Tag: forest
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Mystery of Dead Man’s Fingers: Where Do They Grow?
Suppose you’re hiking through a wooded area in upstate New York or the famous Appalachian Trail and stumble upon clusters of dark, lifeless human digits protruding from decaying logs. What are those creepy things? For one, they could be Dead Man’s Fingers. Scientifically known as Xylaria polymorpha, this unique fungus is guaranteed to get a…
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Is Daisugi Real? The Ancient Japanese Tree-Growing Technique
The Japanese forestry method for harvesting wood, daisugi (meaning “cedar table”), goes as far back as the 14th century to solve a seedling shortage in Kyoto. Yes, Daisugi is real, not a hoax. Let’s explore the ancient Japanese technique for growing trees out of trees. The 700-year-old technique involves pruning a tree’s branches like giant…
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Ten best autumn landscapes in the USA
Autumn in the United States is a season of breathtaking transformations. The nation’s landscapes turn into vivid canvases painted with orange, red, and gold hues. Here are the ten best autumn landscapes in the USA, complete with the best times to visit and what you can expect to see. White Mountains, New Hampshire Home to…
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How the 2023 summer heat waves can lead to US wildfires
Swaths of the United States are sweltering under a blistering heat wave, an invisible yet palpable assailant known as a ‘heat dome.’ High pressure in the upper atmosphere of this anticyclone meteorological event forces hot air to remain compressed and stagnant. This trapped hot air causes surface temperatures to spiral upwards, transforming the environment into…
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Mouse Deer: A look into the world’s smallest hoofed mammal
When the world speaks of deer, a vision of majestic creatures with large antlers standing tall in a misty forest is often conjured. But let’s flip the script a bit and venture into the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and Africa, where a different kind of deer resides – an enchanting creature, not more than…
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Crown shyness: Nature’s way of social distancing
Certain tree species in the forest resist touching each other as they grow, a natural event known as crown shyness. Here’s an aerial view of the jigsaw-like spacing. What explains the puzzle piece-shaped canopy? More than one theory explains why social distancing amongst the trees occurs. Scientists suggest that the channel-like gaps between the treetops…
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Hyperion: The world’s tallest living tree
The Hyperion in Redwood Park in northern California is the world’s tallest living tree. The tree stands at a height of 380.3 feet and is approximately 700-800 years old. To put that in perspective, the tree is nearly 70 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty and 63 feet higher than Big Ben. Hyperion holds…
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The forest is a temple
“The forest is for me a temple, a cathedral of tree canopies and dancing light.” Dr. Jane Goodall Was it about the forest that can put us in awe? A prescription to nature is sometimes all we need to elevate the mood. The Japanese use the word “SHINRIN-YOKU” or forest bathing, to describe all the benefits from…