Dune Walk Two:
on The Edge
Page Three
On the way up from the flats I see this tree with some life left in it and think, gee that looks just like a cottonwood! But that isn't possible! They scarf up water like it is going out of style!
A bit off to the east from the tall tree is this younger one trying to start new versions of itself down the way just a little. One thinks, looking at this, that was a root searching for water and whenever it found a little, it started up a new tree. Then the sand got blown away and here we are, our reproductive stalk exposed to the elements in a few places! That's life, here.
Getting more and more suspicious about these being cottonwoods, since this one probably pulled all the water out of its location and died at a pretty decent age, judging by the thickness of the trunk.
Finally, what we have walked hours to find out! A special version of the cottonwood called the Rio Grande cottonwood. Read the sign for yourself:
The sign continues below saying that even a kit fox can hunt in these tree-tops!
As long as part of their greenery stays above the sand, they stay alive, and as the dune moves on they may live quite a while after. But this water in the dunes is held in place by the sand grains themselves, coming down from rain and snow infiltration. So these trees need the dunes to capture water and hold it for them, that is why the trees are not seen in the flats!
We need to enter these tree tops and solve yet one last mystery: how can you get a tree to grow away from other trees if they reproduce vegetatively? The answer is that they also put out seeds!
I know where the seed are in the above photo, but in fairness I need to get closer to also show you:
So are this days mysteries are all solved?
No, just because the tree has seeds we can speculate that a seed got pooped out by a bird flying over where we saw our lone tree, quite deep into the dune field. But if the tree can't find water nearer the surface then 3 feet, how in the world did that seed manage to become a tree???
No answer to that mystery.
But faced with the reality of that tree where it is, our respect for Mother Nature's resourcefulness is once again immensely enhanced.
We can now get on with our day's journey (I, for one, still have 150 miles to drive).
So we say goodbye to our wonderful Rio Grande cottonwoods and head downhill to the exit:
We take a last look at the front where, for now, the dunes end:
And we look down to see if the old Honda was still in the parking lot. Couldn't see it from here, actually. But it was,
THANKS for taking these walks with me!
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