tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19644202144229317852024-03-13T09:55:32.754-07:00Earth's Internet & Natural Networking"Earth's Internet" attempts to document, reference as much of the natural world networking abilities and strategies as possible. Such Scientific findings are at odds with industrial scientific approaches maintaining our planet. Be warned. If your learning approach it based on Memes with short clever quips, you may be disappointed here.Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-4365683511008589702018-11-20T04:43:00.002-08:002023-12-26T02:19:40.981-08:00Santee's River Walks: Mast Park & Walker Preserve<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #783f04;">San Diego River Restoration: The successes, failures, & lessons for restoration of the</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> El Monte Valley Riparian Preserve.</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Artist picture of Walker Preserve entrance </i> (Walker Preserve Trail Santee)</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image -<span style="color: blue;"> Google Earth</span></i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">My wife and I visited and hiked this beautiful Walker Presere trail back in April 2018. We actually came into the Preserve's trail from the backdoor direction of the Lakeside area off Riverford Road and walking west towards Magnolia where this beautifully crafted cobblestone foundation and ranch-styled entrance is located. A lot of effort and talent have gone into this trail layout and design which is rather simple and easy to navigate. We saw quite a few families out walking that day. The temperature was perfect, sunny warm, but with light cool breeze. The sky was clear and blue without haze. All in all a very pleasant day. I wish more municipalites would excercise more forethought by identifying other abandoned industrial properties within the boundaries of the cities which are presently nothing more than wastelands of collateral damage and make Nature Preserves out of them. Access to nature would be closer to residents and this would ease some presure off the National Forests and Parklands which are often times overwhelmed by visitor traffic.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>Image - hikingsdcounty.com</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">One impressive feature I liked along this public walk was the design layout and materials used in the construction of the trails. A lot of forethought, care and great physical effort on the part of paid workers and volunteers went into this project. I love the post and lodgepole fencing. The walk has a remarkable cleanliness about it, something unusual indeed in our modern times of tattered run down public places. There are dog watering stations, poop bag dispencers at no cost. Bicycle tire pump stations for emergency.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - City of Santee</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - East County Magazine</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The East County Magazine journal published an event that marked the fourth consecutive year that the Takeda Pharamceuticals company again partnered with the City of Santee and The San Diego River Park Foundation to beautify the Walker Preserve trail with over 6,000 native trees. Along with the help of locally recruited volunteer helpers, they planted a mix of important native habitat trees and shrubs. The project's goals were to support many necessary vital ecological functions with the correct plants along the trail, which included specific native plants which would provide the local wildlife with food, shelter and nesting areas, attract pollinating insects, filter the areas water runoff during rainy season storms to prevent soil erosion and sediment from being transported into the San Diego river bottom. As a plan it all had many great goals.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b style="font-size: x-small;">Image - Walker Preserve Trail Santee (February 2018)</b><br /><br /><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: small;"><b>Workers from Habitat Restoration Sciences Inc. are doing irrigation work</b></span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Walker Preserve Trail Santee</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Back early this year in February 2018 a large portion of irrigation infrastructural design and installation work was accomplished by the people from </span><a href="http://www.hrsrestoration.com/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Habitat Restoration Sciences Inc</span></i></b></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">. These photos I'm using above & right are from the Walker Preserve Trail Santee's page on Facebook. They appear to be setting up the drip irrigation pipelines which utilizes recycled effluent water I assume from Santee Lakes. The tubing used is much larger than normal dripline. I'm hoping they have a plan for later removal or perhaps installing some strategically permanent located deep pipe irrigation portals which will direct water deeper into the earth and away from the surface for the more water loving trees like Sycamores & Cottonwoods higher up away from the river bottom. Both trees will send rootsystems to a little over 20' deep, but that will take some time. It is also necessary that mulch be applied (which they seem to have done here with the drip) generously on top of the soil to prevent evaporation and allow for more rootsystem surface soil cooling which is necessary for proper rooting & above ground tree or shrub foliage development. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bjy-SIuTvzk/W-wNClby_5I/AAAAAAAANBA/Gg01mv_KxPctr3zTD66LQ8D0jqT2GVCXwCLcBGAs/s1600/deep_pipe_irrigation.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="258" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bjy-SIuTvzk/W-wNClby_5I/AAAAAAAANBA/Gg01mv_KxPctr3zTD66LQ8D0jqT2GVCXwCLcBGAs/s320/deep_pipe_irrigation.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Deep-pipe irrigation is a no brainer and would not be that complicated to duplicate from many of the commercial designs available on the market today. I'm certain the city of Santee has capable employees who've got the intuitive talent for inventiveness to replicate such designs from raw materials available from any irrigation supply depot. It will also be imperative to stop the use drip irrigation as a permanent feature which does nothing more than keep plants on a form of life support. Left too long and any attempt to remove the drip from the plants which will lack the deeper mature root infrastructure in a hot dry climate will be fatal. I wasn't overly impressed with the layout I saw in some places. I did however see some attempts at the deep pipe irrigation which were the simple hand bucket watering tubes along the pathway (like the illustration above), but these had mostly failed as 80% of the Coast Live Oaks and Canyon Live Oaks had died. More on that later on down the page. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine April 2018</i></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WiI4Q0mf3dE/W-rU6tU8sKI/AAAAAAAAM_w/ifP4_zrXm64ipeHkQlW-MGiF6f5GF84PQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180418_180141.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WiI4Q0mf3dE/W-rU6tU8sKI/AAAAAAAAM_w/ifP4_zrXm64ipeHkQlW-MGiF6f5GF84PQCLcBGAs/s400/20180418_180141.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">I certainly applaud the effort of installing proper irrigation, but it needs to be done in the right way and not be a permanent fixture with native plants. Most of this setup was on the south side of the trail between the fence and river channel below. Also commendable is the use of grey water for the irrigation, although that too depending on quality may cause too much salt build up over time which is something most plants (not just natives) will not like. Unfortunately one of the bigger problems I saw was the puddling from too much water or it also may have been a problem of soil compaction because of years of heavy truck travel by the heavy construction machinery by the old sand dredging operations which required dumptruck movement long before trail preparation prior to the tree planting a few years back. Some type of surface deep till may have be necessary to break the soil concretion. As it stands now, this has caused bad soil percolation for the water infiltration. Most of these native plants I saw were developing root rot as a result of the standing puddles of water which could be seen by how many plants had dead or moldy foliage. Plant root systems need to breathe. While they do indeed exhale oxygen, their roots breathe in oxygen. The other nonsense thing you can see above is where someone actually put a prickly pear cactus on drip irrigation. Never never EVER put any cactus on drip or any other irrigation. Just dig a dry hole and partially bury the cactus pad or cholla joint in the ground and walk away until next rainy season. There is enough energy and moisture within the succulent cacti tissues to trigger a root growth response. It does not matter if there is no water present in the soil, because the cacti's genetics will trigger an App to get started with the stored food and water already present within the pad long before rains come. When they do come the plant will be ready. Watering simply encourages rot at planting time.</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Troubles with their<span style="color: #38761d;"> California Sycamore </span> Identification by the Experts</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image Mine 2018<br /><br /><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: small;">This is a real life image of a true</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: small;"> California Syamore</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Mine 2018</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Yup, this is a genuine close up of the </span><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"> California Sycamore's</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> leaf pattern. Not all Sycamore leaf patterns are identical, even though the characteristic puzzle pattern of their bark can seem similar. This is why I'm holding out my hand with wide spread fingers in the top photo next to the leaves to illustrate the point. Both of the native Southwest's Sycamores, the California (Platanus racemosa) and the Arizona (Platanus wrightii) Sycamores, have this characteristic spreading finger pattern which sets them apart from other Sycamore with more maple leaf patterns. Although a main difference between the two is that the Arizona often will have a larger leaf size. This placement of the incorrect or wrong type of tree within a native plant sanctuary (which is supposed to be for educating the public) has always been a major annoyance to me. I've written about this previously regarding the San Diego Wild</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> Safari Park near Escondido and the Padre Dam location west of Santee in the Mission Trails Park. The gross negligence at the Wild Animal Park is actually inside of the California Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral exhibit. You may read about their blunder </span><a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.com/2014/09/coastal-sage-scrub-chaparral-exhibit.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(HERE)</span></i></b></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">. I guess I expect more from a group of professionals who are hired because they no doubt claimed to be experts on their resumes as having credentials and initials behind their names like some business card. Here below is a Walker Preserve mistake.</span></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine 2018</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image Mine from 2014</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The location of this photo above is almost exactly 100 yards east of the spot where the true California Sycamore was planted near a wooden bridge. This tree above is not a California Sycamore, but rather more likely the hybrid known as London Plane Tree, which is a cross between American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) from the eastern USA and the old world Eurasian Sycamore (Platanus orientalis). It's own scientific name is Platanus acerfolia, 'acer' meaning maple and 'folia' from where we get the english word for foliage. So it's a Sycamore with mapleleaf-like leaves. BTW, the photo of Sycamore leaves to the top right was taken in 2014 at the Wild Animal Park within the Chaparral exhibit. The photo below was taken in April of this year 2018 at Padre Dam and there are many more of them which were planted in the parking area, even along the old former Mission Gorge Road through the gorge. And just so that people reading think I'm being picky or critical for the sake of being critical, here is a research link exposing the fact of danger of pure genetic pollution of the Platanus racemosa species.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://mossmatters.net/assets/pdfs/papers/johnson-platanus.pdf">Evidence for genetic erosion of a California native tree, Platanus racemosa, via recent, ongoing introgressive hybridization with an introduced ornamental species</a></span></b></i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine April 2018<br /><br /><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: small;">Misssion Trails Regional Park - Padre Dam</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">I suppose I expect far more from the hired people who are supposed to be Biology-Botany Experts who were there to provide restoration oversight on this and other official area project areas. These glaring mistakes were not just reserved to Mission Trails, Mast Park # Walker reserve, but also the San Diego Safari Park (formerly Wild Animal Park) at their native California Chaparral exhibit with the photo below at the native SoCal Oasis setting. Again, in my understanding, there are no better experts than those employed by the San Diego Zoo. Or so I thought, take a look below. To be honest, I'm thinking many of these people are relying on commercial nurseries who sell protect generally to an ignorant gullible public unaware of what they purchased. The hired landscape Laborers also will rarely pay attention, so the criticism goes right to the top and lack of responsible oversight for something so important as education and restoration/preservation.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWvmi4wwpLk/VAfuLx8gGBI/AAAAAAAAEr0/EYoKAI6QiuM/s640/IMGP4883.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="640" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWvmi4wwpLk/VAfuLx8gGBI/AAAAAAAAEr0/EYoKAI6QiuM/s400/IMGP4883.