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Very interesting discussions. Almost no one mentioned the favourable =
idea of buying an entire vehicle from two trees rather than a pizza. I =
suppose it was a favourable thought to all.
=20
The more thought-provoking discussion re: flood plains and wind throw- =
some quick thoughts before bed:
Red maple flood plains!! There=E2=80=99s a beautiful example at =
Jake=E2=80=99s Landing, Keji. Many such areas were =
=E2=80=98hayed=E2=80=99.
=20
It is well known that riparian zones were the first to be logged for ton =
(square timber) and later saw logs. Ton timber consisted largely of =
white pine, but also a surprising amount of large, straight yellow birch =
(called black birch back then due to its advanced age and exterior =
characteristics). Riparian zones also were the first areas to be =
stripped of trees for agricultural lands. Rivers were the highways... =
Of course flood plains were converted to agriculture. People tilled =
the richest soils first. (Ask the Acadians. There were numerous =
families along the Annapolis and elsewhere.) Trying to feed a family on =
the harvests from poor soils (from conifer stands or poor geology) would =
have been very risky in the 1700-1800s, with no welfare and no =
Superstore nearby.
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I=E2=80=99ve just spent a good deal of energy trying to encourage some =
trees to re-grow along my tiny piece of land on the Annapolis River, =
long ago stripped of trees and the soils tilled for agriculture. =
Unfortunately, the grass now makes it nearly impossible for trees to =
re-establish and banks are now slumping into the river at alarming =
speed, brought on partly due to the instability of early tree removal. =
I just watched the slow death of a tall, remaining elm on the banks last =
summer. Most of the elm have already fallen into the river. Very sad. =
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Species of tree roots are not all the same. Shallow roots of spruce and =
balsam fir are not very valuable as nutrient pumps (and blow over very =
easily), but hardwoods and the tap roots of pine are another story. I =
knew a friend who planted ginseng under sugar maple. At night the great =
sugar maples pumped water (and nutrients) from down deep to the surface. =
The ginseng flourished.
=20
Flood plains can receive soil enrichment from both sediments during =
flooding and from deep rooted trees that may line riparian communities =
where conditions are right. Too much water=3D grasses, sedges, maybe =
ericaceous, okay,... but periodic flooding is just fine for some trees.
=20
I suppose I=E2=80=99ll never get to see blue cohosh, but I=E2=80=99d =
like to. We lost our richest hardwoods so long ago, it is difficult to =
imagine what the Annapolis Valley must have been like. A =
botanist=E2=80=99s dream.
=20
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca =
[mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of Nicholas Hill
Sent: February-08-16 7:42 PM
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?
=20
as you will
=20
=20
=20
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On Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 5:06 PM, David & Alison Webster =
<dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:
Nick,
I am not aware of any ot these places being wooded then and =
subsequently converted to agriculture. I do recall collecting in =
hardwoods on Salmon ancient floodplains, well above 50s flood levels, =
soon to be stripped for gravel; not agriculture.
Meadows which frequently flood in summer and are nearly always =
flooded over winter don't support trees.
DW=20
=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Nicholas Hill <mailto:fernhillns@gmail.com> =20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2016 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] two trees to buy a pizza or would we rather a =
car with the same two trees?
=20
you guys back in the EC Smith days covered the province...=20
Oxford's R Phillip, Meander, Kennetcook, Gaspereau
Salmon...we can go on and we should
=20
Wherever it was fertile
=20
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On Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 3:25 PM, David & Alison Webster =
<dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:
Hi Nick,
Where were floodplains converted to agriculture in NS ? A smattering =
in NB but none is NS that I am aware of. Some Salmon River floodplains =
were mined for gravel when the 100 series highways were built near there =
and I think some floodplains near Oxford were mined.=20
Floodplains are enriched by the silt deposited by floodwaters each =
year; e.g. Nile, Tigrus not by trees which may take advantage of the =
enriched soil.
Yt, DW
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Nicholas Hill <mailto:fernhillns@gmail.com> =20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2016 2:53 PM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] two trees to buy a pizza or would we rather a =
car with the same two trees?
=20
Hey John
yes tree roots are purported to be amazing N and P pumps and can take up =
nutrients before they reach waterways..90% range according to Maltby who =
was working on big rivers of Europe.
when you lose trees you lose these pumps and go to lower functional =
states and herbaceous plants arent a lick on trees.
=20
The tree was an engineer of floodplains in big ways and we lost a lot of =
that when we converted floodplain for agriculture. This floodplain =
forest is what supports a good group of the Appalachian Deciduous Forest =
species..bloodroot, blue cohosh Canada violet (?) wild coffee, Canada =
Lily, wild garlic, yellow violets, toothwort, Solomon's plume..and this =
is the habitat we need right now to let us preserve the diversity that =
is expanding northward and may be eliminated from Kentucky in time. I'm =
looking forward to being able to eat pawpaws, crush spicebush leaves and =
swing on forest grape vines in my nineties in Nova Scotia but first we =
need to secure and restore floodplain habitat.
=20
must be midwinter=20
=20
=20
On Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 2:05 PM, David & Alison Webster =
<dwebster@glinx.com> 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
=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: John and Nhung <mailto:nhungjohn@eastlink.ca> =20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
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?
=20
When I was a CUSO volunteer in Northeast Thailand, thirty-odd years ago, =
our country Director (a soil scientist by training) called trees =
=E2=80=9Cnutrient pumps.=E2=80=9D =20
=20
Made eminent sense in an a