Forests

Email this page to a friend

Want news about Forests and more e-mailed to you? Click here for free email alerts

The cacao beans themselves could sometimes have a similar significance, as can be seen in an early Colonial report on the "wild" (that is still unconquered) Choi Maya of the Chiapas forests, cited by Eric Thompson: The form of the marriage is: the bride gives the bridegroom a small stool painted in colors, and also gives him five grains of cacao, and says to him "These I give thee as a sign that I accept thee as my husband." And he also gives her some new skirts and another five grains of cacao, saying the same thing.

The first is hueinacaztli, the thick, ear-shaped petal of the flower of Cymbopetalum penduliflorum, a tree of the Annonaceae or custard-apple family, which grows in the tropical lowland forests of Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas; this was one of the most highly valued products brought back by the pochteca merchants from their expeditions. It is a confusing plant, because it has at least three Nahuatl names: it may be called hueinacaztli ("great ear"), teonacaztli ("divine ear"), or xochinacaztli ("flowery ear"). The distinguishing feature is the ending nacaztli, meaning "ear.

We have a list of the presents they brought him from their distant land; most precious (to them) were 2000 quetzal feathers, from the resplendent bird that was (and still is) to be found in their cloud forests. Also included were clay vessels and lacquered gourds, as well as plant products, such as chillis of various kinds, beans, sarsparilla, maize, liquidambar (a plant of the witch hazel family) and copal (resin) incense.

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto Michael Pollan See book keywords and concepts

The fields and forests are crowded with plants containing higher levels of various phytochemicals than their domesticated cousins. Why? Because these plants have to defend themselves against pests and disease without any help from us, and because historically we've tended to select and breed crop plants for sweetness; many of the defensive compounds plants produce are bitter. Wild greens also tend to have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than their domesticated cousins, which have been selected to hold up longer after picking.

Vitamin D Recommendation Missing From Breast Cancer Task Force Report on Black Women Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

Look at the weeds in your yard, the bushes, trees and plants growing in the fields and forests nearby. Those are your medicines. Look at the foods growing out of the ground: The nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits. These are your nourishment. Mother Nature provides all the medicine we need to slash cancer rates by 90%, and she doesn't charge a dime in royalties or patent fees. She keeps on giving, generation after generation, hoping that one day a race of human beings will walk this planet with the humility to listen to her.

Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain forests of Central and South America Adrian Forsyth and Kenneth Miyata See book keywords and concepts

Although it might appear that the inhabitants of these largely underdeveloped nations are the agents of destruction, the greed that fuels the destruction of these forests comes largely from developed temperate zone nations. North Americans use a disproportionate share of the planet's resources to fuel our life-styles. It has always struck us as amusing that many of the best-known environmentalists in the United States drive private cars instead of using public transportation.

When I stood in the swirling mists of waterfalls deep in the cloud forest along Orellana's route, watching brilliant orange Andean Cocks-of-the-Rock cavorting in the dense canopy, or when I walked these same forests at night, plucking new species of frogs and lizards from the moss-cloaked vegetation that lines the streams, I found it easy to imagine that I was in the middle of uncharted wilderness.

Health Begins in the Colon Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN See book keywords and concepts

But now, due to the loss of forests and ocean plankton, our two sources of oxygen production, measurements of oxygen as low as 12 percent and 15 percent have been made in heavily industrialized areas. This oxygen-depleted condition is a contributing cause of the generalized lack of well-being that many are experiencing. And it does not look good for the future. We need oxygen to live!"57 How Can Air Cause a Toxic Colon? The average person takes in about 30,000 breaths each day. Unfortunately, every one of them is potentially harmful due to the poor quality of our environment.

Handbook of Medicinal Plants Amarjit S. Basra See book keywords and concepts

While primary vegetation is essential for obtaining timber, the secondary forests yielded a much larger number of medicinal plants. Since this author did not look at species from nonforest vegetation zones, a direct comparison is not possible. Comerford showed in the Peten region in Guatemala that regrown forests and intensively managed zones are more important for medicinal plant gatherings.

Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain forests of Central and South America Adrian Forsyth and Kenneth Miyata See book keywords and concepts

In the forests of Central America lives a bat, Trachops cirrhosus, who listens for the song of Physalaemus and sweeps in on the preoccupied male as he sings for a mate. The male frogs, as is so often the case, are faced with a profound evolutionary choice: the songs most attractive to a ripe female are the songs most likely to attract a hungry bat. So the males have struck a balance between reproductive fitness and simple survival. The sonar senses of bats are well known to most people, but those of us who live outside the tropics have incomplete notions of bats' other characteristics.

PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition Thomson Healthcare, Inc. See book keywords and concepts

Habitat: The plant is indigenous to the forests of southern and central Europe. Production: Black Hellebore root is the root of Helleborus niger. Not to be Confused With: Helleborus foetidus, Helleborus niger and Helleborus viridis are different plants with different active compounds. They may be confused with the subterranean parts of Trollius eurpaeus, Aconitum napellus, Astrantia major, Actaea spicata and Adonis vernalis.

Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain forests of Central and South America Adrian Forsyth and Kenneth Miyata See book keywords and concepts

The wettest forests in tropical America, and perhaps in the world, are found along the Pacific coast of Colombia. In this area the warm El Nino current lies offshore, while the Andes protect the land from the northeasterly trade winds that might blow the moisture-laden clouds out to sea. Warm, moisture-laden air wafts in from El Nino. When it hits the steep western face of the Andes Mountains and cools, prodigious amounts of rainfall result. The average annual rainfall may exceed 360 inches in some parts of the Colombian Choco.

The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine: The Ultimate Multidisciplinary Reference to the Amazing Realm of Healing Plants, in a Quick-study, One-stop Guide Brigitte Mars, A.H.G. See book keywords and concepts

It is native to the Amazon, where it can be found in old second-growth forests, especially in Peru. The leaves are simple and ovate, with a few secondary veins along the midvein. The flowers of U. tomentosa are yellow-gold in color, while those of U. guianensis are white or reddish orange. disiac, brain tonic, central nervous system stimulant, tonic, vasodilator, vasorelaxant Medicinal Uses Among the Minas people of South America a saying exists, "Until a father reaches sixty, the son is his; after that, the son is catuaba's," in reference to the herb's renowned aphrodisiac qualities.

Hawthorn grows by streams and in meadows, forests and open spaces. It prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil, but it will tolerate drought. HIBISCUS Botanical Name Hibiscus spp., including H. rosa-sinensis, H. sabdariffa, H. syriacus Family Malvaceae (Mallow Family) Etymology Hibiscus is the Greek name for mallow, the family to which this genus belongs.

Balsams poplars can be found in forests around the world, including North America, South America, India, Africa, and Siberia. BAPTISIA Botanical Name Baptisia alba, B. tinctoria Family Fabaceae (Pea Family) Etymology The genus name, Baptisia, comes from the Greek baptein, "to dye." The species name, tinctoria, also refers to dyeing, deriving from the Latin word for the process, tinctura. The common name indigo is derived from the Latin indicum, "from India.

Range and Appearance Dong quai is a 2- to 3-foot-tall perennial native to the mountain forests of China. Its root consists of a whitish or yellowish gray main section with longer branches, both of which are used medicinally. The stem is purplish, glabrous, and slightly striated. The inferior and often the superior leaves are pinnate. The fragrant, five-petaled, white flowers grow in umbels of twelve to thirty-six blossoms. A plant must be two to three years old before the root is considered mature enough to harvest. ECHINACEA Botanical Name Echinacea angustifolia, E. pallida, E.

Range and Appearance Ginseng is a perennial that grows in shady hardwood forests of North America (P. quinquefolius) and temperate regions of Asia (P. ginseng). The stalk reaches a height of 1 to 2 feet. The leaves are palmate and divided into three to seven (usually five) sharply toothed leaflets. The hermaphroditic flowers are white to yellowish and grow in round umbels. Red berries follow the flowers. Ginseng is not a quick cash crop, as the roots must be five to seven years old before they become ready for harvesting. GOJI Botanical Name Lycium barbarum, L.

