One of nature's most unique plants, the monkey puzzle tree (also known as araucaria araucana) is a bit of a mystery. Due to their unusual, thorny branches, it's a great option for plant lovers looking to add a dose of flair to their space. «There isn't a tree out there like the monkey puzzle, especially compared to native choices within the United States,» says Tamara Hogan, resident plant expert at Fast Growing Trees, an online nursery. «Its blade-like leaves and branch structure are unlike any other conifer trees. It's also an evergreen that can handle some cooler, humid environments since the southern areas of Chile is where this tree comes from.» Another benefit of growing one? You can live with a monkey puzzle tree for a long time. It can grow up to 90 feet tall and survive for thousands of years if it isn't cut down. However, since a monkey puzzle tree is so rare, many people aren't sure how to make one thrive indoors or outdoors. To help you out, we've consulted with experts at Fast Growing Trees to share everything you need to know about caring for a monkey puzzle tree.
How Our Network of Roadways Has Altered the Natural World
15.09.2023 - 12:11 / modernfarmer.com
Less than one percent of the US is covered in pavement. Although it may feel like roadways, highways, back lanes and city streets are omnipresent—inevitable, in some ways—they actually cover a shockingly small portion of the country.
But the impacts of roads? Those go on for miles. As Ben Goldfarb writes in his new book, Crossings, the “road effect zone” covers about 20 percent of the country. “Park your car on the shoulder and bushwack half a mile into the woods, and you’ll still see fewer birds than you would in an unloaded wilderness. Hike two miles more, and you’ll still see fewer mammals. If you’re a Kerouac reader, you grew up steeped in the dogma that highways represent freedom. If you’re a grizzly bear, they might as well be prison walls.”
Goldfarb traveled across the country, and the globe, to learn more about how roads have shaped not just our communities but the natural world around us. Animals, both on land and in the waters, have a harder time migrating to food or to mate when surrounded by roads. Road salt is leaching into our water, contaminating the streams. The noise pollution from roads has changed the way birds and insects interact with neighboring forests.
As Goldfarb discovered, roads may be nearly invisible to the modern human, just another necessary part of everyday infrastructure. But to the other species on this planet, roads have fundamentally changed their existence.
Goldfarb spoke with Modern Farmer about his new book, how roads have impacted animals and agriculture and where we might go from here. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Modern Farmer: Let’s start with the basics. Your book talks a lot about “road ecology.” What is that?
Ben Goldfarb: Road ecology is
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