My home is a small piece of flat land towards the bottom of a hill. Below me is a stream along the bottom of the hill that zigs and zags through the forest. However it is the world above that I find more interesting. The canopy! Inhabited by the tallest and strongest of trees. The mighty oak beside me had been growing long before I took root. It enjoyed the luxuries of the canopy that I wondered about. The feeling of the full sun is something I had always been envious of. The oak took up much of the sun but I am able to acquire enough to live. However I will never be able to compete with the forest giants for the precious space in the canopy.
I live on the forest floor, a place filled with an abundance of life. Everyday four legged creatures of all kind move across the forest floor around me. Birds fly from tree to tree and sing throughout the day and tiny insects buzz around. While I would never experience the lifestyle of the canopy I had come to enjoy my area and those I shared it with.
Until recently the forest itself has not changed much since I first took root. Change does not happen quickly here in the forest. When it does happen suddenly the entire landscape of the forest can change in an instant. I have experienced this once before and it changed my life forever.
It began as any other day had with the first ray of sun hitting my leaves. But I somehow knew today would be different. The deer that normally walk past me to drink from the nearby creek were nowhere to be found. The squirrels that perform delicate balancing acts on my limbs were few and far between. It was eerily quiet, where was everyone this morning? Then all of a sudden from the distance a loud crack echoed through the forest. A storm was heading this way and with it came the always welcomed rain that would soon follow.
Before the sun could fully embrace the forest this day it began to darken once again as the rain clouds moved in. I could hear drops of rain beginning to hit the leaves of the mighty oak that towered above me. Soon the rain would pick up enough and I too could enjoy a fresh drink of water. The pace of the rain began to increase and water splashed from my leaves to the ground. The ground began to absorb the water and I could at this point feel the water around my roots.
As I said before this day would not be like any other. The rain continued throughout the day and finally in the late evening came to an end for a short while. The sun had already begun to set when the clouds broke and very little light was penetrating the forest canopy. At this point I have little to do but embrace the night and hope for plenty of sun the following day. I had no idea the mayhem that would soon begin in the forest.
Just like this morning another loud crack in the distance signaled an oncoming storm. This time though I could feel a noticeable difference in the wind. My leaves begin to move as the wind blew through the forest. At first it was a gentle breeze and my leaves softly swayed along with the wind. That soon would change. A large gust of wind came rushing through the forest and the rain I so enjoyed earlier in the day was falling at a pace I had not seen before. Darkness had now taken over everything and I could only hear what was happening around me.
I could hear water running down the hillsides carrying fallen limbs and other brush with it towards the creek at the bottom. Paths of overflowing water began carrying debris through a part of my patch slamming the debris against me. The creek itself sounded like a raging river and at this point had made its way over the bank. My spot on the hillside is high enough that the creek water will never flood my area. I would just need to endure the intermittent streams of water rushing down the hill side.
In the flashes of lightning I could see the ground moving as the mighty oak swayed in the violent wind. The ground beneath it had become saturated and it was struggling to stay upright. I could feel each gust of wind as it grew stronger and lasted longer than the one before it. My concern for the oak was growing by the moment. then I heard that sound, the sound that slows time in the forest. A giant was about to begin falling. The initial crack of the wood splintering began slowly, increasing in intensity as the tree tore itself apart. Then for a moment all other sound disappeared and it was only the sound of the tree falling I could hear. the impact when it hit the ground caused me to shake. I waited for the next lightning strike to see exactly what happened but it never came. It was as if the storm had accomplished its task and subsided. I had made it through the storms and would find out at first light the status of the rest of the forest.
Light began to make its way into the forest the next morning revealing the true extent of the carnage that had taken place the night before. The ground beneath me littered with debris toppling some of my saplings. A few branches that fell from the larger trees had become tangled with mine now. I managed to escape the storm in good condition but not everyone in the forest could say the same thing. The mighty oak had fallen to the forest floor. Part of it still remained in the ground but the leftover trunk did not reach half my height. The path cleared during its fall caused great damage to other trees. Limbs twice the size of myself were ripped from trees under the weight of the great oak as it fell. Had it fallen in my direction I certainly would have been among the casualties.
With the oak gone I would soon enjoy something I had never felt before, the full sun. For the first time nothing stood between the sun and myself. But as the sun moved directly above me, I could not help but think about the ak that once inhabited the open space in the canopy. How many days had it been there? How long did it take to reach the canopy? Did it even know I was right next to it all this time?
Life had not changed much for me since I first broke the surface of the ground. The trees surrounding me had not changed much, the stream always flowed in the same winding path. The oak had always stood next to me. It offered protections from other trees that may try to overtake our space. It bore the brunt of storms that would easily destroy smaller trees like myself. In this sense the oak and other trees like it protected those of us in the forest.
I did not realize what the oak next to me had meant. I always thought it was taking more than it needed. I thought it was being greedy. It was only after it had fallen had I grown to appreciate it. A new opening in the canopy meant someone else would surely aim to occupy that space. When I began growing the oak was already there. I was able to grow next to the oak without any problem. We both had everything needed to survive. Now I wondered what tree may move in here now that I may have to compete with. Would this new neighbor be willing to share this space with me? Perhaps it will not be a tree but an invasive bush or smaller plant that would take over this area. An ivy of some kind could wrap itself around me until I was completely covered. I never had these concerns before and felt myself becoming vulnerable to the endless threats that were around me.
