Cambodian rubber trees

At first glance it looks as if there's a low mist hanging in the woods, but it's not. This is a rubber plantation and the dark lower parts of the trees have been tapped.

Tapping is done by cutting a diagonal channel in the trunk which then weeps a milky sap which is latex rubber; a small bowl fitted below collects the product. It's important not to cut all the way around the tree or it dies. When one channel was scraped to demonstrate, it was surprising to see just how fast it flows. Imagine a tap dripping once every two seconds or so. Eventually that strip becomes unproductive and a new strip is cut just below the first one. When you reach the bottom of the tree, you start over from the first cut as the tree will have healed itself after a few years.

The trees live for about 32yrs, but can only be tapped after seven. It then provides 25yrs worth of rubber, and they are usually replaced when they reach 32yrs. I was going to give you a factoid about how many trees it takes to make one car tyre, but apparently tyres are made with synthetic rubber from oil/gas. Oh well.