Ode To The Trees

When one talks about climate change, it's often difficult to stay away from weather events. It's easy to think of climate as an extension of weather, and think of the (terrible) consequences that climate change will bring to our lives in the form of hurricanes, droughts and heatwaves.

In order to understand climate change in all its terrifying magnitude, it would be wise to consider the delicate ecosystems we live in. Introduce a tiny modification in any of the variables and you'll notice it. We see it in coral bleaching and the change in birds' migration patterns. And, if everything stays on a "business as usual" course, we'll see it in the mightiest of all organisms alive: California's sequoias.

The article takes on an unsettling consequence of climate change. Water stress (after California's recent extended drought) makes the trees go into defensive mode to save as much water as possible. The downside is that it denies them the possibility to capture the carbon they need for photosynthesis. That's fine for short dry spells, but if even the great sequoias (which have ample carbon reserves, and have survived for thousands of years) are starting to die, think what could happen to less powerful trees.

What strikes you from this article, however, is its design and the passion of its prose. Thayer Walker loves what he does, and makes you love those trees. That much shines through. Now, I've never been to California, and I've never seen a sequoia with my own eyes, but Walker's descriptions and bioGraphic's magnificent web design have taken me right there.

It's not so common to find an article this long (save a good 20 minutes to read it), with a solid science foundation that keeps you hooked all the way to the bottom, but here's one. I'll be back for more from the author.