Range and Appearance Native to the subtropical forests of India, zedoary prefers partial shade and moderate moisture. It grows to about 3 feet in height and features yellow and pink flowers with red and green bracts. The large, tuberous, yellow roots take two years to mature. Glossary of Physiological Effects Abortifacient. Can stimulate miscarriage. Adaptogen. Increases the body's resistance to stress and normalizes immune system. Adrenal tonic. Strengthens and nourishes the adrenal glands. Alterative. Alters one's condition.

The Autoimmune Epidemic Donna Jackson Nakazawa See book keywords and concepts

Ebola virus outbreaks are linked to mining development in previously untouched areas as well as hunters looking for exotic bush meat; the AIDS pandemic is believed to have originated from human encroachment into African forests where wild chimpanzees were a reservoir for the virus; and fruit bats in remote areas are thought to be the original source of several high profile zoonotic pathogens which have spread to humans, the most recent of which is SARS. Similarly, H5N1 virus, or avian flu, is often the result of farmers and infected fowl crowding together in prime living space.

PDR for Herbal Medicines Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

Habitat: The plant is indigenous to the Amazon basin and has been introduced into other rain forests. The main area of cultivation is between Maues and Manau in Brazil. Production: Guarana seeds are the seeds of Paullinia cupana. A preparation is also made from the ground seeds. Over a period of approximately 75 days, the pollinated flower develops a "ripe" guarana raceme, which is harvested by hand from October to December. Seeds (up to 80 per raceme) are taken out of the capsule shells, soaked for a time in water and then finally separated from the arillus.

The Big Fat Health and Fitness Lie Craig Pepin-Donat See book keywords and concepts

Our driving habits contribute to global warming, which is cooking the planet; acid rain, which is killing our forests and polluting the water supply; and dramatic increases in cases of asthma and allergies among all segments of the population. Our children and our elders are especially susceptible to the effects of driving cars and trucks that run on petroleum products. As stated earlier in the food addiction section, the very food we eat has been poisoned for years in the name of profit. Fruits and vegetables are doused with fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain forests of Central and South America Adrian Forsyth and Kenneth Miyata See book keywords and concepts

If you search diligently in tropical American cloud forests between 6,000 and 9,000 feet up the Andes, you might find a sprinkling of small, lethargic ants. But if you continue your search higher in the same mountains, as high as 15,000 feet in the altiplano around Lake Titicaca, ants can be both common and vigorous. The clear air and burning intensity of the sun in the high tropical Andes give ants an opportunity to crawl about vigorously amid the cacti and tussock grasses even when snow covers the ground.

Safe Trip to Eden: Ten Steps to Save Planet Earth from the Global Warming Meltdown David Steinman See book keywords and concepts

If there is a solar hub in the world today, it is the Trinity Alps Wilderness, parts of Shasta-Trinity National forests. Here, you find more solar panels per person than anyplace else in the world. Without a power grid, people need to be much more creative, and this demand has led to Sun Frost refrigerators. "A lot of people live back in the woods and they are powering their homes through solar," said Larry Schlussler, PhD, owner of Sun Frost Refrigerators and Freezers, a small American company producing some of the most energy-efficient home appliances today.

At the same time, clearing forests was also a major consequence of the economic growth of the agricultural coffee and banana plantations. That was during the time when the plantations were basically part of the agricultural business sector. In the 1950s and 1960s, cattle ranching for the big U.S.

PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition Thomson Healthcare, Inc. See book keywords and concepts

Habitat: Boreal forests of the world, especially Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, North Carolina, Minnesota, the Great Lakes region, and Scandinavia. In bogs, swamps and along lake shores. Other Names: American cranberry, Arandano Americano, Arandano trepador, bear berry, black cranberry, bog cranberry, grosse Moosebeere, isokarpalo, Kranbeere, Kronsbeere, large cranberry, low cranberry, marsh apple, mountain cranberry, moosebeere, mossberry, pikkukarpalo, preisselbeere, ronce d'Amerique, trailing swamp cranberry, Tsuru-kokemomo.

Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations David R. Montgomery See book keywords and concepts

As in other Paleolithic hunting cultures in southern Europe, an almost exclusive reliance on hunting large animals in central Italy gave way to more mixed hunting, fishing, and gathering as forests returned after the glaciers retreated. Thousands of years later, sometime between 5000 and 4000 bc, immigrants from the east introduced agriculture to the Italian Peninsula. Sheep, goat, and pig bones found along with wheat, barley seeds, and grinding stones reveal that these first farmers relied on mixed cereal cultivation and animal husbandry.

Safe Trip to Eden: Ten Steps to Save Planet Earth from the Global Warming Meltdown David Steinman See book keywords and concepts

The birds needed boreal-type forests with only small openings. Otherwise they would become targets of hawks and other predatory birds, like eagles. We got up and hiked and he showed me some moose prints. I wondered if we would see any bear or moose. The forest floor was soft and flat but it was hot, and soon I was more tired than I thought I would be hiking on flat land. There was water everywhere. The sun was shining through the canopy. He knew the way. I saw no trail. We went hiking past another hunt club, and Dirk followed a trail I could not see. "I've been here before," he said.

Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes See book keywords and concepts

ASIAN GINSENG Botanical Name: Panax ginseng Family: Araliaceae Common Names: Ren shen (China), Chinese ginseng, Korean ginseng Taste/Energy: Sweet, bitter, warm, moist Part Used: Root Location/Cultivation: Asian ginseng originally grew in the mountainous forests of eastern Manchuria, northern China, and Korea. It is virtually extinct in the wild. It is cultivated on a large scale in China and North and South Korea. Safety Rating: ? ? ? Properties: Adaptogen, antioxidant, central nervous system stimulant, immune amphoteric, and anti-inflammatory.

Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power Mark Schapiro See book keywords and concepts

But in science, of course, nothing is ever clear-cut. forests get clear-cut, scientific conclusions are rarely so. Decisiveness is rare in science, where one finding is as likely to raise further questions as it is to resolve others. At the health committee hearing, representatives from the chemical and toy industries challenged Swan and Gray's findings. It is not a question, they argued, that phthalates can cause problems at levels to which they've been fed to rodents. It is a question of how much, when, and how they're exposed to human beings. Dr.

Plant Spirit Healing: A Guide to Working with Plant Consciousness Pam Montgomery See book keywords and concepts

If you start drumming in the forests, pretty soon you'll see the trees begin moving with the rhythm of the drum—that's the spirit of the tree. Trees have special powers. If you sit under a tree or lie there daydreaming, the tree will give you energy. If you pray under a tree, the tree will give your prayers energy." Within the shamanic tradition, shamans communicate with plant spirits in various ways, but at the core of their healing powers are the gifts given to them from the plant spirits themselves. Ralph Metzner, Ph.D.

page 2 of 14 | Next ->

FAIR USE NOTICE: The research quoted here is provided under the protection of Fair Use provisions and published by the 501(c)3 non-profit Consumer Wellness Center for the purposes of public comment and education. Authors / publishers may submit books for consideration of inclusion here.

TERMS OF USE: Read full terms of use. Citations of text from NaturalPedia must include: 1) Full credit to the original author and book title. 2) Secondary credit to the Natural News Naturalpedia as a research resource and a link to www.NaturalNews.com/np/index.html

This unique compilation of research is copyright (c) 2008 by the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center.

ABOUT THE CREATOR OF NATURALPEDIA: Mike Adams, the creator of this NaturalNews Naturalpedia, is the editor of NaturalNews.com, the internet's top natural health news site, creator of the Honest Food Guide (www.HonestFoodGuide.org), a free downloadable consumer food guide based on natural health principles, author of Grocery Warning, The 7 Laws of Nutrition, Natural Health Solutions, and many other books available at www.TruthPublishing.com, creator of the earth-friendly EcoLEDs company (www.EcoLEDs.com) that manufactures energy-efficient LED lighting products, founder of Arial Software (www.ArialSoftware.com), a permission e-mail technology company, creator of the CounterThink Cartoon series (www.NaturalNews.com/index-cartoons.html) and author of over 1,500 articles, interviews, special reports and reference guides available at www.NaturalNews.com. Adams' personal philosophy and health statistics are available at www.HealthRanger.org.