As long as I can remember, I've always thought that trees are good for the environment. I suppose my views on environmental ideas have yet to be challenged until yesterday. I was out working in the field despite the rain on an area in Jester Park as part of a project for my Ecological Restoration class. We were supposed to restore an overgrown Oak Savanna.
However, part of the process involved chopping down maple trees with bow saws. I mean, I know that certain species can be invasive...like Buckthorn trees which foresters in Chichaqua are cutting down. But Maple trees?
Apparently, maple trees are very shade tolerant and tend to overgrow in areas, slowly choking off growth of Oak trees along with inhibiting the growth of baby oaks that are dependent on sunlight. Honestly, I wasn't too comfortable with the idea of cutting down those tress but I did it anyway in the name of restoration.
I guess a lot of it is due to personal convictions about dealing with the issue of trees and emissions. Trees suck up excess CO2, so they can't be bad right? But if the tree is invasive and chokes of the growth of other species, then it is a bad thing because it is slowly pushing other species towards extinction or loss of habitat.
Personal dilemma I guess... Never thought in a million years that some part of my learning experience would involve the chopping down of trees because that has always been what I've been fighting against. Live and let learn I suppose.
I also learnt that there were several Native American burial mounds around the area and we managed to visit one site. That was kind of cool because I never knew that there were any Native American history or culture in Iowa. I don't think that they're any left today.
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