Seeing the Forest for the Trees

On January 11th, Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, faculty member in environmental studies at The Evergreen State College, treated members of the Seattle Science & Technology Discovery Series to a fascinating and inspirational look at life at the top – treetop, that is – in temperate and tropical forests. Dr. Nadkarni spoke about efforts to “explore, connect and reflect” – explore the forest canopy ecosystem, connect people to the forests, and encourage reflection on the importance of the canopy to our natural world.

Innovations in non-destructive methods of accessing the canopy have enabled researchers to explore the diversity of wildlife among the trees and analyze the impact of disturbances – both natural and man-made – on the canopy ecosystem. Dr. Nadkarni’s research examines the role of canopy-dwelling plants and how nutrients cycle through the ecosystem, with a particular focus on how the canopy draws nutrients from atmospheric inputs like rain and mist. Calling the plants that dwell in the canopy “the canary in the coalmine,” Dr. Nadkarni noted that these organisms are an early warning system for large-scale environmental changes.

Did you know...?

• The canopy has its own soil. Called arboreal soil, it is very acidic, experiences severe dry-downs, has a slow decomposition rate, and harbors very different microbial populations than terrestrial soil.
• Moss harvesting for horticultural use is a $265 million-per-year industry and growing, a grave concern to researchers due to the key role it plays in the canopy in drawing nutrients from the atmosphere and the fragility of the canopy ecosystem. For example, in one experiment researchers removed a quantity of moss to gauge how well it recovered; 35 years later, only 25% of the missing moss had returned.
• The International Canopy Network was formed to communicate the importance of preserving the canopy and connect people to the forests. Among the novel ways in which ICAN is reaching out to a larger audience: the introduction of TreeTop Barbie.

The podcast of Dr. Nadkarni's talk is available on the Technology Alliance web site.