The open sky versus the bare ground, everything suffers.
Yesterday, I was looking at a plot of empty land. This made me realize how unaware most of us are of the soil beneath our feet. When all the trees in an area have been cut down the soil is severely affected. Not only were the thick trees with wide leaves a barrier to the sun above, but also they provided cover for the soil below.
The leaves on the trees created a cool shaded area on the ground and also allowed rain to penetrate deep into the soil.
And when the trees have fallen, and the sky above is nothing but blue, it does not take long for the environment to change dramatically. The sun shines down on the bare soil, and first of all it gets hot, like really hot. I attempted to walk barefoot to feel it but I couldn't do it for more than 5 seconds.
At first the earth used to be soft and wet, like a big sponge. But now it is hard as concrete and dry as the desert. Sometimes you can even see big cracks in the ground, and in the heat of the sun, it seems to be baking all day long.
The lack of shade to protect it from the burning sun and the water in the earth to keep it soft, causes the top soil to harden and to become dry and barren.
Adding to the high temperature of the exposed soil, the small creatures that live in the soil are also affected negatively. Earthworms and beneficial soil microbes are forced to live deeper within the soil to escape the heat of the sun.
Although we rarely get to see these creatures because of how deep they live within the soil, their existence is greatly affected in exposed areas. It is clear to see how the trees function as a giant cooling machine for the earth. Which is why more care is needed for the land
Posted with Speem