Good News About Trees and the Environment

Stories this week:

$10 million forest restoration project in tri-state Great Lakes area will help preserve several at-risk species, including Golden-winged Warbler, American Woodcock, Ruffed Grouse, Black-billed Cuckoo, Moose, Canada lynx, and Northern long-eared bat.

New study reveals that Western dry forests are affected 7 times more by insect outbreaks and droughts than they are by wildfires. Forests have historically contained up to 92% small trees, so reversing the modern restoration treatment of removing small trees will increase the resilience of the dry (tall pine) forests, as the smaller trees are attacked by insects less than larger ones.

According to experts from the U of Copenhagen, crops are able to do their own weed control, if we would plant in tight grid patterns, rather than in rows. The employment of new seed-sowing techniques would allow farmers to use little or no pesticides on crops, to obvious advantage to the…