Redwood Reader

Michael Hopkins reports in Nature that improved analysis of Landsat photos can reveal some of the effects of select cutting by recognizing slash from satellite photos. The new analysis reveals almost twice the amount of deforestation previously reported because the older analysis only noted clear cut areas.
Some of the problems associated with removal of larger trees are discussed, but much of the carbon debate is inadequate because no account is made of symbiotic creatures or soil carbon storage by fungi and bacteria. As our investigation has shown, reducing vegetative cover decreases a forests ability to respond to natural events like fire, storms, insects and flooding, store water for extended periods, or influence weather by cooling and creation of aerosols that aid in water vapor condensation. For all of these reasons it is important to allow functioning systems to work and damaged or dysfunctional systems allowed to grow out of their problems. Somehow we have to recognize the critical importance of operating natural systems in terms other than resources and dollars. Science, as usual, will arrive in time to regret what was lost, but give us hope for the future.
“Removing trees decreases the forest's ability to suck up carbon from the atmosphere, and whether those trees are taken singly or in a large swath doesn't matter. In fact, selective loggers tend to harvest the trees with the highest wood density, which pack more carbon than less dense trees.”
The large old trees are the very trees operating at peak production. A percentage of this production is going into the soil communities and supporting various food webs. The large canopies break the effect of precipitation, wind and sun. The remains of the fungi aggregate soil particles and create pore space for water, air, and growing root tips. Water vapor is transpired into the air while aerosols are released causing it to form droplets. In addition, many of these old trees support entire food webs and dozens of species.