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo Mine from 2014</i><br /><br /><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: small;">San Diego Safari Park - SoCal native plant exhibit</span></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>The Last Word on Hybrids. Apparently Others Like<span style="color: #6aa84f;"> Nature Conservancy</span> Have Taken Note.</i></b></span></p></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1D81pc0WAL4/YZtxUgS80uI/AAAAAAAAOpQ/DrqcdCpNdM4QY1dN-PMLFBkuINmSh16XwCLcBGAsYHQ/s599/westernSycamore.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="599" height="353" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1D81pc0WAL4/YZtxUgS80uI/AAAAAAAAOpQ/DrqcdCpNdM4QY1dN-PMLFBkuINmSh16XwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h353/westernSycamore.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Western Sycamore tree © Greg Golet</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Platanus racemosa</span> +<span style="color: #38761d;"> Platanus hispanica</span> =<span style="color: #274e13;"> Hybrid Sycamore</span></b></span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><a href="https://blog.nature.org/science/2016/03/11/unraveling-the-mystery-of-the-western-sycamores-that-werent/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Unraveling the Mystery of the Western Sycamores that Weren’t</i></b></span></a><br /></p></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZc9EJxOXv0/YZtwvQry6BI/AAAAAAAAOpI/Mi2q6qTwJ1oSh_vAOEAaRAl3-IayyfO8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s630/londonPlane.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="594" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZc9EJxOXv0/YZtwvQry6BI/AAAAAAAAOpI/Mi2q6qTwJ1oSh_vAOEAaRAl3-IayyfO8gCLcBGAsYHQ/w378-h400/londonPlane.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>London plane tree © Greg Golet</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote class="tr_bq"><a href="https://timeless-environments.blogspot.com/2014/09/coastal-sage-scrub-chaparral-exhibit.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Coastal Sage Scrub & Chaparral Exhibit @ San Diego Safari Park</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><div>The mis-identification of plants was not the only gross error. Below is a Coastal Live Oak where I'm holding up the sign which someone pulled up or kicked over. While this particular oak tree looks healthy and doing well, the majority (perhaps 80%) of the other oak trees are dead from improper installation placement at planting time, no thick layer of mulch provided at planting time and maintained year after year to provide protection from the sun's intense summertime effects. Even this healthy looking Coast Live Oak should have a regular generous layers of fresh mulch provided on a yearly basis. This would not be difficult to come by and could be acquired for free.</div></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f5Kqv4G1es8/W-6PxfKL74I/AAAAAAAANBs/FslUK63PABEbgufW6Ia5GZDXAaLoadl5ACLcBGAs/s1600/20180418_181654.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f5Kqv4G1es8/W-6PxfKL74I/AAAAAAAANBs/FslUK63PABEbgufW6Ia5GZDXAaLoadl5ACLcBGAs/s640/20180418_181654.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine April 2018</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MSCXsWVw7fg/U9P5TCsnBNI/AAAAAAAAES4/p1UfxM9jGYI/s1600/IMGP4728.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MSCXsWVw7fg/U9P5TCsnBNI/AAAAAAAAES4/p1UfxM9jGYI/s1600/IMGP4728.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image mine from July 2014</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">While it was commendable that they did originally place a layer of bark mulch within this planter at time of planting the Coast Live Oak, this should be a regular maintenance practice which should be done every Spring because the bark will degrade as it should. As it does, the nutrients are also fed back to the oak by the microbes digesting these materials. This region's tree trimming companies have to come past this point either by way of the Santee Landfill to the west or by the eastern route to a composting business off Hwy 67 at the mouth of Slaughterhouse Canyon near to the San Vicinte Reservoir. They must pay a fee to dump their loads, but dumping on the trail system's maintenance yard site (where ever that is) would be perfect & free (for both parties). Let me explain why the root system cooling is so important to the health and vigor of native trees. In nature an Oak's acorn is taken by a scrubjay and purposely planted underneath shrubs of chaparral. So it has shade and cover. While people may look at so-called Oak Savannas up in central and northern California or even locally in areas of Santa Ysabel or Mesa Grande and find them rather a romantic setting, those older oaks did not start out on bare hot dry soil or in grasslands. An acorn and it's seedling would never have survived the intense summer heat. Those areas were once chaparral covered or at least interior sage scrub covered when those oak acorns germinated. The American Indians later came along and often burned off the chaparral sage scrub, later the Spaniards did the same thing for their cattle to graze and even later the white Europeans from the British Isles who started their own cattle operations kept the area cleared out from shrub encroachment, hence grasses moved in. Most of those grasses are non-natives annuals (as opposed to deeper rooted native perennials) with most being non-mycorrhizal when it comes to their root zones. This scenario works against oaks becoming established. They require mycorrhizal soils.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9g58sMtqWbE/U9PzexPAEBI/AAAAAAAAESk/OeSeNRbjGXQ/s1600/IMGP4726.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9g58sMtqWbE/U9PzexPAEBI/AAAAAAAAESk/OeSeNRbjGXQ/s1600/IMGP4726.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image mine from 2014</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Oaks need a microbiological soil profile rich in ecto-mycorrhizal fungi. In the particular truffle photo above, this came from an area just south of Julian off Hwy 79 at the Desert View Overlook. Take note of the scrub oak's leaves in the photo. These truffles were colonized on the scrub oaks, Cuyamaca Cypress, possibly Manzanita and even the Chamise or Greasewood. Tough to see the truffle in the top photo isn't it ? I was deliberately looking for them and found it. Most people would have stepped over it. This was along a narrow trail pathway created by tourists exploring the viewpoint and the second photo was taken after I cleared a little of the surrounding debris away from the truffle so it could be more clearly viewed in another photo. Otherwise they just look like rocks. This species of truffle is called Pisolithus tinctorius or just P.T. Mycorrhizae. For me it's the single most important fungi to use in colonizing any oak or pine at planting time and I highly doubt the volunteers who were organized for the Walker Preserve Project were told anything about this. This particular fungi will help an oak tree survive hot dry sites. In fact they are designed for that specific purpose. It's like putting Hooker Headers on a 1960s Muscle car which can improve power and performance. The presence of mycorrhizal fungi on a plant's root system increases water and nutrient uptake anywhere from 200% to 800% depending on the soil.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YvAbjd-vy7s/XqqoIc5X94I/AAAAAAAAN_8/VWjIuSe7yEsWJo2rPNz6x1mOIkGzlt9uwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/gabebrown-ND.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YvAbjd-vy7s/XqqoIc5X94I/AAAAAAAAN_8/VWjIuSe7yEsWJo2rPNz6x1mOIkGzlt9uwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/gabebrown-ND.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Another key is the right host with the right species of fungi can make a difference. Now pay very close attenton to reasons for mulching with bark. This data below comes from a hollistic dryland farmer named Gabe Brown (5000+ acre farm in North Dakota) who uses absolutely no science-based synthetic fertilizers, nor pesticides, and only utilizes the practice of maintaining a multiple perennial species (20+) of native prairie cover crops to nurture mycorrhizal fungi and other microbes which create soil aggregates which further allow better soil breathing and percolation of rainwater with no runoff. Notice the benefits he lists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #783f04;">Importance of Soil Temperature & the effects on</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> Plant</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> Root Systems</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>140 degrees, soil bacteria die</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>130 degrees, 100% moisture lost through evaporation and transpiration</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>100 degrees, 15% moisture is used for growth, 85% moisture lost through evaporation and transpiration</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>70 degrees, 100% moisture used for growth</b></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Very important link for the using of</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> mulches</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> within an urban landscape in hot climates</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.com/p/soil-without-biology.html"><i><b><blockquote><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Soil without Biology is simply Geology</span></blockquote></b></i></a></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi39Tk7GKa0vJx8nZw6gz7ZJ7ovVhoWPEiEgjdFVp0T7b1tDR3DsFVAkNtE9VBJWXyfZ6YZ3VqNHN_AL-k4QOOX1wI6NFUA8ab-9slWxB05LqNGj9d5bdKT4qawB9iCkW48OccLhx6seg8LiBuevc3x1cuKreftVSXvCiTHDrCJYKoSliFLRe7VZcjtFw=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi39Tk7GKa0vJx8nZw6gz7ZJ7ovVhoWPEiEgjdFVp0T7b1tDR3DsFVAkNtE9VBJWXyfZ6YZ3VqNHN_AL-k4QOOX1wI6NFUA8ab-9slWxB05LqNGj9d5bdKT4qawB9iCkW48OccLhx6seg8LiBuevc3x1cuKreftVSXvCiTHDrCJYKoSliFLRe7VZcjtFw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p> </p><blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;">The illustration above is about the effects of vegetation cover over the soil, not the type of vegetation, just the fact it exists and in what density. Even weeds provide a measure of cover over the soil. We may not necessarily like the weeds, but that is the purpose and function of many ruderal type weeds. Cover soil quickly and in abundance. Then through a succession of more desirable plants from perennials to shrubs and maybe eventually trees, this is how Nature works in the wild although probably not at the speed humans desire. fact that weeds have actually become a problem is not nature's fault but rather human ignorance on how nature works. Now armed with this knowledge landscapers and habitat restoration planners can actually accelerate the growing process, not with weedy annuals, but with mulch which maximizes how water is used and improving plant growth and survivability, because higher soil temperatures have been greatly reduced which benefits soil life. In the age of Global Warming alarmism, this kind of knowledge needs to be taught more and made a major part of discussion. Sadly, it seems that political ideology and demonizing opponents as to blame for Climate Change is nothing more than one side's attempt at grabbing power rather than actually helping nature. This is a major reason I've pulled out of following most all Environmental Organizations today. Best thing I can contribute here is helping individuals learn how Nature really works and help them make practical application in their own gardens and landscapes and possibly their favourite habitat restoration projects.</span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>Examples below of plantings that failed which could have been prevented</i></b></span></div></blockquote><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine April 2018</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W5IDNcdEWE8/W-6Q5OZbYcI/AAAAAAAANB8/DPP02TVtCHseANHHRVXiUNs8BgQzddfQQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180418_181118.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W5IDNcdEWE8/W-6Q5OZbYcI/AAAAAAAANB8/DPP02TVtCHseANHHRVXiUNs8BgQzddfQQCLcBGAs/s320/20180418_181118.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image mine from 2018</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, I crossed over into the Planet of the Apes forbidden zone into the *cough-cough* sensitive habitat area, except there was nothing there that was sensitive unless Yellow Star Thistle has suddenly become a protected endangered plant species. Out of maybe several dozens of oaks planted, there were maybe three or maybe four that have survived and even these were in pathetic condition, just barely hanging on. The data on soil temps & root interactions up above are no joke. Soil temperatures will dictate how your plants will use the water you provide them. Doesn't matter if you irrigate regularly, it's soil temps that matter. I found this out back in the 1980s when I planted pines and oaks in areas where soil was shaded and others where nothing but bare soil surrounded the saplings. Foliage often looked droopy and dull at the peak on a hot day in the exposed sites and the trees where soil was always shaded seemed to out perform those in sun. Even when I tried to compensate with more watering of the expose trees, nothing changed because the bare exposed ground still heated up. It wasn't till I trucked down free pine straw and oak leaf mulch from people's yards up in Idyllwild where regulations forced people to rake up debris because of fire hazard, did I see a complete turn around with the trees in the full sun. Now look at this Canyon Live Oak below.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TJ83AME5CGA/W_K0um4O4MI/AAAAAAAANCg/StK_QaXtBXsIr3gi55YUQ5eve0rPgBAiwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180418_181026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TJ83AME5CGA/W_K0um4O4MI/AAAAAAAANCg/StK_QaXtBXsIr3gi55YUQ5eve0rPgBAiwCLcBGAs/s640/20180418_181026.