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Published on Visualizing Ecology (http://www2.evergreen.edu/visecofall)

Levi Ponce

A year in paradise, Besides having a corny title, really made me excited about going to Mt. Rainier this week. Hearing Floyd Scmoe's detailed descriptions of the workings of nature on the mountain made me imagine what was to come. I know that it will be different than his description though. So much time has passed since his experience. His admiration for nature (and life in general) shows through so much in the book. His knowledge of the outdoors was impressive as well,I enjoyed reading how crazy the names of trees are and how flawed the naming process is (or was, I don't know if its any better these days).

The Douglas fir history lesson was probably my favorite of these flaws in tree naming, I found this quote to be particularly entertaining "to anyone able to speak in five languages it was 'David douglas' fir, the false hemlock with yew-like leaves.' Douglas presumably Scottish, fir English, psuedo Greek, tsuga Japanese, taxi and folia both Latin." I see an overly complex system here, and find it amusing that science can be so messy sometimes when it comes to classification and naming.

The part of the book that peaked my interest the most in the book though was him describing the life cycle of the forest as he was walking through it, telling that the Douglas firs can reach eight hundred to one thousand years old. His descriptions of the gigantic Douglas firs made me wish I could see trees that old myself. The fact that certain cedars can reach fifteen hundred years old is amazing, as is the way a forest changes and evolves over time. The way it was described made it seem like such a harmonious thing even though its trees competing for sunlight

‹ Harmony Lawrence [0]

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http://www2.evergreen.edu/visecofall/visecofall/levi-ponce-1