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2013 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --Boundary_(ID_5K1ofR1+HVVuIr4fL3pgKw) Content-type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT In this regard, my husband says that his Father used to tell about a study done at the U. of Sask. around 1950. They CAREFULLY dug out an alfalfa plant in southern Sask. They were down 50 feet when they finally lost its roots. Talk about a deep-rooted plant! Lois Codling On 08/02/2016 2:05 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote: > Hi John & All, > Any deep-rooted plant will move nutrients to the surface if that > is what you mean. Grasses are in general better than trees because > their fine roots can penetrate the pores of rigid soils not > accessible to tree roots. This is why Agropyron repens (Couch) is such > a vigorous weed. And why the fertility of Prairie soil is immense. > Yt, DW > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* John and Nhung <mailto:nhungjohn@eastlink.ca> > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > *Sent:* Monday, February 08, 2016 12:06 PM > *Subject:* RE: [NatureNS] two trees to buy a pizza or would we > rather a car with the same two trees? > > When I was a CUSO volunteer in Northeast Thailand, thirty-odd > years ago, our country Director (a soil scientist by training) > called trees “nutrient pumps.” > > Made eminent sense in an area with terrible soils, with minimal > organic content. > > *From:*naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca > <mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> > [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] *On Behalf Of *Nicholas Hill > *Sent:* February 8, 2016 11:44 AM > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > *Subject:* Re: [NatureNS] two trees to buy a pizza or would we > rather a car with the same two trees? > > Trees have been called environmental engineers as they make > habitat and set up the food web. We are very lucky to have > neighbours that let us walk and bring kids through their woods > that are in good condition with large mature trees of pines and > hemlock. We saw the strips of tree felling from the microbursts > that we called the Berwick Blow of a few winters ago that took out > some 200 year old hemlock but we also see blow down along a line > between two properties where still another neighbour has clearcut > and it has made it not possible to ski in the adjacent uncut > property over a 40m width due to blow down. > > On Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 11:06 AM, David & Alison Webster > <dwebster@glinx.com <mailto:dwebster@glinx.com>> wrote: > > Hi Dusan, > > Yes and no. A sufficiently high wind can mow a swath through > undisturbed forest. And counting Dec 13, 2010 (ignoring Juan > because it was local) we have had two high winds recently; one > even in May, 2013 (?). And many winds which finish the job or > start fresh ones. > > The Kentville ravine is a good example; the 2010 wind felled a > significant area of Hemlock/hardwood. In my woods more Poplar went > over than 5 households could use both as 'scattered' trees of up > to 6 in one domino and two areas (~1 acre & 2 acres) where nearly > every tree went down. Most large Spruce which survived 2010 were > taken in 2013. > > I think we are in a new era of damaging winds. Note that Juan > took large trees and spared medium trees. With regard to canopy > protection this no doubt helps but if trees grow with space they > are better anchored than trees which grow crowded. > > Yt, DW > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:*Dusan Soudek <mailto:soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca> > > *To:*naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > > *Sent:*Monday, February 08, 2016 9:28 AM > > *Subject:*Re: [NatureNS] two trees to buy a pizza or would we > rather a car with the same two trees? > > To Donna, David, et al; > > one of the obvious way trees in a forest cooperate is > protection against strong winds. A solitary tree is unlikely > to withstand windstorms, a forest with an intact > canopy usually does. But, on the other hand, there is brutal > competition for sunlight in a forest. Taller trees inhibit the > growth of smaller trees, often their conspecifics and even > their own descendants. Of the millions and millions of seeds a > mature tree will produce over its lifetime, on the average > only one will reach maturity... > > Dusan Soudek > > On February 8, 2016 at 8:21 AM David & Alison Webster > <dwebster@glinx.com <mailto:dwebster@glinx.com>> wrote: > > Hi Donna & All, Feb 8, 2016 > > The book, The Hidden Life of Trees, should be > interesting reading. > > But there is nothing mysterious about "...for reasons > unknown, keep the ancient stumps of long-felled companions > alive for centuries by feeding them a sugar solution > through their roots.” This is root grafting practiced by > Spruce sometimes, Hemlock always, Fir sometimes and Norway > Maple. > > Root grafting is I suspect a reflection of somewhat > hostile soil conditions and/or perhaps 'permanent > woodland' such that extension roots tend to follow old > root channels as opposed to making a new one. When a root > cap of tree A meets one of tree B they sometimes (always > ?) unite and form a 2-way link. > > Decades ago I came across a great example of this at Dean > Chapter Lake. The roots of the Spruce forest which had > been killed by raising the water level for hydro were > mostly intact but exposed by wash. Every Spruce I saw was > attached to two or more Spruce by grafting. > > Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:*Donna Crossland <mailto:dcrossland@eastlink.ca> > > *To:*naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > > *Sent:*Sunday, February 07, 2016 9:11 PM > > *Subject:*[NatureNS] two trees to buy a pizza or would > we rather a car with the same two trees? > > This forest article was forwarded