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Imafe is mine from April 2018</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Mycorrhizal Applications </i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This oak sapling is a Canyon Live Oak, (Quercus chrysolepis). There were signs identifying them, but the photo I took had glaring sun so I won't post it. I could actually clear away the weeds and other competition around this tree's trunk, drill several three inch deep holes around the tree within the rootzone close to the stem and pour in a small amount of powdered spore dust formula from MycoApply (endo-ecto) and mix in with it the chocolate brown powder from the wild truffles of the P.T. Mycorrhizae I just showed you up above in summer along with water and by next Spring, this tree will have at least a foot and a half new stem growth on it's central leader bud (half that on branch tip stems) and the leaves will be triple or more the size you see here in the photo. The reason I use the MycoApply powder is because it contains humic acids (derived from Lignite extracted from Brown Coal) which are good at root growth stimulation which is needed for spore germination. There are several species of spores in the powder, but I also add the fresh wild P.T. spore dust powder because I've found I have better chance of colonization and truffle formation will usually appear one month after application. The first truffle will only be the size of my thumb and you will not notice any difference in foliage until next Spring. But at least you know it has been colonized. Then by next Spring season you will see softball sized truffles near the tree. Sometimes as far away as 10 or 15 foot away. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHvyVw8IcqE/W_LEm-1oHtI/AAAAAAAANDE/QNfdLAS2qWoNw8lnrNSkRBQy8_jqazU8ACLcBGAs/s1600/kfmb.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHvyVw8IcqE/W_LEm-1oHtI/AAAAAAAANDE/QNfdLAS2qWoNw8lnrNSkRBQy8_jqazU8ACLcBGAs/s400/kfmb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image by KFMB San Diego</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uJClTjHFOm0/W_LCcwHVbII/AAAAAAAANC4/pDhLGiKEUJAAndwf7TXONt6EFWLUa2usgCLcBGAs/s1600/johnCandy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uJClTjHFOm0/W_LCcwHVbII/AAAAAAAANC4/pDhLGiKEUJAAndwf7TXONt6EFWLUa2usgCLcBGAs/s200/johnCandy.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">What I would like to see is an ecology teaching signage tool like the one above, for helping the public to understand how things work for real out in the wild. That's why I think a sign explaining the planting and microbiological activity going on under the ground would be perfect. Maybe it would encourage the locals to replicate these techniques in their own yards with native plants and dumping the scientific indoctrination of using synthetic chemical junk science pushes for maintenance and care found at the local Lowes or Home Depot down the streets. I'm tired of experts blundering and getting things wrong at these public funded Parks. You folks do know what an Expert is right ? An Expert is someone who use to be PERTinent, but no longer is. Hence Ex-Pert. No longer relevant, no longer germane, etc. That's why our planet looks the way it does because leadership has soured. And for the record, I'm not just being critical to be critical and point out flaws. I understand on social media sites many people do this for the sake of sport all day long. I actually applaud the great effort of the volunteers and all their hard work, but I don't want their efforts to lose, I want them to win. Really I'm not all that mean if you get to now me, I'm really just a soft warm fuzzball. Okay, but just one more critical note about cottonwoods at Mast Park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Santee's section of<span style="color: #bf9000;"> Riverwalk</span> known as <span style="color: #38761d;">Mast Park </span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWFUBVydD90/W-LHbcWjwaI/AAAAAAAAM6Y/dKUz9Ieoa9kfF3ZEBEGlo_xviXQJua4OgCLcBGAs/s1600/mastPark.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="600" height="440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWFUBVydD90/W-LHbcWjwaI/AAAAAAAAM6Y/dKUz9Ieoa9kfF3ZEBEGlo_xviXQJua4OgCLcBGAs/s640/mastPark.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Picture of Mast Park Trails by Russel Ray</i><br />
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<a href="https://russelrayphotos2.com/2013/02/21/a-stroll-through-mast-park-in-santee-california/"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Russel Ray: "A stroll through Mast Park in Santee, California"</span></b></i></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vjcf3SJtSms/W-LHVAiQx2I/AAAAAAAAM6U/lvb4vaWEjUsEYwiHtOy5WLHL2frfP1rVwCLcBGAs/s1600/Mast-Park.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vjcf3SJtSms/W-LHVAiQx2I/AAAAAAAAM6U/lvb4vaWEjUsEYwiHtOy5WLHL2frfP1rVwCLcBGAs/s200/Mast-Park.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>City of Santee</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The link above under the beautiful trail photo are from the same author and photographer, Russel Ray. He really captures the nice layout and construction of those who planned this part of the San Diego Riverwalk. And it's not cheap, it took a lot of skilled craftsman to do it all right. One of the things I love about most of the riverwalk pathways is that they are very easy for anyone to walk and not tire out. The place really is beautifully done. However as usual, I tend to critique things based on the plant choices used. In this era of strict native plants only and intolerance for anything exotic, I'm actually surprised and blown away by the glaring mistakes by the so-called native plant experts. There are as I mentioned above, two main foundation or cornerstone tree species historically along this river floodplain's river course. Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii) & again California Sycamore (Plantanus racemosa). Let me just focus now on the Fremont Cottonwood trees I saw at Mast Park. To be truthful, the only Freemonts I saw were in the riverbed and along the pathway at the riverbed's edge. The others which were planted within the park's infrastructure and recreational sport areas are a back east cottonless hybrid known as Carolina Poplar (Populus x euramericana) - which is a hybrids of of both Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) from eastern USA and the Black Poplar (Populus nigra), which is native to Europe. Of course they are also male, hence no cottony seeds in Springtime.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1_Dz2i5B6d4/W-LNLYa8oTI/AAAAAAAAM68/4neHxaSaw_AQoC5WeLOYtpta4-1SDSeCQCLcBGAs/s1600/Santee%2527s_Mast_Park.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1_Dz2i5B6d4/W-LNLYa8oTI/AAAAAAAAM68/4neHxaSaw_AQoC5WeLOYtpta4-1SDSeCQCLcBGAs/s400/Santee%2527s_Mast_Park.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Wiki-Commons</i> (Devindad 2012)</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WU2eO-E7joc/W-L8O6zBsyI/AAAAAAAAM7I/HBnhyCPwWn0ga-JyvFufFyIdv9kdktOmACLcBGAs/s1600/cottonleafGall.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="560" height="192" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WU2eO-E7joc/W-L8O6zBsyI/AAAAAAAAM7I/HBnhyCPwWn0ga-JyvFufFyIdv9kdktOmACLcBGAs/s200/cottonleafGall.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Sam McNally</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The photograph above is a bridge at the entrance from the parking lot which takes you into Mast Park. The photo is facing east and as you walking across the bridge and look to your right in the dry wash, you'll see hundreds of little cottonwood suckers which have come off the roots of the large Cottonless Cottonwood hybrids which travel 50 feet or more looking for water and suckering with new sprouts along the way. Same type of underground suckering habit Quaking Aspen have as they form acres woodlands from the same single tree. I never liked that about the Cottonwood hybrids when I lived up in Anza California. Back in the early 1980s when I was first introduced to them, neighbours everywhere in the surrounding area cut 10' branches from a friend or neighbour's tree and stuck them in the ground with drip irrigation and they rooted easily. Many people back in the 1970s were purchasing these mail order miracle trees which turned into giants in just a few years with the other selling point being they did not produce cottony seeds which was marketed as an annoyance. One way I found to tell the difference between a native cottonwood and the the one's from the back east hybrid was that the </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Cottonwood leaf galls were present on native Fremonts, but never the hybrids. The insect itself is an aphid called Pemphigus which creates the gall at the leaf stem. I never saw any harm to the cottonwoods ever and apparently there is a measure of chemical hormonal communication between the aphid and host which helps create the structure and increases more water and nutrient uptake. It may also trigger a boost to immune system, much the way certain species of mycorrhizal fungi do in their hosts through chemical message signaling. Believe it or not, it's the same with our gut bacteria.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd7W9unQyoA/W-LJLnRNgiI/AAAAAAAAM6s/uF9SZUioJhMUOTQHKvCg8NVQE1K9JXMgACLcBGAs/s1600/MastParkcottonwoods.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd7W9unQyoA/W-LJLnRNgiI/AAAAAAAAM6s/uF9SZUioJhMUOTQHKvCg8NVQE1K9JXMgACLcBGAs/s400/MastParkcottonwoods.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - </span></i></b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Sarah Turner 2012</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">When I came out for a visit in April of this year 2018, I noticed the defoliated state of the hybrids as compared to the healthy looking native Fremont Cottonwoods by the river like the photo above and the one below. This is one of the other reasons I never liked the Cottonless Cottonwood hybrids out west, they just don't do very well and are on average from my experience short lived, about 30 years. Fremont Cottonwoods can live 130 to 150 years old by comparison. Unfortunately most of the Anza residents who wanted instant tree later found this out too late. The cottonless tree is great when young, but as it ages so do it's water requirements and out west water is an issue. The cottonless hybrids are also more suscepitble to various blight and other rot diseases which will sometimes cause half of the tree to die off. Take note of all the crown gall infections in these foreground cottonwood hybrid trees beyond the basketball hoop.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RgSG95bsQp4/W-LJFN_cs9I/AAAAAAAAM6o/1ajVRjT4PNkWGyKayR0XEvOautVECflnwCLcBGAs/s1600/MastParkbasketball.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="690" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RgSG95bsQp4/W-LJFN_cs9I/AAAAAAAAM6o/1ajVRjT4PNkWGyKayR0XEvOautVECflnwCLcBGAs/s400/MastParkbasketball.jpg" width="367" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Leslie Pantazis 2014</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">But even looking here through these trees and beyond the basketball court, can you see the big contrast between these hybrids in the foreground and the lush foliage of the native Fremont Cottonwoods well into the distance ? The other issue with these Cottonwood hybrids is they are more susceptible to the agrobacterium tumefaciens (same organism used by geneticists to fabricate GMOs) which causes the tumor-like features on the trunk known as Crown Galls. This may be another reason for the lack of foliage where the grotesque gall formations may be restricting water and sap flow to the upper higher reaches into the tree's leaf canopy. I've never seen this with the native Fremont Cottonwoods. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kULCViNml5I/W_MWCAjpODI/AAAAAAAANDQ/EQ7dfs656Fgfjx997P1xl6EMaCVQFM-YgCLcBGAs/s1600/diamond-ranch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="960" height="174" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kULCViNml5I/W_MWCAjpODI/AAAAAAAANDQ/EQ7dfs656Fgfjx997P1xl6EMaCVQFM-YgCLcBGAs/s640/diamond-ranch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - <span style="color: #b45f06;">Central Arizona Land Trust</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHUDrZW64wA/WMJMrrfe-XI/AAAAAAAAJuE/j-E9Y0H522o383QzQfIRd-PMseZwK79pQCLcB/s1600/fremont-cottonwood_225.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHUDrZW64wA/WMJMrrfe-XI/AAAAAAAAJuE/j-E9Y0H522o383QzQfIRd-PMseZwK79pQCLcB/s1600/fremont-cottonwood_225.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image from River Partners</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This scenery above is the W Diamond Ranch in Skull Valley Arizona. This region is one of my favourites for huge Fremont Cottonwood specimens. There are numerous ancient specimens of this native tree which are giants over there in Central Arizona. You can see in the above photograph the size of the trees by comparing their size scale to the cattle. Very few such large examples of Fremont Cottonwood exist along the San Diego River corridor today and it wasn't always this way. Interestingly, if you ever view old historical photographs of Santee or Lakeside (especially Lakeside) you'll see an entirely different reality. For one, the water table was closer to the surface than today. In fact if we take the Walker Preserve as an example, the surface of the riverbed was much closer to the present hiking trail, with water being only a few feet from the surface instead of 30+ foot below. There were no major population centers sinking wells, damming river valleys etc to capture and take water at will. Remember in those old western movies where a pioneer family would stake out a claim for land to homestead and aside from land clearing, the father/husband would dig a ten foot pit and line it with stone or brick and call it a well ? You couldn't do such a thing today. The photos of Lakeside which have flashed around the internet lately intrigue most people who are interested in the settlements, the Lakeside Inn and Lindo Lake or old photos of where the railroad once existed. Those things are kool, but I'm generally more intrigued with the extensive native riparian forests which existed there. The trees (Sycamores & Cottonwoods) stand out as giants with dense stands of willows along the river's edges. The older original riparian forests would have been much greater than the old photos reveal because much of these photographs were taken long after farmers and ranchers came into the area and started to eliminate the native vegetation in order to grow crops, plant orchards or graze cattle. The graphic at the top right here illustrates just how far down a Fremont Cottonwood giant will go down in search of water. Take note that under ideal floodplain alluvial soil conditions, they may grow to a depth of 10 meters or 32+ feet down into the soil. And the same depth average is with Sycamores, but the average for both is probably 20+ feet. Further east however into the El Monte Valley a controversy is brewing over a proposed sand mining operation.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U8gjpMYlxLw/W_PjAgqMjGI/AAAAAAAANDc/iP_Tqx6ACGs3Z_jyUkvpse0NR6IJXyi1wCLcBGAs/s1600/elMonte-sandPit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="633" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U8gjpMYlxLw/W_PjAgqMjGI/AAAAAAAANDc/iP_Tqx6ACGs3Z_jyUkvpse0NR6IJXyi1wCLcBGAs/s640/elMonte-sandPit.