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--001a1142702c95010b052b44109b Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 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= > 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 w= as > local) we have had two high winds recently; one even in May, 2013 (?). An= d > 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 thi= s > 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 <soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca> > *To:* 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? > > =EF=BB=BF 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 fore= st > with an intact canopy usually does. But, on the other hand, there is brut= al > competition for sunlight in a forest. Taller trees inhibit the growth of > smaller trees, often their conspecifics and even their own descendants. O= f > 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= > > 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 feedi= ng > them a sugar solution through their roots.=E2=80=9D 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 an= d > 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 Spruc= e > I saw was attached to two or more Spruce by grafting. > > > > Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Donna Crossland <dcrossland@eastlink.ca> > *To:* 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 to me by Jon Percy. Bob Bancroft has > also circulated around to some, but it is worth ensuring that everyone se= es > it. > > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/30/world/europe/german-forest-ranger-finds= -that-trees-have-social-networks-too.html?hp&action=3Dclick&pgtype=3DHomepa= ge&clickSource=3Dstory-heading&module=3Dsecond-column-region®ion=3Dtop-n= ews&WT.nav=3Dtop-news&_r=3D0 > > > > The parts I enjoyed- > > > > =E2=80=9C in nature, trees operate less like individuals and more as comm= unal > beings. Working together in networks and sharing resources, they increase > their resistance.=E2=80=9D > > > > =E2=80=9CIn one forest, they said, when they wanted to buy a car, they cu= t two > trees. For us, at the time, two trees would buy you a pizza.=E2=80=9D > > > > =E2=80=9C that trees in the forest are social beings. They can count, lea= rn and > remember; nurse sick neighbors; warn each other of danger by sending > electrical signals across a fungal network known as the =E2=80=9CWood Wid= e Web=E2=80=9D; > and, for reasons unknown, keep the ancient stumps of long-felled companio= ns > alive for centuries by feeding them a sugar solution through their roots.= =E2=80=9D > > > > This should be required reading for all personnel who =E2=80=98manage=E2= =80=99 our forests. > > > > If we want folks to relate to the forest on a more personal level, other > than as a simple entity to mow down for relatively low profit, this way o= f > describing our forests may be a good approach. > > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2016.0.7441 / Virus Database: 4522/11564 - Release Date: 02/05/1= 6 > > > > > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2016.0.7441 / Virus Database: 4522/11564 - Release Date: 02/05/1= 6 > > --001a1142702c95010b052b44109b Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Trees have been called environmental engineers as they mak= e habitat and set up the food web. We are very lucky to have neighbours tha= t 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 fe= lling 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 alon= g 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