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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 14520
[Environmental]
Date Posted:
12/17/2005
9:45:45 am EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 6,018
RSS: 21,242
Comments: 2
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Mistletoe Plays Halloween Trick On Christmas Tree
Author: Thompson Rivers University Source: Science Daily
Title: Mistletoe Plays Halloween Trick On Christmas Tree
To the ancient Celts and Vikings, mistletoe was a sacred healing plant believed to bestow fertility, bring good luck and avert evil; nowadays, it’s the kissing plant hung in doorways during the winter holiday season.
But there’s a sinister side to mistletoe, explains a Thompson Rivers University researcher.
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Community Thoughts: There are 2 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| What Is This Person Proposing? | Dec 19th. at 10:45:06 am EST
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Llunmere (Germantown Hills, Illinois) - Email Me
"Playing God" is not our responsibility. Our presence has already upset the balance that nature had in store. We keep livestock and domesticate animals, so we have to imitate the way of the food chain-- weed out the sick and weak, whereas a predator might do this if the species had been left on its own in the first place.
Mistletoe is a forest predator-- it doesn't select its prey, but it ensures that the weaker trees will not compromise the growth of the stronger ones. And if mistletoe is lost to us, who will cull the herd?
I think it would be easier to restore a pine forest than a mistletoe colony, even if the parasite does spread like prairie fire.
Because we upset the balance so much, we have to do our best to restore some semblence of it. Yes, the other trees are sacred, too.... but you don't restore a forest by planting only trees. There are far more plant species to protect than just the trees.
For example, in Southern Illinois, there is a vanishing shrub species that has been the cause of shutting down some horse trails-- coincidentally, these shrubs have been thriving off of the horse droppings for many years. So do you remove the horses to save the species-- or do you condemn the species for having removed the horses?
Parasites are not always harmful. This plant exists for a reason-- it does what it does for a reason, and in order to save the forest (or whatever other valiant title we're giving this now) , we have to preserve more flora than just the trees.
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| Perhaps Nature Has A Message For Us?? | Dec 18th. at 9:06:17 am EST
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Gypsy (Zanesville, Ohio) - Email Me
Perhaps it is a sign that we are not doing enough to protect nature and nature does have ways of ensuring balance. How many years ago has it been since clear cutting was a common practice? Culling sick herds is a common practice still and cattle are not endangered species although some breeds not marketed as commercial breeds are now considered rare. It is with forethought and care that the forests need cared for. Just as mistletoe is sacred, so are the pines and we must respect both...
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