ancient tree, deadwood is also a major part of the woodland/forest environment and is relied on by many species.

1 Information for forest management with further information on species reliant on deadwood.

Septimber

Septimber

All things trees, wood and forest. Find an appreciation for the importance and uses of trees and why we rely on them so much despite our transfer to plastic and steel where timber was traditional.