Redwood Reader

7. The Healing Power of Nature Part III
The restoration community originated around salmon, the one thing that galvanized enough people to make them think in larger contexts. Salmon were quickly disappearing, runs a tiny fraction of those even withn memory. Massive impacts on the land had caused massive impacts on the rivers. Not all the impacts were from destabilized slopes. Culverts along roads following rivers had cut off hundreds of miles of spawning tributaries. Hundreds of acres were now paved or roofed, creating runoff. Scour had denuded stream banks of shade, food and cover; and stripped channels of porous gravel beds and woody debris.
Restoration began in the rivers but it was clear too much water was running through the watershed to expect structures to last. More attention was paid to the failing hillsides and inner gorges, and road training and tree planting became staples of restoration effort. Other efforts centered on slowing timber harvests or purchase for preservation.
All the while the landscape was recovering. The place liked to grow all right. You can practically see it growing in the spring. Everything is nice and green because it is moist and partly sunny-photosynthesis- and that takes carbon dioxide. There is more carbon dioxide around now along with arguably warmer temperatures, and increased plant growth as a result.
This means the fungi are also thriving and glomalin production is much greater in each individual. The larger the tree, the more fungi, more soil stability and thus cleaner creeks and water. Succession in plant species remains totally valid. To this add succession in fungi on a given site-from morel in the open to rhizopogon early and truffles later in the second growth, finally resolving to chantrelles in mature forest. All are mycorhizzial with Douglas fir, are difficult to cultivate, commercially valuable, and glomalin producers. In fact, over three thousand fungi associate with Douglas fir, one 0.5 CM rootlet was colonized by seven species of fungi, glomalin producing fungi associate with 85% of plant species around the world. One cubic centimeter of soil contained over a kilometer of hyphae. Stomas close in elevated CO2, slowing transpiration. Stem diameters jump. CO2 processing is higher at warmer temperatures. The ability to absorb rainfall is steadily increasing, runoff decreasing and high water isn’t always brown. There is more shade and it is much cooler as a result. There is plenty of science to work with and many more questions to resolve. I am connecting the dots from years of asking questions while re-wilding is occurring before our very eyes. And like a bright glaring light in our eyes, understanding floods in and we can assess events and situations around the world as well as forward and back in time, learn to live and work within this system, and harness its benefits for betterment of people and species in different environments around the world. This will be science and agriculture for the twenty first century. Mismanagement of this resource is our trademark on the landscape, it is now our tool for shaping the future.
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