The Eagle Tree

by Ned Hayes

Then there are still more factors about what makes a tree fall. The tree’s overall weight is a contributing factor. And the tree’s outstretched limbs, and its balance among those different limbs. What holds the tree balanced? Is there any imbalance caused by the loss of a limb or a shift in the hillside that holds up the tree, or perhaps a misalignment in the tree’s growth circles, so that one side of the tree is heavier than the other side? And the ecosystem around the tree includes the other trees and plant life. Smaller plants can create a network of roots around the tree’s roots, a fine mesh which makes the soil both stronger and more absorbent of rainwater and flooding. This is why open fields flood more easily than forests or wildland. The forestland can absorb water, and it is stronger than human-constructed landscapes stripped of vegetation. Shorter trees can shield a taller tree from wind and other weather effects, and can deflect some of the wind shear that can push a tree off balance. A group of trees creates a microenvironment that can sustain a tree during a period of drought or flooding. The trees create a safety net of healthier climate around themselves, no matter what poisons are in the air.