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------ Original Message ------
From: "David" <dwebster@glinx.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Sent: 9/3/2017 6:41:33 PM
Subject: Re[6]: [NatureNS] Woods walk in North Alton
Hi Nick & All,
Thanks for giving me a lifetime supply of soap boxes. Most useful if=
=20
I ever get the chance to retire again.
First of all does "Anything any of us can do to replace ourselves as=
=20
manager with nature will help." say anything ?
You say carbon is not the dominant yardstick. Are you acting as=20
scientific adviser for a nearby president ? In my view two problems have=20
emerged over the last 67 years; habitat degradation which took off in=20
the mid 50s and climate change (carbon) which has concerned me since the=20
min 60s; also a subset of habitat degradation being global instead of=20
usually local. All the rest is elevator music.
Ground truth is always a good place to start and I would be=20
delighted to give you directions to the NA woodlot or walk with you=20
there. The former owner sold stumpage about 1950 and was appalled at the=20
resultant mess but it survived (unlike clear cuts which become parking=20
lots, paved roads or Nature Interpretation Centers).
I have selectively extracted timber from about 10 % of the area,=20
thinned a token amount in the 80s and extracted firewood from about half=20
of the timbered area. The remaining 90% has been self managed so there=20
is an abundance of dead trees; some still standing. In the late 60s to=20
early 70s the former owner cut just about everything near the entrance.=20
The regrowth is now about 100 feet tall and flourishing. His cutting led=20
to much Cardamine pratensis and a flourishing population of Mustard=20
White. And this illustrates what I consider to be a general truth-- use=20
in moderation can be stimulating and opens the door to an increase of=20
biodiversity.
One point which I neglected to mention initially is as follows.=20
Unlike the burning of fossil fuels the burning of wood does not release=20
new carbon to the atmosphere. It simply returns to the atmosphere about=20
half of the carbon which was fixed by the tree, Thus firewood even if=20
extracted by clear cut is an ideal instrument for capture and storage of=20
solar power. Wood is the product of a really green solar panel with=20
storage battery included. And while that solar energy is being stored=20
for a future generation woodland (with trees) increases stream flow=20
stability---
Roads generated by minimum soil disturbance can locally increase=20
biodiversity; e.g. two patches of Jack-in-the-pulpit which appeared soon=20
after I made a road about 1982 (one soon died out) and then two more on=20
roads I made in 2002. On one of these latter roads one stump was a good=20
habitat for a leafy liverwort which for several years sheathed the=20
perimeter and produced spores in unusual abundance.
By some fluke, location helps, these woods have rather large patches=
=20
of Erythronium americanum (Dog's Tooth Violet). Which feeds into the=20
subject of biodiversity; a subject thoroughly misunderstood by most=20
Biologists. Rare plants and rare animals seem to get a disproportionate=20
amount of attention whereas from the standpoint of functionally=20
significant diversity they are useless. The poor animal which must rely=20
on some very rare plant for survival will soon go missing in action. And=20
functional biodiversity implies some source of nourishment not over one=20
week but throughput the feeding season. Rare plants are fun to find and=20
even more challenging to find years later but can not contribute=20
significantly to the biological economy because, duh, they are rare.
I see it is time to wrap this up. Goodnight All.
Yt, DW, Kentville
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<div><br /></div>
<div>------ Original Message ------</div>
<div>From: "David" <<a href=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com">dwebster@glinx=
.com</a>></div>
<div>To: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=
</a></div>
<div>Sent: 9/3/2017 6:41:33 PM</div>
<div>Subject: Re[6]: [NatureNS] Woods walk in North Alton</div><div>Hi Nick =
& All,</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 Thanks for giving me a lifetime supply=
of soap boxes. Most useful if I ever get the chance to retire again.</div><=
div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 First of all does "<span style=3D"background-color: rgb(2=
55, 255, 255);">Anything any of us can do to replace ourselves as manager w=
ith nature will help." say anything ?=C2=A0</span></div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0=
You say carbon is not the dominant yardstick. Are you acting as scientific=
adviser for a nearby president ? In my view two problems have emerged over=
the last 67 years; habitat degradation which took off in the mid 50s and cl=
imate change (carbon) which has concerned me since the min 60s; also a subs=
et of habitat degradation being global instead of usually local. All the re=
st is elevator music.</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 Ground truth is always a good =
place to start and I would be delighted to give you directions to the NA w=
oodlot or walk with you there. The former owner sold stumpage about 1950 an=
d was appalled at the resultant mess but it survived (unlike clear cuts whi=
ch become parking lots, paved roads or Nature Interpretation Centers).</div=
><div>=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0I have selectively extracted timber fro=
m about 10 % of the area, thinned a token amount in the 80s and extracted f=
irewood from about half of the timbered area. The remaining 90% has been se=
lf managed so there is an abundance of dead trees; some still standing. In=
the late 60s to early 70s the former owner cut just about everything near t=
he entrance. The regrowth is now about 100 feet tall and flourishing. His c=
utting led to much Cardamine pratensis and a flourishing population of Must=
ard White. And this illustrates what I consider to be a general truth-- use =
in moderation can be stimulating and opens the door to an increase of biod=
iversity.</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 One point which I neglected to mention in=
itially is as follows. Unlike the burning of fossil fuels the burning of wo=
od does not release new carbon to the atmosphere. It simply returns to the=
atmosphere about half of the carbon which was fixed by the tree, Thus firew=
ood even if extracted by clear cut is an ideal instrument for capture and s=
torage of solar power. Wood is the product of a really green solar panel wi=
th storage battery included. And while that solar energy is being stored fo=
r a future generation woodland (with trees) increases stream flow stability=
---</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 Roads generated by minimum soil disturbance can =
locally increase biodiversity; e.g. two patches of Jack-in-the-pulpit whic=
h appeared soon after I made a road about 1982 (one soon died out) and then =
two more on roads I made in 2002. On one of these latter roads one stump w=
as a good habitat for a leafy liverwort which for several years sheathed th=
e perimeter and produced spores in unusual abundance.=C2=A0</div><div>=C2=
=A0 =C2=A0 By some fluke, location helps, these woods have rather large pat=
ches of Erythronium americanum (Dog's Tooth Violet). Which feeds into the s=
ubject of biodiversity; a subject thoroughly misunderstood by most Biologis=
ts. Rare plants and rare animals seem to get a disproportionate amount of a=
ttention whereas from the standpoint of functionally significant diversity=
they are useless. =C2=A0The poor animal which must rely on some very rare p=
lant for survival will soon go missing in action. And functional biodiversi=
ty implies some source of nourishment not over one week but throughput the=
feeding season. Rare plants are fun to find and even more challenging to fi=
nd years later but can not contribute significantly to the biological econo=
my because, duh, they are rare.</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 I see it is time to =
wrap this up. Goodnight All.</div><div>Yt, DW, Kentville</div><div>=C2=A0 =
=C2=A0=C2=A0</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0</div>
<div id=3D"x82b4ca0a142b4bf"><blockquote cite=3D"eme2d54b32-e363-41d2-831f-=
28ba9db9cfe9@desktop-9kvucdh" type=3D"cite" class=3D"cite2">
</blockquote></div>
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