A paper in Forest Ecology and Management describes how high-quality “briar root” smoking pipes are made from the lignotuber — a starchy swelling on underground stems or roots — of the tree heath, Erica arborea. The best lignotubers, and therefore the best pipes, come from the Peloritani Mountains of NE Sicily. Unfortunately, current management practices — which discourage “grub-felling” and use for pipe-making and charcoal production — have ironically resulted in an increasing frequency and severity of fires. The authors suggest that the cultural and environmental roles of tree heath in Sicily need to be seen as two sides of the same coin and not as being in opposition. What’s happening with cork is another example of the same thing.
Up a gum tree
Eucalypts decoded and hybridized.
Tree farmers addicted to monoculture
Six months ago a storm knocked down more than 40 million trees in Germany. Most of them were spruce in huge monocultures. Environmentally savvy foresters, according to a report in Der Spiegel, had warned that large spruce plantations were a disaster waiting to happen. So, given an opportunity to replant after the storm and make use of natural tree diversity, including broadleaves, what are most tree farmers doing? Planting pure spruce again. And they are doing so with the help of large state subsidies.
Another microlivestock resource
More on microlivestock, from what looks a fascinating site.