Remnant of a Canebrake
The
small patch of Giant Cane found near the bottom of Marlene Path is
typical of the current extent of America's native bamboo. But
before Europeans grazed the cane nearly to death, Giant Cane was an
integral part of the floodplain ecosystem.
Imagine thickets of bamboo so dense you could barely walk, reaching
thirty feet into the air, and covering entire river bottoms, and you'll
get an idea of the plant's former scope. Some scientists think
that the brilliant green Carolina Parakeets --- now extinct --- flocked
around canebrakes and depended on cane seeds to trigger nesting
behavior. We may never know which other plants and animals veered
toward extinction as canebrakes dwindled into isolated clumps.
Like oak-hickory forests,
canebrakes may have been artificially expanded by Native Americans' use
of fire. Giant Cane depends on disturbances like fire to keep
the forest canopy from closing and blocking out the light cane needs to
thrive. The short canes you can see along Marlene Path are
probably responding to the paucity of sunlight beneath the forest
canopy.
In fact,
encouraging cane may have been one of the primary purposes local Native
Americans had in mind when they lit woodland fires. The bamboo
was a raw material for building houses and weaving mats, bowls, and
baskets. Without cane, the Native American way of life followed
the same path as the Carolina Parakeet.
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