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Hi Nancy & All,
I know little about current cultural practices in Xmas tree=20
plantations but your mention of thick grassy ground cover struck a=20
chord. Other things being equal grasses tend to deep rooting (drawing on=20
memory I found Couch roots [Agropyron repens] down to 4 metres in=20
relatively light orchard soils) because grass feeder roots are typically=20
small in diameter and can exploit soil voids which exclude stubby roots.
So a thick grassy ground cover implies nutrient retention in the=20
soil (recycled to the surface) instead of being exported as leachate and=20
consequently a nutrient rich habitat. (Because nutrients generated by=20
fixation or weathering are less subject to loss.)
Such conditions I associate with unusually diverse and abundant=20
insect populations. One of the best nearby examples is downslope of the=20
"feather factory" on route 12 just south of the Gaspereau River where=20
for many years feathers were rendered to be recycled as feed (I think)=20
but the smell was quite rich and some liquid seeped downslope. And Bees,=20
Flies and Leps all appreciated it. I have not been there recently so=20
this may have changed by now.
But going back many decades, to canoe exploration days, locations of=
=20
long gone logging camps with associated hauled in hay, horse stables and=20
manure piles stood out like sore thumbs.
Yt, DW,Kentville
------ Original Message ------
From: "nancy dowd" <nancypdowd@gmail.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Sent: 2/24/2018 10:59:33 AM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] WW Crossbills in Xmas tree farm
>Thank you for that info. PAWA being early arrivals so far as Warblers=20
>go, I will watching and listening for them there as Spring progresses.
>
>Nancy D
>
>Sent from my iPad
>
>On Feb 24, 2018, at 10:32 AM, Richard Stern <sternrichard@gmail.com>=20
>wrote:
>
>>They also seem to be good habitat for nesting Palm Warblers.
>>
>>Richard
>>
>>On Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 8:56 AM, nancy dowd <nancypdowd@gmail.com>=20
>>wrote:
>>>Thursday I visited a trail that runs along the lakeshore with a Xmas=20
>>>tree farm going up from it. White-winged Crossbills were everywhere-=20
>>>feeding in the spruce trees bordering the lot and also scattered=20
>>>throughout the Xmas trees themselves. Several were actually sitting=20
>>>atop these small firs singing away, well away from the cone-bearing=20
>>>trees. Would WWCR actually nest in these tree farms?
>>>
>>>Xmas tree farms are curious places: fir monocultures with thick=20
>>>grassy undergrowth, edge habitat and gravelly trails. Each lot has a=20
>>>Red-tailed Hawk present (two in courtship flight there on Thursday)=20
>>>plus I=E2=80=99ve seen Kestrels, Merlins and other raptors- the thick gr=
ass=20
>>>likely harbours lots of small mammals, sparrows, insects and such.=20
>>>Neither natural nor the world=E2=80=99s safest environments in many ways=
but=20
>>>certainly not the worst.
>>>
>>>Nancy
>>>E Dalhousie, Kings Co.
>>>
>>>Sent from my iPad
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>#################
>>Richard Stern,
>>Port Williams, NS, Canada
>>sternrichard@gmail.com
>>###################
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<html><head><style id=3D"css_styles" type=3D"text/css"><!--blockquote.cite=
{ margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right:0p=
x; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc }
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padding-right:0px; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; margin-top: 3px; padding=
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-style-position: inside;}
body { font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 12pt; }--></style></head><body><di=
v>Hi Nancy & All,</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 I know little about current c=
ultural practices in Xmas tree plantations but your =C2=A0mention of thick=
grassy ground cover struck a chord. Other things being equal grasses tend t=
o deep rooting (drawing on memory I found Couch roots [Agropyron repens] do=
wn to 4 metres in relatively light orchard soils) because grass feeder root=
s are typically small in diameter and can exploit soil voids which exclude=
stubby roots.=C2=A0</div><div>=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0So a thick grassy gro=
und cover implies nutrient retention in the soil (recycled to the surface)=
instead of being exported as leachate and consequently a nutrient rich habi=
tat. (Because nutrients generated by fixation or weathering are less subjec=
t to loss.)=C2=A0</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 Such conditions I associate with=
unusually diverse and abundant insect populations. One of the best nearby e=
xamples is downslope of the "feather factory" on route 12 just south of the =
Gaspereau River where for many years feathers were rendered to be recycled =
as feed (I think) but the smell was quite rich and some liquid seeped down=
slope. And Bees, Flies and Leps all appreciated it. I have not been there r=
ecently so this may have changed by now.</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 But going=
back many decades, to canoe exploration days, locations of long gone loggin=
g camps with associated hauled in hay, horse stables and manure piles stood =
out like sore thumbs.</div><div>Yt, DW,Kentville</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>------ Original Message ------</div>
<div>From: "nancy dowd" <<a href=3D"mailto:nancypdowd@gmail.com">nancypd=
owd@gmail.com</a>></div>
<div>To: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=
</a></div>
<div>Sent: 2/24/2018 10:59:33 AM</div>
<div>Subject: Re: [NatureNS] WW Crossbills in Xmas tree farm</div><div><br=
/></div>
<div id=3D"xc4c2022ef400455"><blockquote cite=3D"2A450B96-05A3-4926-A51C-40=
8B97C00131@gmail.com" type=3D"cite" class=3D"cite2">
Thank you for that info. PAWA being early arrivals so far as Warblers go, I =
will watching and listening for them there as Spring progresses.=C2=A0<div=
><br /></div><div>Nancy D<br /><br /><div id=3D"AppleMailSignature">Sent fr=
om my iPad</div><div><br />On Feb 24, 2018, at 10:32 AM, Richard Stern <=
sternrichard@gmail.com> wr=
ote:<br /><br /></div><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D"cite"><div><div di=
r=3D"ltr">They also seem to be good habitat for nesting Palm Warblers.<div>=
<br /></div><div>Richard</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br /><div c=
lass=3D"gmail_quote">On Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 8:56 AM, nancy dowd <span dir=
=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:nancypdowd@gmail.com">nancypdowd@gmail.com</=
a>></span> wrote:<br /><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin=
:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Thursday I visited =
a trail that runs along the lakeshore with a Xmas tree farm going up from=
it. White-winged Crossbills were everywhere- feeding in the spruce trees bo=
rdering the lot and also scattered throughout the Xmas trees themselves. Se=
veral were actually sitting atop these small firs singing away, well away f=
rom the cone-bearing trees. Would WWCR actually nest in these tree farms?<b=
r />
<br />
Xmas tree farms are curious places: fir monocultures with thick grassy unde=
rgrowth, edge habitat and gravelly trails. Each lot has a Red-tailed Hawk p=
resent (two in courtship flight there on Thursday) plus I=E2=80=99ve seen K=
estrels, Merlins and other raptors- the thick grass likely harbours lots of =
small mammals, sparrows, insects and such. Neither natural nor the world=
=E2=80=99s safest environments in many ways=C2=A0 but certainly not the wor=
st.<br />
<br />
Nancy<br />
E Dalhousie, Kings Co.<br />
<br />
Sent from my iPad<br />
</blockquote></div><br /><br clear=3D"all" /><div><br /></div>-- <br /><div =
class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"l=
tr"><div>#################<br />Richard Stern, <br />Port Williams, NS, Can=
ada<br /><a href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com">sternrichard@gmail.com</=
a><br />###################</div></div></div>
</div>
</div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div>
</body></html>
--------=_MB113B0563-08A0-4519-B6F2-23C47E2EC6EB--
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