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Video capture image by Billy "Lakeside" Oritiz</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This pit was dug up by heavy equipment the last week of October 2018 by the owner of the Sand Mining operation for sand sample testing. They went way down fairly deep, maybe 20 feet, but notice there is no water ? All the historical mining operations between El Monte Valley westward to the Mission Gorge Dam have greatly reduced and lowered the floodplain's water table. Large trees will find it tough to establish within such a changed environment. The only vegetation that even remotely makes it in the El Monte Valley's artificial channel created after the1980 floods are the non-native Tamarisks. However there is a way of bringing that water table up close to the surface and creating a lush riparian valley wide ecosystem along with an efficient effleunt water recycling system which would also benefit Lake Jennings water supply. More on the mechanics of how this could be accomplished in a later post. 😉</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Some fun Links by others who've hiked the Walker Preserve.</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5TVV5_walker-preserve-trailhead"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">GEOCACHING: Walker Preserve Trailhead</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://hikingsdcounty.com/walker-preserve-trail/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Hiking San Diego County: Walker Preserve Trail</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://johnandautumnsadventures.blogspot.com/2016/09/hike-6-san-diego-river-trail-walker.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">GrahamCrackers: Hike #6 San Diego River Trail (Walker Preserve & Lakeside River Park)</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PqKUc7fua_U/W-K_rLLwJhI/AAAAAAAAM6I/bchmpGQxtCIOYIOdMwHAp75RZuGU6q-twCLcBGAs/s1600/walkerSandDredge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PqKUc7fua_U/W-K_rLLwJhI/AAAAAAAAM6I/bchmpGQxtCIOYIOdMwHAp75RZuGU6q-twCLcBGAs/s400/walkerSandDredge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Tim Robertson</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And finally they have placed a piece of industrial history (Iron Dino relic really😉) into the Walker Preserve Trail landscape decor as part of the region's heritage. Indeed, those series of dredged and gouged out lakes carved into Santee's floodplain were mined of their 1000s of years old sand for San Diego County's 1950s/60s construction boom which started after World War II. There's even a signage board explaining the sand mine history of the area. But the miners aren't through yet unfortunately as the image and links below will attest.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">El Monte Valley</span><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Sand Mining Controversy </i>😟</span></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uhTnhMA8rbo/W-K3aZckozI/AAAAAAAAM5w/B-aejZvPIUgtU7_oHicBRQCSyTosSizbACLcBGAs/s1600/Prettiest%2BEl%2BMonte.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="927" height="274" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uhTnhMA8rbo/W-K3aZckozI/AAAAAAAAM5w/B-aejZvPIUgtU7_oHicBRQCSyTosSizbACLcBGAs/s640/Prettiest%2BEl%2BMonte.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Photograph by Billy Ortiz - January 12, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Lakeside River Park Conservancy</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.lakesideriverpark.org/"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">https://www.lakesideriverpark.org</span></b></i></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Industrial forces and big business interests are moving in to turn the</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"> El Monte Valley</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> into another large industrial construction materials apocalyptic landscape. The</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"> El Monte Valley</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> is one of the last almost unspoiled large floodplains in all of San Diego county and certainly the last one with regards to the</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> San Diego River</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">. West of El Capitan High School the entire river course to the Pacific Ocean has been butchered by sand and gravel mining operations for the past 100+ years. My next post is about the latest controversey and where to go for the most accurate info and who you should be listening to.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Stay Tuned!<span style="color: #990000;"> Okay as promised!</span></i></b></span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://timeless-environments.blogspot.com/2018/11/el-monte-valley-sand-mining-vs-nature.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">El Monte Valley Sand Mining vs Nature Preserve Controversy</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<br />Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com3Santee, Kalifornien, USA32.8383828 -116.9739167000000232.7316773 -117.13527820000002 32.945088299999995 -116.81255520000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-15654368610552011072018-05-11T08:32:00.001-07:002020-06-25T19:05:43.622-07:00Science-Based Herbicides vs Holistic Grazing in Weed Management of National Forests<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Forest Service to cut hundreds of ponderosa pine trees near Sisters killed by the herbicide </span><span style="color: #990000;">"Perspective."</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tP9jHDY17Sw/WvBAY5IryJI/AAAAAAAAMfs/yMnywYTDspor28r_6463LSvMRF0OcAs5gCLcBGAs/s1600/dt.common.streams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="930" height="424" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tP9jHDY17Sw/WvBAY5IryJI/AAAAAAAAMfs/yMnywYTDspor28r_6463LSvMRF0OcAs5gCLcBGAs/s640/dt.common.streams.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>(Ryan Brennecke/Bulletin photo)</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h41bi5fWoHY/WvBAOp7oXVI/AAAAAAAAMfo/xlCXYqfO8HkRt4AdIAzpH6jdJ_npRIcOgCLcBGAs/s1600/PonderosaTox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="600" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h41bi5fWoHY/WvBAOp7oXVI/AAAAAAAAMfo/xlCXYqfO8HkRt4AdIAzpH6jdJ_npRIcOgCLcBGAs/s320/PonderosaTox.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>photo by Jim Anderson</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Recently back on May 4th in the News, there was a sad report of a tragic event which took place along many of Oregon's Highway right-of-ways where conventional science-based weed abatement practices of spraying dangerous herbicides, like Bayer's toxic weed product known as "Perspective" which was supposed to target broadleafed weeds and other fire flamable vegetation, some unintended consequences took place. Apparently, this has been the practice by Oregon Transportation Department for some time as it is also around the country. While the target may have been the broadleaf weeds and other flammable weeds through a seemingly easy no break a sweat approach management version provided by science-based toxic chemicals and hopefully acquiring immediate results, the chemical apparently made it's systemic way underground, perhaps further facilitated through the mycorrhizal grid network to the Ponderosa pine rootsystems which eventually later led to the Ponderosa Pine's succumbing to the toxic effects a few years later. Interestingly it does seem that there were warning labels on this side effect on non-target trees and shrubs which were totally ignored. Without further explanation, here are the two links. First is from August 2016 and the second from May 2018 a few days back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://nuggetnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=10&SubSectionID=10&ArticleID=25151"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">The Nugget Newspaper (Sisters, Oregon) "The warning bell is ringing!"</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/6207843-151/hundreds-of-trees-accidentally-killed-by-pesticide"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">The Bend Bulletin: "Forest Service to cut hundreds of ponderosa pines near Sisters killed by herbicide"</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #783f04;">A more viable & responsible Solution and one that Perfectly Biomimics</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> Nature</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vJFVvD7ZFQ0/WvLz76I4u6I/AAAAAAAAMhM/cNxB0H2v6hY1pMBCtw07673FLUseKHWqQCLcBGAs/s1600/Goats3flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vJFVvD7ZFQ0/WvLz76I4u6I/AAAAAAAAMhM/cNxB0H2v6hY1pMBCtw07673FLUseKHWqQCLcBGAs/s640/Goats3flickr.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo: Washington State DOT Flickr Photostream</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>(Photograph courtesy Texas DOT.)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This photo above is of goats clearing grass and weeds near Olympia area highway interchange. Something seriously needs to change for the better. Herbicides need to be shelved and never used again. Of all the grazing & browsing animals, goats are basically biological mowers/browsers and can perform a similar function as mechanical mowing but without burning fossil fuels and generating carbon emissions. Another advantage is that some weed seeds are sterilized as they pass through a goat’s digestive system, allowing for more effective weed control than mechanical mowing or chemical herbicide spraying. Goats can also easily access steep and uneven terrain along highway shoulders and cutouts. Of course there are the usual concerns over the use of grazing in highway applications which may include higher costs associated with fencing, watering and supervising the animals; liability; and potential distractions to drivers, but I think much of these costs could be a non-factor if the Highway Departments did not try and manage this themselves and awarded grazing rights to responsible herdsmen who could provide a better professional hands on project of oversight. We're not talk just throwing the animals out there and seeing what happens. They do have to be responsibly managed and not left on their own. Clearly areas like this region in Oregon where 1000s of large Ponderosa Pines must now be removed could have benefitted by this holistic approach as opposed to the conventional science-based practices which have been used for decades. Most all roadside landscape plants should be natives to the areas the roads are located which eliminates watering and benefits wildlife, especially the native pollinators. Below are some links to sites which further explain the benefits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.waterwereld.nu/bermeng.php"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Roadside vegetation management in the Netherlands</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://environment.transportation.org/environmental_topics/invasive_species/case_studies.aspx"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">https://environment.transportation.org/"Invasive Species/Vegetation Management"</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/env_topics/ecosystems/Pollinators_Roadsides/BMPs_pollinators_landscapes.aspx"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Roadside Best Management Practices that Benefit Pollinators Handbook for Supporting Pollinators through Roadside Maintenance and Landscape Design</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/US%20ARMY:%20Unconventional%20Sustainability%20Method%20in%20Hawaii%20Nabs%20Award"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">US ARMY: Unconventional Sustainability Method using Sheep & Goats in Hawaii Nabs Award</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C2EDF36B-63E7-434E-946E-E78F306501F5/0/goatreport.pdf"><i><span style="color: blue;">https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/THE USE OF GRAZING ANIMALS IN ROADSIDE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT</span></i></a></b></span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Grazing to Reduce<span style="color: #990000;"> Wildfire</span> Risks also Biomimics<span style="color: #38761d;"> Nature</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n6_OXocn12Y/WvL8sQMfMlI/AAAAAAAAMhg/3fZzhE3fASwqtRaMBLJC-4KmUhgS2VOZgCLcBGAs/s1600/CheatFireA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n6_OXocn12Y/WvL8sQMfMlI/AAAAAAAAMhg/3fZzhE3fASwqtRaMBLJC-4KmUhgS2VOZgCLcBGAs/s640/CheatFireA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo by johndeerefurrow.com</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another interesting article in John Deere's online journal, "The Furrow," provided interesting feedback on experimental practices of Fall grazing of invasive annuals like cheatgrass to reduce wildfire risk and helping to provide nutrients to the soils. Here is that link:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.johndeerefurrow.com/2017/09/01/forage-not-fuel/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">https://www.johndeerefurrow.com/2017/09/01/forage-not-fuel</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Also, remember my last post on the environmental effects of the presence of megafauna (large herbivores) and the roles they all played in forest and prairie health and almost total absence of wildfires ??? 😲 Yes, studies showed that fire while being naturally present was not the major destroyer and killer it is now. Well, here it is again:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2018/04/megafauna-were-ecosystem-engineers-not.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Megafauna were the "Ecosystem Engineers" not Wildfire</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>National Park Service / Neal Herbert</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now, one would think that the environmentalists and government agencies would all be for such a holistically sustainable approach to weed management which actually replicates Nature through Biomimicry, right ??? Wrong! The modern day environmental movement has a murderous hatred of ranchers and as many of the leadership in this movement have admitted, they want this industry to go extinct. This is a really sad video.