Thank you so much for this! I'm an aspiring conservationist and this was a wonderful introduction for me. Dr. Steen's love and awe of forests and nature was beautiful to witness, and a sentiment I share.
Dr. Steen made an error at 39:24 when he began to talk about Pseudotsuga menzeisii. Douglas-fir is not a true fir, and the cones of a Douglas-fir have traits similar to pine cones. True firs belong to the genus Abies. True fir cones stand erect on the branches like a perched owl, Douglas-fir cones hang below the branches. Also, as the seeds ripen in true fir cones the bracts fall off eventually leaving nothing left but a spike looking stem. Douglas-fir cones do not fall apart after ripening.
Amazing lecture. Dr. Steen's passion and enthusiasm paired with her expertise and simplistic explanations bode well for anyone who wants to learn more about forest ecology or about conifers in general. Thank you 'Bark'. I have learned lots from this and it furthers my passion for conservation and understanding my environment.
I would like to know details about the natural frequency of fires that these forests have adapted to. Before homo sapiens arrived 10000bc and before. A difficult geology project.
"What have they done to the earth? What have they done to my fair sister? Stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn, tied her with fences and dragged her down." .
