Noble fir trees grow in the mountains of Washington State and can live for almost 1,000 years!
Clear-cutting linked to high mercury levels
Clear-cutting linked to high mercury levels Scientists have found that clear-cutting increases
mercury contamination in nearby lakes. Mercury levels were found to
be 100% higher in watersheds that were heavily logged than in lakes
where there was no logging. Mercury is in the soil of all forests,
but in a healthy forest, the soil is drier because trees and plants
take up and evaporate water. Once the trees are cut down, the water
runs off into the lakes and takes the mercury from the soil with
it. Once the mercury is in the lake, it moves up through the food
chain and can cause neurological impairment (brain damage) in all
species (including people) that eat fish from contaminated
water. MARCH 12, 2001
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