Archimedes Plutonium wrote in message ...
[snip]
In this regard, I suppose if a tree species ever did contend for a food staple would be the walnuts.

Olives would be the number one staple tree crop of all time. Figs.
Apples. Mangoes. Carob. Grapes grow on long-lived vines rather than
trees, but the relevance is the same. Bananas and papayas grow on
tree-like perennials.

Interesting... and why would grasses be a better energy pathway than trees?

Yield per acre is more important than energy conversion. Sunlight is
free and abundant. Land is expensive and scarce.

--
Chris Green