My future is now uncertain. The only thing I can do now is continue to grow. As a patch forming tree I can widen my base by producing more clones. Perhaps I will be able to produce more fruit now and in turn attract more animals to feed in this area. The animals usually avoid feeding on me because of a toxin in my bark. However more animals feeding in this area could help to maintain other small plants and saplings from growing. In the end I will have no control over who occupies the newly vacated space. I will merely be a spectator as a new giant eventually takes its rightful place in the canopy.
I live on the forest floor, a place filled with an abundance of life. Everyday four legged creatures of all kind move across the forest floor around me. Birds fly from tree to tree and sing throughout the day and tiny insects buzz around. While I would never experience the lifestyle of the canopy I had come to enjoy my area and those I shared it with.
Until recently the forest itself has not changed much since I first took root. Change does not happen quickly here in the forest. When it does happen suddenly the entire landscape of the forest can change in an instant. I have experienced this once before and it changed my life forever.
It began as any other day had with the first ray of sun hitting my leaves. But I somehow knew today would be different. The deer that normally walk past me to drink from the nearby creek were nowhere to be found. The squirrels that perform delicate balancing acts on my limbs were few and far between. It was eerily quiet, where was everyone this morning? Then all of a sudden from the distance a loud crack echoed through the forest. A storm was heading this way and with it came the always welcomed rain that would soon follow.
Before the sun could fully embrace the forest this day it began to darken once again as the rain clouds moved in. I could hear drops of rain beginning to hit the leaves of the mighty oak that towered above me. Soon the rain would pick up enough and I too could enjoy a fresh drink of water. The pace of the rain began to increase and water splashed from my leaves to the ground. The ground began to absorb the water and I could at this point feel the water around my roots.
As I said before this day would not be like any other. The rain continued throughout the day and finally in the late evening came to an end for a short while. The sun had already begun to set when the clouds broke and very little light was penetrating the forest canopy. At this point I have little to do but embrace the night and hope for plenty of sun the following day. I had no idea the mayhem that would soon begin in the forest.
Just like this morning another loud crack in the distance signaled an oncoming storm. This time though I could feel a noticeable difference in the wind. My leaves begin to move as the wind blew through the forest. At first it was a gentle breeze and my leaves softly swayed along with the wind. That soon would change. A large gust of wind came rushing through the forest and the rain I so enjoyed earlier in the day was falling at a pace I had not seen before. Darkness had now taken over everything and I could only hear what was happening around me.
I could hear water running down the hillsides carrying fallen limbs and other brush with it towards the creek at the bottom. Paths of overflowing water began carrying debris through a part of my patch slamming the debris against me. The creek itself sounded like a raging river and at this point had made its way over the bank. My spot on the hillside is high enough that the creek water will never flood my area. I would just need to endure the intermittent streams of water rushing down the hill side.
In the flashes of lightning I could see the ground moving as the mighty oak swayed in the violent wind. The ground beneath it had become saturated and it was struggling to stay upright. I could feel each gust of wind as it grew stronger and lasted longer than the one before it. My concern for the oak was growing by the moment. then I heard that sound, the sound that slows time in the forest. A giant was about to begin falling. The initial crack of the wood splintering began slowly, increasing in intensity as the tree tore itself apart. Then for a moment all other sound disappeared and it was only the sound of the tree falling I could hear. the impact when it hit the ground caused me to shake. I waited for the next lightning strike to see exactly what happened but it never came. It was as if the storm had accomplished its task and subsided. I had made it through the storms and would find out at first light the status of the rest of the forest.
Light began to make its way into the forest the next morning revealing the true extent of the carnage that had taken place the night before. The ground beneath me littered with debris toppling some of my saplings. A few branches that fell from the larger trees had become tangled with mine now. I managed to escape the storm in good condition but not everyone in the forest could say the same thing. The mighty oak had fallen to the forest floor. Part of it still remained in the ground but the leftover trunk did not reach half my height. The path cleared during its fall caused great damage to other trees. Limbs twice the size of myself were ripped from trees under the weight of the great oak as it fell. Had it fallen in my direction I certainly would have been among the casualties.
With the oak gone I would soon enjoy something I had never felt before, the full sun. For the first time nothing stood between the sun and myself. But as the sun moved directly above me, I could not help but think about the ak that once inhabited the open space in the canopy. How many days had it been there? How long did it take to reach the canopy? Did it even know I was right next to it all this time?
Life had not changed much for me since I first broke the surface of the ground. The trees surrounding me had not changed much, the stream always flowed in the same winding path. The oak had always stood next to me. It offered protections from other trees that may try to overtake our space. It bore the brunt of storms that would easily destroy smaller trees like myself. In this sense the oak and other trees like it protected those of us in the forest.
I did not realize what the oak next to me had meant. I always thought it was taking more than it needed. I thought it was being greedy. It was only after it had fallen had I grown to appreciate it. A new opening in the canopy meant someone else would surely aim to occupy that space. When I began growing the oak was already there. I was able to grow next to the oak without any problem. We both had everything needed to survive. Now I wondered what tree may move in here now that I may have to compete with. Would this new neighbor be willing to share this space with me? Perhaps it will not be a tree but an invasive bush or smaller plant that would take over this area. An ivy of some kind could wrap itself around me until I was completely covered. I never had these concerns before and felt myself becoming vulnerable to the endless threats that were around me.
My future is now uncertain. The only thing I can do now is continue to grow. As a patch forming tree I can widen my base by producing more clones. Perhaps I will be able to produce more fruit now and in turn attract more animals to feed in this area. The animals usually avoid feeding on me because of a toxin in my bark. However more animals feeding in this area could help to maintain other small plants and saplings from growing. In the end I will have no control over who occupies the newly vacated space. I will merely be a spectator as a new giant eventually takes its rightful place in the canopy.