Dangerous Trees; To cut or not to cut?

Cut them trees!

Clearcutting mimmiks natural (original) fire disturbances in the forest. AN ongoing process since trees grow. Now most fires are put out before they can get to such sizes.

It is easy to make false statements on a subject that one has no education in
or knowledge of.
Being the only member on the 'anti-harper' club does not qualify one to speak on forestry related issues!

Originally Posted by S&L

Clearcutting mimmiks natural (original) fire disturbances in the forest. AN ongoing process since trees grow. Now most fires are put out before they can get to such sizes.

Forest fires renew a forest, in some cases fires are the only way in which a forest is renewed. Some trees in fact NEED the heat from a forest fire to propogate.

Stopping forest fires is most definitely causing an imbalance in the cycle...

One that clearcutting does NOT mimic...

Clearcutting goes in and destroys a forest system, leaving being chemicals and pollutants from the operation while crushing and destroying thousands of habitats that are natures protection from forest fires.

It also in no way does anything to help the species that need the heat from forest fires... When replanting does occur, it is done by replanting a single species of tree with spacing set to block out everything except for that species, further eroding the bid-diversity of the forest...

So, perhaps YOU should go get educated before you try to attack people?

There are many plants with poisonous leaves, dangerous thorns or seeds which grip your skin with painful barbs so always take a local guide if exploring unfamiliar places. Some tropical native foods need special preparation to remove poisons (Manchineel). Don't buy something in the market and experiment, find out how to cook it. Always have antihistamine on board.

Originally Posted by S&L

Being the only member on the 'anti-harper' club does not qualify one to speak on forestry related issues!

If your point is as incontrovertible as you seem to take it to be (not commenting one way or another) then you should be able to rely on its veracity without resorting to ad hominem tactics. If this is your preferred style of debate then I say it would probably play better elsewhere.

There is a school of thought that holds forest fires to be part of the natural cycle- that not only does it consume accumulated dry underbrush from numerous seasonal cycles but replenishes to the soil and ecosystem through the burning, nutrients that gradually are taken from the soil in the development of a forest- by cutting and removing valuable tinder in this.

I suggest to not cut but to help manage forests by a continual series small, controlled burns planned in patters that create natural firebreaks in case the real McCoy rears its ugly head.

Putting this out there- I wouldn't cast aspersions on the topic as it has inspired some very decent response apart from the acerbic bickering.

we've destroyed so much.... just stop. We have recycled paper, we've done enough damage, just leave them all be!

; but if a tree needs cut, a tree needs cut.

A tree can take out a house's foundation and a falling branch could kill a person.

Falling branches do kill and are more deadly than most know. Always look above for dead limbs. My farmer-neighbors lost their 10 yr. old daughter because the limb they tied a swing to was bad. She was swing and it fell on her head. Now there is a lighted memorial with an angle statue where the accident occured. Her mom changes it up every season. When i learned about her I immediently cut down the tree swing I made for my boys. Who would have thought something like that could happen! So sad!

Stopping forest fires is most definitely causing an imbalance in the cycle...

One that clearcutting does NOT mimic...

Clearcutting goes in and destroys a forest system,

What Tom said! Im all against clear cutting. It does cause the ecoligical 'systems' to be destroyed. Man cannot create or reverse the destruction of 'systems' once they are gone. It takes thousands of years for ecological systems to evolve.