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Ecosystems
Alaskan Yellow Cedar
February 3, 2012 07:58 AM - Andy Soos, ENN
Yellow-cedar, a culturally and economically valuable tree in southeastern Alaska and adjacent parts of British Columbia, has been dying off across large expanses of these areas for the past 100 years. But no one could say why. "The cause of tree death, called yellow-cedar decline, is now known to be a form of root freezing that occurs during cold weather in late winter and early spring, but only when snow is not present on the ground," explains Pacific Northwest Research Station scientist Paul Hennon, co-lead of a synthesis paper recently published in the February issue of the journal BioScience. "When present, snow protects the fine, shallow roots from extreme soil temperatures. The shallow rooting of yellow-cedar, early spring growth, and its unique vulnerability to freezing injury also contribute to this problem."
Ok, so it’s almost February and we’ve already made our New Year’s Resolutions. But that doesn’t mean we still can’t be conscious of our environmental impacts and decide to make positive changes any time of year. Nourishing the Planet has put together some easy and straightforward changes you can make in your daily life that [...]
Just because you’re going on vacation doesn’t mean you have to leave your eco friendly values behind. Nowadays there are a multitude of options for people who want to enjoy a more “eco-friendly” vacation. Options can range from staying in a green certified hotel and eating only local produce to a environmental cleanup themed volunteer-cation. [...]
During the New Year, many people look to refresh the rooms around their house with a fresh coat of paint or new wallpaper in their rooms. Many people are not aware that there are certain materials in some paints and wallpapers that release harmful chemicals into the air you breathe.
According to the Sierra Club, many [...]