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The <span style="color: #990000;">Eco-Activist Movement's</span> rejection of utiling grazing and browsing animals for any <span style="color: #38761d;">Vegetation Management</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />In this video posted by journalists from the Wall Street Journal on March 30th 2018, "The Last Cowboy at Pine Creek Ranch," they discuss one ranching family, who, after a 40-year battle, was wrecked by government agency rules designed to make ranching unprofitable and impractical. Wayne Hage won his case in court numerous times, proving his grazing and water rights were his legally, not publicly owned and controlled as the government insisted. Yet each victory was appealed by the heavy hand of government, moving the case to the next court and the next judge in the system, forcing Wayne to spend more and more on legal fees. The government plan was simple and obvious. Destroy him financially until he was forced to give up. Now the the government and environmentalist's viscous tactics have finally forced this family to give up the fight as they prepare to move off the ranch and let the ecoactivists and government have their spoils in the war over the rangelands. The Federal land managers were aided in this travesty by the environmental group known as Western Watershed Project (WWP); the program’s director, activist Mike "Buffalo Man" Mease, who was interviewed in the video had this to say.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i>“</i><i>A cow is a non-native species to America and when we set them free on the wildlands of the west, they don't know what they're doing out there. As they will walk and eat every blade of grass in front of them, as they walk </i></span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i>Cattle hoofs are not cleft. They are one single pallet which compacts the soil, unlike native animals which have cloven hoofs which aerate soil.”</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazingly, most all the Government agencies and environmentalist groups including Mike Mease's Western Watershed Project & Buffalo Field Campaign, etc generally know full well that grasslands developed under intensive grazing from large herds of bison (pre-1800s saw 60+ million Bison according to stats) and other wild animals (millions of Elk, Deer, Antelope, etc), which through co-dependency became necessary for both soil and plant health. Yet in practice however, most of these militant groups have become more and more hostile to the presence of cattle or other domestic grazing/browsing animals presence on the land, which they variously blame for native species loss, range degradation and forest destruction, erosion, pollution, global climate change and even labeling ranching operations as public theft. In justification of this warped thinking, WWP’s spokesman, Mike "Buffalo Man" Mease, claims cattle harm grasslands because they are not “native.” He provides a nonsense explanation about cattle hooves compacting land by calling them "single pallet" as opposed to the native animals like Antelope, Elk, Deer, etc which have cloven hoofs which aerate soil. If any animal could be labeled as single pallet, then would that not better describe such animals as Horses which have a uni-hoove (or single toe). Cows have cloven hooves with dewclaws. Interestingly, both horses and buros were present in larger numbers centuries ago and had positive effects on the land. But take a look at the differences below.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Images - Mother Nature's Tillers</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mike "Buffalo Man" Mease's knowledge here is confusing as you listen to the very words leaving his mouth given the fact that he labels himself with the knickname, "Buffalo Man" which should leaves folks puzzled. Bison (Buffalo) and Cattle have the same identical hooves. Once again, there were once over 60,000,000,000+ Bison in pre-1800s in North America. So by his definition when using the hoove design argument, was Nature in trouble when such vast numbers existed just a century ot two ago ??? And if so, then why does he champion more and more buffalo on the landscape ??? Surely from his outdoor experience and credentials he must know what is right ??? Oh wait, he doesn't have any biology or conservation credentials. Mike Mease has a B.A. in Radio/Television and Psychology from the University of Montana. This is almost the same identical credentials of another infamous eco-activist, Kieran Suckling of militant Earth First fame and co-founder/director of the Center for Biological Diversity out of Tucson, Arizona. Neither of them are biologists. Like Mease, Suckling wants ranching to go extinct:</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">“Ranching is one of the most nihilistic lifestyles this planet has ever seen. Ranching should end. Good riddance.”</span></i></blockquote>
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<b>CBD director Kierán Suckling to the Washington Post.</b></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the interview with the journal High Country News, when he was asked if his lack of any science degrees were a hindrance to his work. He responsed:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"I think the professionalization of the environmental movement has injured it greatly. These kids get degrees in environmental conservation and wildlife management and come looking for jobs in the environmental movement. They've bought into resource management values and multiple use by the time they graduate. I'm more interested in hiring philosophers, linguists and poets. The core talent of a successful environmental activist is not science and law. It's campaigning instinct. That's not only not taught in the universities, it's discouraged."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Well that's wonderful. Learning how nature really works and pursuing degrees in environmental conservation and wildlife management are totally worthless. Civil disobedience, eco-terrorism and psychological warfare thru sue and settle are something to be admired. Kieran Suckling once boasted that he himself engages in a kind of psychological warfare (which for a fact he is credentialed with his degree in Philosophy) by causing stress to already stressed public servants when he bragged, "They feel like their careers are being mocked and destroyed -- and they are. So they become much more willing to play by our rules." </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.hcn.org/issues/41.22/firebrand-ways"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source: High Country News)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll never understand the murderous hatred eco-activists openly display towards ranchers on the part of the environmental movement which is in fact killing nature, not preserving it. So much about ecology movement these days has become like a fanatical version of a religious Jihad or kind of animist holy war. While there were clearly practices within traditional ranching that were irresponsible in the past, that is not the case with many ranchers today who see great worthwhile value in helping to preserve wildlife and restoring the land's vegetative ecosystems. It's not just a matter of their livelihood for profit, but also their love and passion for conservation which has also become their hobby. Rather than demonizing all ranchers and lumping them onto the Bundy Bandwagon, they should embrace and ally themselves with the more responsible ranching land stewards. But thus far they have refused to do so.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image -<span style="color: #bf9000;"> Cow Hooves</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take a close look at both photos above and below here of both cattle and Bison (Buffalo Hooves). Both cattle and bison hooves are split. The two animals are so closely related (same 'kind' of animal) that they can actually interbreed. They are roughly the same size and weight. Whether on a forest floor or on grasslands, when cattle herds are hands on managed and grazed in a way that mimics bison herds in large numbers, timing and behavior, their physiological effects on the landscape are similar to the bison. Under these conditions cattle can stimulate plant growth like grass and the native weeds (which cattle won't necessarily eat), but which in turn benefit creatures which like the weeds like the pronghorn and deer and the native insects necessary to sustain grassland birds like quail and grouse. In so doing cattle and bison sequester carbon and add organic humus to soil, which increases its fertility and water-retention, thus improving watersheds. But given Mike "Buffalo Man" Mease's lack of understanding that there really are no physical differences of cattle to buffalo, are we to assume ancient historical buffalo herds of 60+ million were a bad thing within the pre-1800s environment ??? 😕 Hardly!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image -<span style="color: #b45f06;"> Bison Hooves</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When you look at the various hooves and their imprints, you should be able to notice that they closely resemble chisels. They have the ability to cut into the soil, churn it up, break up crusts and clumps, create pockets to hold moisture, trample old vegetation into the ground. Humans have terminology for this action. We call it tilling and cultivation. Of course animal disturbance on the land done the right way only disturbs the top few inches, not feet like science-based mechanized innovation. But grasslands, forests and wildlife have steadily declined since the massive bison herds were wiped out over 150 years ago. So to offset this horrible ecosystem decline, these so-called defenders of Nature, which apparently also includes many in government, academic and the general conservation bureaucracy seek to banish cattle completely off the landscape. And yet Cattle properly managed through a hands on holistic approach are the only true substitute for those missing keystone grazers, the (Bison herds). What's worse, environmentalists have no idea of how, why or what other animals to replace the Bison with out on the landscape. They never offer any real world viable solutions other than promoting the need of reducing mankind through science-based abortion, eugenics and hospital oversight over euthanasia programs. After that, they want to turn everything into their version of wilderness and Nature will just fix the problem all by itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Interestingly, regarding these chisel design patterns of hooves: the </span><a href="http://rodaleinstitute.org/our-work/organic-no-till/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Rodale Institute has developed a crimper-roller</span></i></b></a><span style="font-size: large;"> that’s designed to trample green manures and old stalks into the ground. The tines work like chisels. Vineyards have available to them a smaller, even more chisel-like adjustable “eco-roll.” And </span><a href="https://www.ameslab.gov/news/insider-story/ames-lab-helps-develop-artificial-bison"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Ames Lab at Iowa State University have also produced an imprinter-roller</span></i></b></a><span style="font-size: large;"> that tries to imitate the hoofprints of passing buffalo, to be used in Colorado prairie restoration. All of this is about bomimicry when it comes to the ecological management of the landscape that went on for thousands of years with 60+ million forest and prairie Bison. Keep in mind, such innovation is necessary in the absence of herbivore animals. Animals are the original ecosystem management component [tool] and that's by design.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">In conclusion, this information and news items are for people who do own land and who want to manage that land in a holistic manner which will enhance ecosystems and wildlife. There are numerous services that grazing and browsing animals can perform if properly managed which would negate the using of more science-based toxins. As for all these enviromental groups which lay claim to being the only solution for representing Nature, run the other way folks. There is a Proverb 24:21 which states the danger in associating with these types of groups, it says, </span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;">" . . and do not associate with those who are calling for change [or allegiance with, and are dissenters, rebels, revolutionaries]."</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our world today is characterized by militant activism against anything and new ways of being offended, angry and outraged seem to be invented or fabricated now on a daily basis. Save your money folks and pursue rescuing and rehabilitating nature under far more peaceful responsible circumstances. My wife and I just recently visited my hometown from Sweden which is San Diego California this past April 2018. Everything there seems to have taken a turn for the worse. California is literally riddled with misdirected people who are looking for any reasons to become activists for whatever cause. People now days seem to be at war with whatever is popular on social media that outrages them and considered trendy to participate in. Very few seem to have a normal life anymore, whatever normal life once was. In the mean time, being credentialed with regards to environment issues are ultimately meaningless when these so-called credentials conflict with common sense and reality on the ground.</span><br />
