Defenders' Experts
Little Things that Run the World
Renowned biologist E. O. Wilson coined the phrase
"the
little things
that run
the world" to
describe
the
bacteria,
fungi,
insects and other
invertebrates -
all the
generally
inconspicuous,
uncharismatic and
often-overlooked
small
organisms - that are
absolutely
essential to
the proper
functioning of
ecosystems.
We understandably focus on the trees and larger
wildlife in a
forest, but
it's
important to
remember that, for
all the awesome
splendor
of
a
500-year old
Douglas-fir or the
eerily
silent swoop of a northern
spotted owl,
the
persistence
of the forests
we value
is probably more
dependent on the
almost
incomprehensibly
rich variety of tiny
living
things
residing
in or on the
soil
of the
forest.
One-half or more of the total photosynthetic production of
trees
ends up below ground and ultimately serves as an energy
source to
support
the countless soil creatures that
run the
forest
world.
Ensuring the
integrity
of
soils is
essential
to the long-term
conservation of
forest
ecosystems.
In this section. . .
Forests, in all their variety, provide benefits to biodiversity and management opportunities and challenges that are different from other ecosystem types.
Natural forests are a mosaic of stands of varying sizes and ages which supports a great diversity of wildlife.
Disturbances are events and processes that kill or remove substantial portions of trees in a forest: wind, flood, landslides, insect and disease outbreaks, and fire.
Forests depend on the rich variety of tiny living things residing in or on the soil of the forest.
