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By Joshua Blanco<\/p>\n
As the holiday season comes to an end, Christmas trees that served throughout the season as the centerpiece for households are taken down and hauled away, out of sight and out of mind until the next holiday season arrives.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s face it: that\u2019s not always the best feeling. For many, nothing says the holidays are over quite like having to take down the tree. And the environmentally conscious are left wondering whether having a live tree was a good idea in the first place.<\/p>\n
In short, yes\u2014if you do it right. According to a 2018 study commissioned by the American Christmas Tree Association, unless you plan to use an artificial tree for at least five years, a real tree is your best bet. Many artificial trees are manufactured with carcinogens like PVC in energy-sucking, fossil fuel-emitting factories before being shipped across the globe on gasoline-powered boats only to be buried in a landfill eventually.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not to say real trees don\u2019t have carbon footprints of their own. After all, it can take up to seven years to produce a single Christmas tree. The difference is that real trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases throughout their life cycles, in turn producing fresh oxygen. They\u2019re also recyclable, biodegradable and renewable. Not to mention that purchasing real trees goes a long way in supporting local economies.<\/p>\n
\u201cFraser fir accounts for around 98 percent of the Christmas tree market in NC,\u201d says Jason Whitehill, assistant professor of forestry and environmental resources at NC State University. \u201cIt\u2019s a species that\u2019s only found in the southern Appalachian mountains at higher elevations.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, there are approximately 200 tree farms in the NC mountains alone that let you cut your own, Whitehill says.
\nThose worried they might have played a role in disturbing the ecosystem by purchasing a real tree can rest easy knowing the vast majority of them are grown on farms like those Whitehill mentioned. Other species commonly used in place of the Fraser, such as the White and Virginia pines, are out in the wild, playing diverse roles in maintaining the ecosystems of WNC. \u201cThey\u2019re not just scattered out there,\u201d says Gary Kauffman, botanist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. \u201cEach species has a function and an important role to play in their individual ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of those roles, one of the most important is their ability to act as a hedge against forest fires. Kauffman says that \u201cbecause pine trees can withstand more frequent fire, they can help to maintain the woodland component.\u201d Trouble is, some of those fire-adapted species are not exposed to fire at a rate essential for them to flourish.<\/p>\n
As a result, restoration efforts such as prescribed burning have been put in place to help these species thrive. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to increase the abundance of some of those fire-adapted species that have been in decline over the past decades due to lack of disturbance and lack of fire,\u201d explains Tara Keyser, director of the Center for Forest Restoration and Management.<\/p>\n
According to her, the best thing people can do is keep themselves educated on the measures being taken to keep our forests alive. \u201cTo me,\u201d she says, \u201cit\u2019s really just about doing what we can to understand and value those ecosystem services that come with a properly functioning forest.\u201d And feeling bad about enjoying a real tree isn\u2019t one of them.<\/p>\n