Majestic Trees
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Majestic Trees. One of the joys of walking through
the jungle here in Bocas del Toro Panama is to
encounter the different kinds of trees. Some of these
trees stand as tall as a high rise building in the
middle of the concrete jungle. Here, however the
concrete, if any, is limited to minimal walkways.
Walking amongst these trees, which can stand hundreds of feet above the ground, makes one realize how small our dimensions are. Here in the rainforest each of the plants and animals has its own place in the life cycle. There are the trees which grow tall quickly to provide shade to some of the other plants which cannot handle the full sunlight. Once the early bloomers have served their purpose they may fall over to make way for sunlight which then permits other plants to take their place in the forest.
The termites and other insects which feed on the different plants in the jungle also help the natural order of things to continue. When they termites feed on a tree for an extended period of time, it ultimately falls making space for the next round of growth. The ants may feed on the fallen tree or upon other plants near the forest floor.
Each time I think about how nature keeps this process going I think of The Trees by Rush where you have the maples asking for more sunglight and the oaks ignoring their pleas. Ultimately, a hole will open up and the maples will get more sunlight as that is just the way things work in the jungle.
Walking amongst these trees, which can stand hundreds of feet above the ground, makes one realize how small our dimensions are. Here in the rainforest each of the plants and animals has its own place in the life cycle. There are the trees which grow tall quickly to provide shade to some of the other plants which cannot handle the full sunlight. Once the early bloomers have served their purpose they may fall over to make way for sunlight which then permits other plants to take their place in the forest.
The termites and other insects which feed on the different plants in the jungle also help the natural order of things to continue. When they termites feed on a tree for an extended period of time, it ultimately falls making space for the next round of growth. The ants may feed on the fallen tree or upon other plants near the forest floor.
Each time I think about how nature keeps this process going I think of The Trees by Rush where you have the maples asking for more sunglight and the oaks ignoring their pleas. Ultimately, a hole will open up and the maples will get more sunlight as that is just the way things work in the jungle.