He provided us with an article corresponding with the aftermath of the 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens. A group of scientists were flown to the blast zone a few weeks and then again a few months after the eruption. Upon inspection, they found that quickly fireweed and the flower, pearly everlasting were abundant within the landscape.
Prior to my teacher sending out this article, I had finished a book (which i highly recommend) titled the "Hidden Forest." One of the scientists in the book, was a member of one of the scientific teams to descend on the blast zone weeks after the eruption. He dug a few inches below the ground and found white fibrous strands weaving throughout the pumicey soil and debris.
So, recap:
Volcano (this is the blast zone 30 years after the eruption... notice how it's just starting to turn green?)
Pearly Everlasting - flower
White stuff - Mycorrhizae
Using Mount Saint Helens, scientists were able to see and study firsthand how amazing the natural world truly is. Mycorrhizae is this amazing adaptation of fungi that works with plants and creates a symbiotic relationship with other plants nearby. So, if you look at the picture above, you can see how the root system of one plant is connected to other nearby plants with these white fibers: Mycorrhizae. This allows plants to share nutrients and have a higher chance at survival.
in the case of those plants found immediately after the eruption, they are highly versatile. In the case of Pearly Everlasting, the author had this to say:
It is supremely adapted to disturbance: its leaf color deflects solar radiation; it is covered with tiny white hairs that trap heat during freezing subalpine nights; its roots and rhizomes are so tightly entwined that strong winds cannot dislodge them; it can sprout from root fragments; its seeds are feather light and can colonize long distances.
It's pretty amazing how tiny things that we can barely see (mycorrhizae) and a small plant can be so amazing and so resilient. It's also amazing to have a brief moment into understanding how complex the natural world truly is. Everything relies on each other, and is still able to adapt to the most severe and rare occurrences. Do humans have the same ability?
Next time you decide to go on an adventure, try to venture to a recent forest fire site. It's beautiful to see the torched trees with fireweed and pearly everlasting interspersed between the charred remains.
Using Mount Saint Helens, scientists were able to see and study firsthand how amazing the natural world truly is. Mycorrhizae is this amazing adaptation of fungi that works with plants and creates a symbiotic relationship with other plants nearby. So, if you look at the picture above, you can see how the root system of one plant is connected to other nearby plants with these white fibers: Mycorrhizae. This allows plants to share nutrients and have a higher chance at survival.
in the case of those plants found immediately after the eruption, they are highly versatile. In the case of Pearly Everlasting, the author had this to say:
It is supremely adapted to disturbance: its leaf color deflects solar radiation; it is covered with tiny white hairs that trap heat during freezing subalpine nights; its roots and rhizomes are so tightly entwined that strong winds cannot dislodge them; it can sprout from root fragments; its seeds are feather light and can colonize long distances.
It's pretty amazing how tiny things that we can barely see (mycorrhizae) and a small plant can be so amazing and so resilient. It's also amazing to have a brief moment into understanding how complex the natural world truly is. Everything relies on each other, and is still able to adapt to the most severe and rare occurrences. Do humans have the same ability?
Next time you decide to go on an adventure, try to venture to a recent forest fire site. It's beautiful to see the torched trees with fireweed and pearly everlasting interspersed between the charred remains.
Harts Pass - Pasayten Wilderness
SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS! don't mess with mycelium.
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