Trees(softwoods) have greater genetic variability between indivuals of the same species than humans, which made prosecuting "log jacking" much easier, as a simple chip could be taken from each log at a mill or on a truck and matched to stumps of trees taken illegaly. The great variability amongst indivuals makes genetic matching, fast and cheap.

This is relevant to the discussion as it poses the idea that greater variability in the biomes of indivual trees could be partly liked to greater genetic variability of the trees themselves. If so, the value of intact large forests is then increased, and may point to non linear decreases in other forsest species.