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<a href="https://sustainabledish.com/podcasts/sustainable-dish-episode-031-ecological-morals-arguments-raising-animals-eat/"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Sustainable Dish with Joel Salatin</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com3Nordamerika54.5259614 -105.25511870000003-19.0954476 89.510506299999975 90 59.979256299999975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-2376361168232575372018-04-09T15:56:00.000-07:002018-11-17T00:41:46.584-08:00Who has the right & authority to Name Nature ??? (& What's up with Species?)<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Anybody else have a Love/Hate Relationship with Taxonomy and Taxonomists ??? </i>😒</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>To answer this question in the Post's title, People Do! 😉</b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Psychology Today</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">No really, it's true. People have that right. Well, just suppose half the people believe what is said at Genesis 2:19-20 where Man is given the assignment of naming the animals, birds, seas creatures, etc. Then of course there is the present day secular gang who adamantly insists there is no God and deem it their responsibility not only to name, but classify Nature. And voila, we now actually have two opposing ideologically driven sides who are surprisingly on the same page with something. Who woulda thunk it ? 😲 Yeah I know, but like I've always said, both sides are the mirror image of each other. Much to the irritation of the Sciencey gang of course. 😉 Giving common names to living things can run into the hundreds of names on a single organism alone, given all the various languages, cultures, ethnicities and historical civilizations over centuries, etc. One of the strategies that was supposed to simplify things and fix the confusion so that identity of a specific living organism could be universally assured worldwide was to provide scientific names in Latin. Okay that made sense, as long as all peoples agree. But I've found long ago that not even that works. Which brings me to some other puzzling terms & labels in english like, "species," "sub-species," "speciation," "breeds," "races," "cultivators," "hybrids," etc, etc, etc. Different terms, but ultimately in each instance still require all the same mechanisms for which provide changes. How many of you know that there can be upwards of 16 different definitions for the word "species" and that there is no universally accepted answer among scientists and other researchers ??? How many knew there are such things as different species of molecules, chemicals, etc ??? How many of you knew that there is no universally accepted idea on what accounts for "speciation"</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"> (which refers to the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution)</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"> ??? Take a long hard look at our natural world going down hill and you'll soon realize that science clearly does NOT know everything about Nature as they promote themselves as the only authorized keepers of knowledge & truth. I'll provide more examples of more things that bug on this subject down below.</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Amazon</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">But first, Biologist Carol Kaesuk Yoon, who wrote the book, "Naming Nature," which delved into the historical tensions between evolutionary biology and taxonomy. Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) was the Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist, who formalised the modern system of naming organisms called binomial nomenclature. But even Linnaeus struggled in the eighteenth century to define this sciencey word/term</span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"> "Species"</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"> in light of living things tendency to change (mutate) over time while still relying on the usual imperfect human gut felt intuitiveness & common materialistic propensity with making purely visual judgments by mere outward appearances. Later as taxonomy modernized by moving into the laboratories, the results appeared counterintuitive to humanity’s innate predisposition for order in the world. In otherwords things became more muddled and fuzzier than previously thought. But by conceding scientific authority to taxonomists, Dr Yoon then argued, that mankind contributes to their own alienation from nature. No surprise here since the average human being has been indoctrinated into allowing the credentialed (politics, religion, business, scientists, etc) to do all their intellectual thinking, research and personal study for them and accept blindly whatever makes their own personal worldview feel good.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">People are no longer interested in going outdoors. It's as if they've been possessed by some alien force, we'll call technology and social media. Who needs a real life when you can have a virtual life with 100s of make believe friends. If they want to see Nature then they Tech companies invented Pinterest, Google Plus, Facebook, etc. They can look at all those pretty doctored up photographs with no titles or description. I'm just not that way, I've got to find out things for myself and verify that they are true. I can't just take some narrator's (David Attenborough, Robert Redford, etc) word or ideological take on the subject. Take my biggest pet peeve here on plant classification manipulation.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">What the heck is up with</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> all these Plant Name</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> c</span></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><b style="font-style: italic;">hanges ? </b>😕</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">My number one interest is how we've come by the names given to plants (& how we classify them), since plants are the biggest influence regarding my love and passion for nature. Over the past few years there has been some major upheavals in the scientific name change department. This photo above of a California shrub from my home town is known commonly as Deerweed (Acmispon glaber), but it was formerly known as (Lotus scoparius). Other reclassifications have taken place. Cupressus stephensonii, the species known as Cuyamaca Cypress, which is endemic to the Southern California county I come from, San Diego, has also been reclassified as Hesperocyparis stephensonii. And the list of reclassifying is endless. Rather than rant on this subject anymore, here is an article in </span><a href="http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/articles/why-plant-names-change-2/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Pacific Horticulture: "Why Plant Names Change"</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"> which provides a fascinating account on why there have been so many changes. The interesting thing is that it just begs more questions. Take a look at a few of these questions below from a Nursery industry business perspective when it comes to things being labeled accurately that would be of great interest to the home gardener, professional landscaper, and commercial farmer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>The Future of the Taxonomy of Cultivated Plants</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><i>"In agriculture and horticulture, at least 80% of taxonomic problems are related to the cultivar. In particular, questions such as (a) “Am I really dealing with a new cultivar?” (b) “To which species does a cultivar belong?” (c) “How can I recognize a cultivar phenotypically, especially if it is a hybrid?” and (d) “Does the cultivar-group system always work?” continually impact on the work of those dealing with the classification and naming of cultivated plant material."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://wwwlib.teiep.gr/images/stories/acta/Acta%20634/634_25.pdf"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></b></i></a> </blockquote>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Okay, those are common sense logical questions anyone would ask. Now in this same link above and just below the the abstract which I've partially quoted here above, the article also brings up yet another term to further muddle an already challenging task of separating things into scientific ordered categories and that was the subheading title here:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>IS THE INTEREST IN CULTONOMY EQUALLY DIVIDED? </i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Cultonomy ??? Yes, Cultonomy focuses more on the classification of cultivated plants or 'cultivators' using only few classification categories. Still, what we really are discussing here are varieties of the same "kind" *cough-cough* "species" of wild parent plant and the various well known vegetable varieties we all know and love from the grocery store. Even though we would never come close to guessing that the varieties listed below all come from the same single cursed invasive parent Mustard plant many gardeners, landscapers, conservationists curse, we should still be amazed at the great "variety" that has resulted from a single plant. The other thing that should impress is the massive amount of informational content within the this wild Mustard plant's DNA for which the epigenetic mechanisms play a major role in accessing Apps, Files, Programs, etc (formerly known as Junk DNA) by turning on or off switches in genes allowing a certain gene or combination of genes to be expressed in various specific ways. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BbjI-IwqDrU/VRFIQTt6bQI/AAAAAAAAFkA/TFqTe978sKQ/s1600/wild%2Bmustard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BbjI-IwqDrU/VRFIQTt6bQI/AAAAAAAAFkA/TFqTe978sKQ/s200/wild%2Bmustard.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Whaaaaat ??? You mean all those veggies come from one common ancestral plant we call wild mustard ? Yup it's true! So how is all this possible ? Well, apparently, about 2500 years ago, Brassica oleracea was solely a wild plant that grew along the coast of Britain, France, and other countries around the Mediterranean. That wild form which still exists today as do other familiar ones known as wild mustard which looks like the one here in the photo to the right and is also a well known weed to most Western Home Gardeners. Yup, this plant has taken over many parts of the southwestern United States on slopes which were once chaparral and especially coastal sage-scrub covered. But what's interesting is that the change within this plant are itself incredibly fascinating. And more incredible are the mechanisms within the genetics (epigenetics) which allow such changes to occur. These changes occur whether dumb luck by changed environmental cues which created the changes or whether they were intelligently directed by humans. Which leads us to more questions. If intelligent humans can purposefully direct and choose for changes in plants and we label to result as a "cultivator" or "variety," how come we don't label (bare with me here) them different species, brees or races ? Why not call different humans "cultivators" (since two intelligent people can make an intelligent choice to have children) or maybe "breeds" like we do with animals ? So we can call we humans collectively a "species," but would different races be "sub-species" ??? Amazing how nonsensical things can become when you layout in the open ? </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">You see, nobody here is arguing there is no change out there in Nature, but rather what exactly are the mechanisms for change and why do we humans label things the way we do. I mean is it really dumb luck or rather incredibly amazing complex responses within an organism's genetic makeup to outside environmental cues, purposed or otherwise which result in these changes ??? And why do these changes created by the same mechanisms really constitute all these different labels like a "Species" ??? "Sub-Species" ??? New "Breed" ??? New "Variety" ??? New "Cultivator" ??? Or ????????? 😕 A while back in 2016, there was an article in National Geographic about the change of feather colour in a bird known as Northern Flickers. It was noticed that some yellow Northern Flickers were sporting feathers which were mysteriously changing to a reddish-orange plumage and the theory was that the western Red-Shafted Northern Flickers were mating with the eastern Yellow-Shafted Northern Flickers creating the orange variety. But both these birds live so far apart from one another. So how did this change happen without such cross breeding ??? It was discovered that in some areas the yellow variety of Northern Flickers were eating the red berries of an introduced non-native invasive Honeysuckle. Whatever was in the pigment (</span></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">rhodoxanthin) </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">within the berries of the Honeysuckle, it had an effect on the colouration of the plumage. It's kind of like when a person eats or drinks too much carrot juice and their skin can turns a bit yellow orange, otherwise known as </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenosis"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Carotenosis</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">. 😲 Still, no one has yet placed a new species label on such an effect. At least I've not yet heard of an Orange Flicker species label. But the Northern Flicker story is fascinating and illustrates part of what makes or causes changes to occur. Here is what </span><a href="https://cbs.asu.edu/people/chew-0"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Matt Chew</span></i></b></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">, Research Professor of Arizona State University, commented on to the Auduban Society about the term they used, "invasive" (Matt hates this term with a passion).</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">"The basic finding here is that flickers that eat honeysuckle berries transport rhodoxanthin to their feathers, and ornithologists finally figured that out. Ockham's razor should have been applied to this morphological problem long ago, and at last a simple, obvious solution was recognized. But it's embedded here in a pretty thick matrix of nativist ideology." </span><a href="http://www.audubon.org/news/mystery-solved-invasive-berries-blame-turning-flickers-feathers-pink"><b><span style="color: blue;">(Source - Auduban)</span></b></a></i></blockquote>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Matt Chew referred to William of Ockham (Ockham's Razor) who taught that entities should not be multiplied without necessity. Seriously, dumb luck is said to always be King in creating change. The Science textbooks have always told us that changes over long deep time through random unplanned purposeless mutations (copying errors) coupled with Natural Selection</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"> (A label invented for an idea that says randomly generated variation, would be poorly designed (i.e., hindering reproduction capability) and wouldn't get propagated)</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"> are what give us different successful species. Except of course when it doesn't work that way. There are numerous well known evolutionary icons out there which are said to illustrate speciation. Darwin's Finches, Stickleback Fishes, Ciclid Fishes, Blind Cave Fish, Peppered Moths (now we have peppered snakes), etc. On the subject here of the Peppered Moths, the classic story goes like this. The peppered moths went from being mostly light-colored to being mostly dark-colored during the industrialization of 19th-century Manchester, England. The phenomena was called “industrial melanism,” and they attributed this to natural selection. The theory went, that dark-colored moths were supposedly better camouflaged on coal soot polluted-darkened tree trunks and this is what likely helped them to survive predatory birds who couldn't see them. But then later after air quality improved because of clean air legislation in the mid-20th century, the lighter-colored moths became more common again. We are told this is how new species develop. I once had conversation with guy who insisted this is how speciation works. You couldn't convince this guy otherwise. I gave him an illustration of an Earth populated with human beings, half the population being white people and the other half black people. I said what if something caused all the white population of people to be killed off and totally eliminated, this does not mean that suddenly all the black population become a new species. They're still human. Like water off a duck's back folks. And you will still find this story in most all of the biology textbooks teaching this icon of Darwinian evolution. