Time for the Understorey

When it comes to sustainability, regeneration and growth, forests have been practising for a long time. The oldest and healthiest forests have a mix of many varieties of trees, vegetation and wildlife, all supported by extensive underground networks of mycelium that act as conduits for nutrients and communication which recycle fallen deadwood and other waste quickly (in tree time) and efficiently. Nothing goes to waste.

The trees in the understorey - those beneath the canopy - grow slowly and develop strong, dense structures until such time as a gap appears in the canopy when they then compete to take their place.

When we grow trees commercially of course, we don't want any of that inconvenience. We grow trees as monocultures, keeping the forest floor clear of undergrowth and making sure there is enough space between the trees to ensure enough light for them to grow quickly and for the harvesting machines to move around freely. The result is trees with a much shorter life that are much …