In Praise of Pine Forests

Pine plantations are sometimes criticised for being uninspiring tracts of woodland, occupying space which could support a more diverse ecology. However, Raynor Winn’s book ‘Landlines’ throws a different light on these maligned trees (see below). I myself have seen the blue haze on hot, still days across Wootton Ridge. So, pine forests are not all bad.

Katy Attwater

‘Coniferous forests spread for miles beyond Byrness. Miles of silent dark green air, where little moves except other hikers heading north. Coniferous woodlands hold most of the timber that our human world is made of, from tables to book pages, but for the natural world they’re a dead zone, where little wildlife lives and even less thrives. But pine trees have an irreplaceable value to human life (beyond the toilet rolls that we’ve all been fighting over), their true value is invisible, except on very hot days when a blue haze hangs over the trees and we actually see their most precious offering. The trees emit a chemical known as pinene: for the trees it forms the haze that protects them from the heat of the sun; for us it has an equally protective effect. Scientists have found that when we inhale pinene it chemically interacts with our bodies, lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and enhancing the activity of our anti-cancer killer cells. It’s not surprising that by the end of the day we’re all feeling very relaxed. I’m beginning to wonder if we can find a way to leave these stress-busting, carbon-locking monsters to grow and thrive, if it’s possible to wean the world off its obsession with toilet rolls made from wood pulp without carpeting the earth in bamboo.‘

Raynor Winn