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Hi Mary & All, =20
No surprise at all because I feel the same way. But when trees begin =
to suffer from overcrowding then the prudent course of action is to thin =
lightly before the canopy of the keepers has begun to shrink. Those =
remaining trees appreciate their new lease on life and grow like weeds; =
provided you thin soon enough.=20
Interesting that you used the term 'Occam's Razor' because in a way =
it fits; the ideal final state being the minimum number of trees that =
will collectively capture the maximum amount of sunlight.=20
Light and water are the coarse controls which define growth rate, =
these two factors shape decisions when thinning and it is folly to fret =
about other possible effects if these are out of kilter.=20
Yt, Dave Webster
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Mary Macaulay=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2016 5:49 PM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Red Herring & Forestry
Good to hear David!
Then I'm sure you aren't truly surprised that most of us naturalists =
would rather cut our forests with Occam's Razor than commercial logging =
equipment.=20
With kindest regards
Mary (Macaulay), P.Eng.
Queen Bee, Insect Recovery Project
Owner, Remember Adventures
Pedal Buggy & snowshoe rentals, picnics, great bird friendly coffee, =
breakfast & pasta, pollinator meadow, games & more!!=20
(Open Wed to Sunday: 8:30 am)
365 Main Street & Station Road
Trans-Canada Trail
Tatamagouche
RememberAdventures.ca & InsectRecovery.org
1-902-657-0054
Twitter @RememberTata & @InsectRecovery
On Jan 9, 2016, at 10:31 AM, David & Alison Webster =
<dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:
Hi Mary & All, Jan 9, 2016
Poor management to some degree perhaps but today's problems, and =
the aftermath, are the consequences of greed, waste and excessively =
large environmental footprints.
I adopted a frugal lifestyle early in life, for the above =
reason, and have records of power, water, oil and motor vehicle milage =
going back to1967 or thereabouts.
Although it would take time to tabulate them I pledge $500 to =
Feed NS if anyone who has lived in a house during this period has lower =
verifiable values. Contenders must also pledge $500 to Feed NS.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Mary Macaulay=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Friday, January 08, 2016 5:48 AM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Red Herring & Forestry
David
Step back a minute and remember it is our very interference and =
"managing" that is upsetting the delicate balance of Nature.
Thoreau would remind you "In Wildness is the preservation of the =
World".
With kindest regards
Mary (Macaulay), P.Eng.
Queen Bee, Insect Recovery Project
Owner, Remember Adventures
Pedal Buggy & snowshoe rentals, picnics, great bird friendly =
coffee, breakfast & pasta, pollinator meadow, games & more!!=20
(Open Wed to Sunday: 8:30 am)
365 Main Street & Station Road
Trans-Canada Trail
Tatamagouche
RememberAdventures.ca & InsectRecovery.org
1-902-657-0054
Twitter @RememberTata & @InsectRecovery
On Jan 7, 2016, at 8:44 PM, David & Alison Webster =
<dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:
Hi Mary, Jim & All, Jan 7, =
2016
By biomass I meant cutting trees (but clear cutting only in =
very exceptional circumstances), mowing Miscanthus,.... and ultimately =
burning for power.
It is a grave mistake to imagine that carbon accumulation in =
a forest continues for all time. David Suzuki preached this for a while =
but retracted about 20 years ago. After few decades or many, depending =
upon initial state, a point is reached whereby release of carbon dioxide =
by forest litter and soil equals the carbon fixed in any one year. This =
steady state neither gains nor loses CO2. Consult a copy of The Soil =
Resource Hans Jenny Ecological Studies 37 1980, 377 pp; fluff free so =
about 400 hrs would be a good start.
A steady state forest does store carbon until a dry period =
hits, as it has out west for several years, and one has huge forest =
fires. And dry or not there are some forest fires every year. And on the =
heels of a forest fire, unless there is very rapid regeneration, there =
will be large losses of CO2 from soil, as in clear cuts.
As an aside, I have been selectively cutting trees for =
firewood, off and on, for 72 years and I am confident that most cuts =
quickly led to greater growth rates of the remaining trees and greater =
rates of carbon capture. I don't want to put words in Jamie's mouth or =
actions in his hands but, unless I have wires crossed, he also cuts =
trees selectively for firewood and I suspect that given the same setting =
we would very often make similar choices.=20
Also as an aside, one learns by making mistakes and I have =
learned much that way. For example in 1971 I bought a woodlot south of =
Wolfville with the view that the best way to protect woodland was to buy =
and not cut it. For 10 years I spent many weekends thinning perhaps 5% =
of the area and keeping the lines clear and in 1981 got a nearby lot and =
neglected the first. At the time of the cutting craze (high prices) I =
received many phone calls from those wanting to buy stumpage and refused =
all. I was called all kinds of names, most having something to do with =
fool and was warned that many would die if I did not have the larger =
trees removed. It turns out they were correct. Many did die or perhaps =
even worse survive and crowd nearby trees. In the wind of Dec 2010 many =
more went over and in much of those woods one would be unwise to walk =
without a chainsaw; land in a tangle of 10' F