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Images - Eawag/David Marques</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><br />Here's another example above with these three-spine sticklebacks which were introduced to Lake Constance in Switzerland around 150 years ago (a blink of an eye in evolutionary terms). Since then, the fish have apparently begun splitting into two separate types: one that lives in the main lake (pictured above left, female top, male in breeding colours below), and the other that lives in the streams that flow into it (above right). So I guess if the environmental field changes, as in the case of Stickleback fishes, Darwin's Finches, Peppered Moths, Blind Cavefish, etc, all which seemingly changed overnight when the environmental changes occured dramatically, it just question begs why would it occur 10,000 times faster within one or two generations on certain occasions when we were told it took 1000s or millions of years for the lucky development to happen in the first place ??? For example there have been experiments which have shown blind cavefish acquired functional eyes and eyesight in one generation of cross breeding with other different cave fish. They've now discovered that the loss of eyes in fish living in dark Mexican caves was not due to genetic (copying error) mutations, but rather due to genetic regulation or what we call epigenetics. Specifically, methylation of key development genes which originally repressed the eye expression, but which the later experiments revealed could be reversed to express once again the eyesight program. So to bring things up to a level of nonsense again for illustrative purposes, why don't we call blind humans another species ??? I know I know. Matt Chew also hit on another interesting point:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Importantly, no one has ever justified calling plants "invasive" by any scientific method. That's because it isn't a scientific claim. Although widely endorsed and regularly deployed, it is an egregious metaphor, intended to incite negative sentiment. It is a powerful figure of speech, being used to indoctrinate, not educate. Codified into laws and regulations, it supports a significant chemical biocide industry."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Yup, sure enough, the term "invasive" being used here is a human construct and implimentation of the term really only helps to serve certain specific industrial science business interests for killing an unwanted evil invader. (plant, animal, bird, fish, whatever) 😒 So the manufacture of and use of terms can be used to manipulate meaning and justify a religious belief, polictical strategy, environmental agenda, etc. But now what about these Northern Flickers ???</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Michael S. Quinton, National Geographic Creative</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Two uniquely different birds, same "kind" or "species" of the Northern Flicker. The one above is northern yellow-shafted flicker with normal coloration flying out of its nesting hole. The red-shafted northern flicker below lives in western North America, far from where the new strangely red-orange northern yellow-shafted flickers live. So f</span><span style="font-size: large;">or the yellow-shafted northern flicker, “you are what you eat” has proven freakishly true. They ate red berries and pigment changed feather colouration. Same could be said of identical human twins separated at birth. Both live and grow up under radically different environments and although both have identical DNA, the outward appearance & changes can be dramatic. See and watch the video:</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp1bZEUgqVI"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">How does Epigenetics work ???</span></b></i></a> </blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cRjYsB7AExo/WsnqmRW_8kI/AAAAAAAAMW0/ryu8jWamDb4P2NbKj8z2Sv0aQh0MvHfpQCLcBGAs/s1600/red-northern-flicker.adapt.885.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="885" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cRjYsB7AExo/WsnqmRW_8kI/AAAAAAAAMW0/ryu8jWamDb4P2NbKj8z2Sv0aQh0MvHfpQCLcBGAs/s400/red-northern-flicker.adapt.885.1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Michael S. Quinton, National Geographic Creative</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #4c1130;">The Religious Icon Known as</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> Tree of Life</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Illustration - NewtonsApple.org</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">You may remember from your school science textbooks that iconic Tree of Life proposed by scientists to explain the origin of every living thing ? Classification and labeling within this tree was supposed to hold so much promise in our understanding of life, where it all came from and how it all works. Except that something happened along the way in how we now understand things. With the field of genetics getting past that facricated roadblock called Junk DNA, we've discovered multiple amazing things about the way the genomes of life work and operate and it has dashed many old long cherished scientific myths. For example this iconic Tree of Life no longer looks like a tree, but rather a messy tangle of a black widow spider's web. Now there is more confusion rather than clarity and those begging questions that come along with it. Once again, Matt Chew exposes some uncomfortable flaws with word semantics.</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Words matter. Invasion is a coordinated, purposeful activity. It isn't just a way of expressing how we feel about something showing up where we didn't expect it. To demonstrate that honeysuckle is invading, we need to show that honeysuckle knows where it is, knows there is somewhere else to be, knows how to get there, and intends — as a species, mind you — to take and occupy territory that it does not presently control. Not an easy array of tasks."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Good point on the real meaning of this word/term invasive within the context of blaming an organism for planning, scheming, knowingly intending to accomplish something selfishly evil as any sentient being would do. Unfortunately for the promoters, plants are not sentient beings. To utter such words could actually be considered heretical to Darwinian thinking. But getting back what Matt Chew said about using words/terms being utulized for one's personal agendas:</span>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>"a powerful figure of speech, being used to indoctrinate, not educate. Codified into laws and regulations."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">It's Matt's words here which inspired me to write about a subject of terminology being used in Science for promoting political, religious or business agendas. A website I sometimes follow, but only rarely comment on is </span><a href="http://forestpolicypub.com/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">A NEW CENTURY OF FOREST PLANNING</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">. The site for me holds some mild interest with regards to forest management and ecosystem health. Generally there is some interesting discussion on practical management of National Forests which includes a wide array of uses by the public for recreation and commercial usages. The site is often used as a platform of debate between two competing ideologies with opposite worldviews, mostly between a handful of the same regular characters. One side championing Timber Industry business interests and the other Environmental Industry business interests. A post was introduced back on March 1st 2018 by the site's Admin, Sharon, who brought up some outstanding points on what exactly qualifies as a unique species. The subject was about </span><a href="http://forestpolicypub.com/2018/03/01/extinction-on-the-national-forests/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Extinction on the National Forests</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">. If anyone is familiar with the Environmental Movement's tactics on how they go about getting what they want, you'll understand they first need to locate and find a specific subject (animal, bird, amphibian, reptile, plants, etc) to champion and save from extinction. This is where the fuzziness and muddled nature of the definition shell game (word semantics) with regards Species comes into play. In the New Century article on extinction about species in National Forests, an example was provided on a rare "species" *cough-cough* "variety" or "sub-species" of the </span></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">San Gabriel Mountains Blue butterfly (Plebejus saepiolus aureolus) and this lawsuit was going forward to punish and hold accountible the US Forest Service who apparently allowed this critter to go extinct. Or so we are led to believe. The accusasions came from none other than the Center for Biological Diversity. This professional environmental business organization is known for it's talent in a gaming strategy called, "Sue & Settle." Nobody plays it better than they do.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jgFbOR3_5Yc/WsoskSzXPjI/AAAAAAAAMXY/9-MrLAF4B44_CjWiYtGJNHA2bjZ-YPg5wCLcBGAs/s1600/collage-transparent-croppedheight.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="151" data-original-width="960" height="100" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jgFbOR3_5Yc/WsoskSzXPjI/AAAAAAAAMXY/9-MrLAF4B44_CjWiYtGJNHA2bjZ-YPg5wCLcBGAs/s640/collage-transparent-croppedheight.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Plebejus-saepiolus"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">Greenish Blue Plebejus saepiolus (Boisduval, 1852)</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">This isn't to minimize the importance of conserving and saving unique animals or plants on Earth, but rather when something is said to go extinct, is it really extinct given the information we now have on genetics or is this just a ploy ? Have these environmental folks actually searched every square hectare of land area to see if it may reside elsewhere ??? Take this butterfly example. What made it distinct from all other butterflies of this same species ??? Was it's unique differences something similar to the dietary changes in the Northern Flicker ??? Or was it some other environmental anomaly which actually made it break off from other butterflies of it's "kind" - "family" - "species" - whatever ??? Interestingly it was never proven or actually listed as a species, but at best seemed to be a "sub-species." An article came out last month (March 2018) in the online journal, Daily Mail, which provided a number of bullet points on this present species crisis and the sixth extinction. It wasn't exactly helpful in enlightening the public about how science defines species. And it was extremely mysterious in informing the public how they arrived at their conclusions. Again, just more murkiness. Here are a few relevant bullet points on the subject of species as they used the term in the article.</span> <span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>"Two species of vertebrate, animals with a backbone, have gone extinct each year"</b></span></span></li>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><b>My Thoughts:</b> T</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">he definitions of what exactly constitutes the process of speciation is a mess and lacks clarity in my view. Matt Chew's reference to the deliberate use of the term "invasive" as being politically useful is the same here regarding species going "extinct." In this case, environmental groups will use specific terms which are especially useful for fundraising more money from followers or their political allies who have access to government coffers. </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">But if we apply the above bullet point to the discussion at Forest Policy Planning site, who gets to decide that life forms like the </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">San Gabriel Mountains Blue butterfly (Plebejus saepiolus aureolus) was a</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"> species and it went extinct ??? We don't have clarity on what species really means and in the case of this butterfly, it was wasn't exactly classified as a separate species, but at best a sub-species. So when the Center for Biological Diversity says that they have “gone extinct,” how do they know that these butterflies did not simply mingle in with the larger population of the same kind of butterfly somewhere else where they may have hybridized and later separated ??? I’m not trying to make light or fun of the situation here, but just what exactly we are talking about when it comes to species ??? Who'd like to read a fun Butterfly naming species story ??? </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the above photograph,Tom Emmel displays the set of Cyllopsis tomemmeli that he collected as a 17-year-old in 1959, but suddenly today almost 60 years later it is given a name as a new species. But is it really a new species or variety of the same kind of organism ?? Who knows, but the article is interesting and should create more questions about how we arrive at conclusions:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/new-butterfly-species-discovered-nearly-60-years-after-it-was-first-collected/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">FloridaMuseum: New butterfly species discovered nearly 60 years after it was first collected</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<li><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>"There are an estimated 8.7 million plant and animal species on our planet"</b></span></li>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>My Thoughts: </b>How exactly did they arrive at all these numbers and stats, especially before today's genome mapping tools came out ??? And if these genome mapping tools were used, what were the cutoffs used for determining a new species ??? How exactly are they made & determined ??? Are they applied specifically or broadly across the board ??? It's a lot like reading other science articles with all these deep time dates dealing with millions or billions of years. Mainly we have to take it on faith that the researchers know what they are doing for no other reasons than because they are said to be credentialed.</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>"About 86% of land species and 91% of sea species remain undiscovered"</b></span></li>
