Forest Economy

Greening starts from the bottom. On my walk along the creek, the smallest plants began to raise themselves out of the moist spring earth: next to, and even in, the still water a hooded plant rises, on top of a small rise clumps of shoots begin to show, under the trees patches of violets begin to spread. It took a couple weeks before I started noticing green in higher than the forest floor. Next it was low growing bushes and canes with thorns. The trees started blossoming, but no leaves. The larger bushes and young trees are next. As of now, the large oaks and maples around the building still aren't leafing. It feels like an egalitarian economy. Is it possible that the larger plants, of which there are fewer, wait until the smaller plants have sufficient growth to absorb the needed chlorophyll once the larger plants leaves begin to create only dappled sunlight? Is it some kind of symbiotic relationship as the larger plants need the rich hummus of the smaller plants that decay each year?

Posted on 06 May, 2020 14:55 by belled