Archive for February, 2008
Future Tenants
Friday, February 29th, 2008
When humans decide to occupy a piece of land, we usually don’t leave it in its natural state. Instead, we either change it to better serve our own interests, we extract all the natural resources from it, or both. We create our own habitat-but what about the animals that lived on the land before us? Is the “habitat” that we create still a suitable place for them to call home when we are done with it? For some species, the answer is yes. Animals that prefer the same type of habitat that we do (open ground without a lot of trees) usually are not harmed by human expansion unless we see them as pests and start trying to exterminate them. What about animals that prefer forest? They have to retreat as we move forward, and eventually their numbers decrease because there is nowhere left for them to go. (more…)
Tags: animals, Environment, habitat, human
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How to Plant a Tree
Friday, February 15th, 2008
Planting a tree sounds pretty self-explanatory. All you have to do is a dig a hole, insert the tree, and cover up the roots, right? Well, actually it’s a little bit more complicated than that. Much like baby humans, baby trees are more fragile than their adult counterparts, and need a nurturing environment in order to grow healthy and strong. (more…)
Tags: Environment, Planting, Tree
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Trees and the Environment
Friday, February 1st, 2008
Why are we planting all of these trees, anyway?
One reason, of course, would be to simply restore the landscape of the old coal mine to its original glory. However, there’s another reason that’s even more important-trees also benefit the environment in a plethora of different ways. For example, they can absorb greenhouse gases and fight global warming, clean the air we breathe, and nourish many different types of wildlife.
Trees are nature’s soldiers in the fight against global warming. As they feed themselves, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in the form of carbohydrates. The stored carbon remains locked inside the body of tree, keeping it out of the atmosphere. Since carbon dioxide is one of the most common greenhouse gases, planting trees can help put the brakes on the greenhouse effect.
Tags: carbon dioxide, Environment, Forest, global warming, greenhouse, trees
Posted in Environment | No Comments »