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David, Thanks for pointing out the difference between "pretty dead and
pretty useless" and "utterly dead and useless''--the blurring of your view
and the careless wording was my mis-step. For a long while now I've enjoyed
your contributions to the listserv, and there was no intention to suggest
you yourself undervalue metaphor (the point was a general one) or were
"adversarial." The listserv has gained a lot from your decades of
experience, depth of knowledge, and healthy promotion of dialogue.
I just checked The Canadian Oxford to see what it gives on "barren" as a
noun:
"1. (eastern N America) a track of elevated flat land that supports
shrubs and bushes but no trees; 2) Cdn (NB & NS) an expanse of marsh or
muskeg."
Interesting to learn that the term isn't a Western one, and that the
second C.O.D. definition specifies N.B. and N.S. Can't say I'm familiar with
the term "barren" being used to mean "an expanse of marsh..."
One of the finest poems by Maritimer Alden Nowlan is simply called "The
Barrens."
all the best, Brian
----- Original Message -----
From: "David & Alison Webster" <dwebster@glinx.com>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 9:39 PM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Re: NatureNS] Re: Tent Dwelling
> Hi Brian & Andrew, June 4, 2008
> Having been a devoted fan of Aldo Leopold and A Sand County Almanac for
> 53 years I would never disparage a poetic approach to natural history and
> that was far from my intent.
>
> "A wild poem dropped from the murky skies upon the muds of March" is a
> far cry from a deadpan report of migration events.
>
> Note also Brian, that I did not suggest that barrens were UTTERLY
> useless or dead. I used the adjective pretty. The meaning of pretty, in a
> context of this sort, does not overlap appreciably with the meaning of
> utterly as explained below. And I intended to use it to mirror Andrew's
> usage in "pretty healthy ecosystem".
>
> Pretty being: quite, rather, somewhat, fairly, reasonably,
> comparatively and relatively.
>
> Utterly being: completely, absolutely, entirely, wholly, fully,
> thoroughly, quite, altogether, one hundred percent, downright, outright,
> in all respects, unconditionally, perfectly, really--
>
> It also may be that the barrens in question do not resemble my concept
> of barrens because Andrew refers to there being trees as in "I don't
> recommend a return (of lumbering)...". When I think of barrens I don't
> picture open woodland or even open scrub but instead vegetation commonly
> less that knee high, sometimes shoulder high except for the very
> occasional runty tree. And I think of flash floods and Volkswagon sized
> boulders being tossed out of the usual stream bed. And, in contrast with a
> better terrestrial ecosystem, not a whole lot of life below vert space.
>
> I don't buy the idea, Andrew, that Nova Scotia's species have had more
> time to adapt to the consequences of glaciation than to the aftermath of
> lumbering. There are still places where glacial striations on bedrock are
> crisp, places where only a skim of lichens cover large rocks and, with few
> hypothetical exceptions, the native plant cover of eskers, drumlins,
> glacial till, outwash plains, etc. is comprised of species that became
> established and persisted where they did, not because they became adapted
> but because they arrived adapted to tolerate or require the conditions as
> and where encountered.
>
> The aftermath of lumbering is not appreciably different from that of
> windthrow, snow breakage, budworm, drowth, fire or any other event that
> destroys canopy in a large or small area and all plant growth in a
> forested area is well adapted to such events. And these other
> disturbances, or equivalent, have been around since the dawn of trees.
> Some species rely on disturbance to the forest canopy and this is best
> observed by creating small linear clearings (narrow woods roads).
>
> And lastly, my comments were not intended to be adversarial; just
> expressing a different viewpoint. Things are hectic these days but I will
> indeed drop by the print shop sometime and if you happen to be busy (which
> seems quite possible) I will take a rain check. Thanks for the invitation.
>
> Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
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