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</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><b>My Thoughts:</b> How do they know what has or hasn't been discovered and that these percentages are correct ??? I can't do that, so how can they do that ??? I mean these numbers are so specific, but what really is the underlying foundation for them ??? The real percentage numbers could be higher or lower, but how would they even know ??? This reminds me of another dubious science discipline, Astrobiology, and something I read in an online site about extraterrestrial life being out there somewhere in the universe.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>“We know there are exterrestrial aliens out there, we just haven’t found evidence for them yet”</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">If you want to read more of this, here is the link to the DailyMail Online sixth extinction article </span><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5509371/The-sixth-mass-extinction-scientists-warn.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(HERE)</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">. Oh and one final bullet point from the article about this mystical future event alluded to about the coming Sixth Extinction. </span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>"Earth is enduring the sixth mass species extinction which is plunging the planet into 'global crisis', scientists have warned."</b></span></li>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: medium;"></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><b>My Thoughts:</b> Today, Science has become the head of a modern day doomsday cult. They fingerpoint at the rest of humanity for the present climate change and never once accept or attribute blame to themselves for leading mankind down this path through their own inept scientific understanding and technology built on such ignorance. Traditionally in the past, we've all known of these various oddball religious groups who were often labeled as Doomsday Cults. But now appears the present secular belief system has caught up and have created their own version of a modern day academic Doomsday group think. You cannot read anything these days without this incessant love affair with the celebrated Sixth Extinction. I'm not minimizing the dire downward trend of the planet's ecological health. But I have no need of a scientific paper to tell or inform me that things are changing out in Nature everywhere across the globe for the worse. Take note below of an area of Switzerland, where Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese Fan Palm) is spreading on the southern side of the Alps in moist forests and building self-sustaining populations.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HztKvAemcC8/Wstt3pp4gzI/AAAAAAAAMXo/bL7YZYxr_po2U3stGXWxKroV9sxUNtb5gCLcBGAs/s1600/SwissPalm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HztKvAemcC8/Wstt3pp4gzI/AAAAAAAAMXo/bL7YZYxr_po2U3stGXWxKroV9sxUNtb5gCLcBGAs/s400/SwissPalm.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Vinvent Fehr</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Here is a video from the photographer of this photo above</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfD5IjApraI"><span style="color: blue;">Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese fan palm) spreading in southern Ticino</span></a></i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">There's really nothing more here to explain about the ongoing continual mass confussion of life classification on the part of the Scientifically credentialed. One day proper classification of all living things will come about, but not at the hands of the present Scientific Orthodoxy. I believe scientists have only barely scratched the surface about the informational content of DNA and the infathomable future potential possibility for providing further future change which can give mankind interesting observations for all eternity. I believe that most of the past extinct creatures are in a sense probably still with us today in one form or another. My last post on the extinction of </span><a href="https://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2018/04/megafauna-were-ecosystem-engineers-not.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Megafauna</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"> well illustrates that many are still with us. Remember the extinct Giant Ground Sloths, well we still have Sloths that exist today, just not giant ones. Remember those Mammoths and Mastodons ??? Yes, these are also gone, but remember scientists have found that the frozen fossil DNA is actually the same almost identical DNA that still exists in today's African & Asian Elephant populations and that at one time they all interbred with one another. If future environmental conditions improve and go back to what they were when Earth was heavily vegetation from Pole to Pole, then the possibility of their gradual return could be a reality. Who knows. Of course we'll need another type of major climate shift. What about Dinosaurs ??? Remember Juarassic Park's sick Triceratops ??? Did it strike anyone else as to the uncanny similarity in it's skin, legs and feet, face, etc to present day Rhinos ??? While many have proposed Rhinos come from a type of Triceratops, I'm going way out on a "Just So Story" limb here and propose that Triceratops actually came from Rhinos. Is it really all that far fetched ??? I know, the Triceratops looks so much more elaborate and complex in it's development. But so does Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Kale and Kohlrabi when you compare them to their unremarkable lowly weed parent plant the wild mustard (</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Brassica oleracea). Maybe like the exotic more spectacular looking cultivators, the various Triceratops were also the dead end hybrids of Rhinos. Pay close attention to this spellbinding talk in the video below, as paleontologist Jack Horner tells us the story of how iconoclastic thinking revealed a shocking secret about some of our most beloved dinosaurs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">So it turns out that many of these different dinosaur species fossil discoveries, were never new species after all, but were mere adolescence of the adults. Go figure! 😊 See how easy it is to create a just so narrative ??? Like Jack Horner said, Scientists love to name things. He also said Scientists have egos. Let's face it, there's a lot of fame, glitter and glory out there to be acquired if one can get their name up in lights for a new discovery. Also, future funding and notoriety are great motivation drivers to taxonomic exuberance. Believe it or not, most Evolutionary Biologists admire and follow Rudyard Kipling's lead in this "Just So Storytelling" tactic all the time, so I would encourage you to please read the Wiki article link below on Mr Kipling's Just So Stories children's book. Be careful folks about what and who you're donating your hard earned money to for scientific research. Species ? 😏</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Wikipedia</i><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_So_Stories"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">"Just So Stories" by Rudyard Kipling</span></b></i></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">No need for any references, you've got enough to chew on, think about, meditate and ponder on for a while 😉</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: medium;"><i style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">“Sure, you can name a tree, categorize it, safely identify it. But that tree exists, living the fullness of its quiet life, even if in its long history no man ever stood before it and labeled it "Pine." It knows itself already and mysteriously encounters the sun each day, nameless.” </i><b>Ivan M Granger (poet)</b></span></blockquote>
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<br />Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Kalifornien, USA36.778261 -119.4179323999999823.886426 -140.07222939999997 49.670096 -98.763635399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-3747016719660617052018-02-15T03:50:00.007-08:002022-03-31T23:16:56.746-07:00Move over Birds, Bears disperse Berries & other Seeds as well<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Think birds are the primary dispersers of seeds? Think again. OSU researchers in Alaska found another animal that might disperse more seeds.</i></b></span></blockquote><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dRYA0X1H2aM/X0pU0SDVoOI/AAAAAAAAOas/-6JZ2b0U-CwsTyne3cxsNBIPpYxeH5WAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s680/bear-crap.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="680" height="233" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dRYA0X1H2aM/X0pU0SDVoOI/AAAAAAAAOas/-6JZ2b0U-CwsTyne3cxsNBIPpYxeH5WAwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h233/bear-crap.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Image by TodaysReality</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">New research recently released by Oregon State University shows bears in southeast Alaska may be the best contributor for spreading berry seeds. Researchers used motion activated cameras set up in a study area about 30 miles north of Haines. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large; font-style: italic;">“We checked the cameras and the status of the berry clusters approximately once per week.”</span><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>quote from the study</b></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zGupkm0IPDM/WoVbeflGgcI/AAAAAAAAL3Q/hl7seSpCG0EBwCy4yrIaOXXycMoSLGYrgCLcBGAs/s1600/Toyon%2Bberries.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="686" height="281" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zGupkm0IPDM/WoVbeflGgcI/AAAAAAAAL3Q/hl7seSpCG0EBwCy4yrIaOXXycMoSLGYrgCLcBGAs/w400-h281/Toyon%2Bberries.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Image taken on December 26, 2017 by Santee Lakes</span><br /></i></b></td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">Cedar Waxwings eating Toyon Berries @</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> Santee Lakes</span></i></b><br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5V37sWd4RY/WoVbYTI5hTI/AAAAAAAAL3M/wFaYigaNI_gMsqTjCmDK2bkpvJ0phxa5ACLcBGAs/s1600/fairy-wren.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5V37sWd4RY/WoVbYTI5hTI/AAAAAAAAL3M/wFaYigaNI_gMsqTjCmDK2bkpvJ0phxa5ACLcBGAs/s320/fairy-wren.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image by </i></b><b><i><span style="color: #783f04;">Danilo Carradori - </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">(Fairy Wren)</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">We all know that birds consume tonnes of seeds, nuts & berries, etc and disperse these seeds to other locations by means of their poop. Just check any fence lines in the rurals or even in urban neighbourhoods of any city and you'll find out just what birds are fond of eating. For me as a landscaper it was annoying to see Brazilian Pepper tree seedling emerging from the bottom of chainlink fence borders. They are a nightmare to control if allowed to grow. Others who live in rangelands whose business is cattle may curse Junipers for spreading across their grasslands, but even here again it's the birds who are at fault. Maybe Cattleman should find economic ways to </span><a href="https://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2018/02/sustainable-alternative-uses-for.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">profit from the Juniper's presence</span></i></b></a><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">, than blaming them for the invasion in their home territory. It's a common misconception to say that birds are the primary resource for naturally spreading seeds. There is an Oregon State University study that says it’s bears can ddo this through their scat (poop). I'd say both critters do this, but the bear factor is interesting. The Scientists concluded that’s largely in part due to the fact that brown and black bears could consume an estimated 300-400 berries in a single bite of a devil’s club cluster. Hopefully one day somebody renames beautiful things found in Nature which incorporate these otherwise vulgar words/terms "devil," "hell," etc. It's clear that there are a number of ways that seeds from plants in nature become dispersed. Another recent report from Cornell University stated that even </span><a href="http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2018/02/snakes-act-ecosystem-engineers-seed-dispersal"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Snakes act as 'ecosystem engineers' in seed dispersal</span></i></b></a><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">. Well, that's what they said 😲 See, the idea is that snakes eat rodents like rats, mice, gophers, etc. These little critters eat seed and often store them in their cheek pouches and if a snake comes along and eats them, then the seeds are eventually released by means of snake poop. Whatever 😏 Anyway it's interesting and a little scary too when you consider the way humans have </span><span style="font-size: large;">"reverse engineered"</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"> (Oops, recently got in trouble from someone for not using another science-based religious metaphor, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">"evolutionary degeneration"</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">) our planet</span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"> Earth</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">. It's like slowly dismantling an automobile to see how many parts and components you can remove before the vehicle is incapable of functioning anymore. How's that for this world's settled science? 😒</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large; font-style: italic;">“In search of the nutrition in devil’s club fruit, we estimate that a single bear can consume over 100,000 devil’s club berries per hour of continuous foraging, and brown and black bears can collectively disperse an incredible 200,000 seeds.”</span><b>quote from the study</b></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NWxkJyaqWqA/WoVVzse_boI/AAAAAAAAL28/14-yd2awwdA_EhLnTWYfteKPJDRrZUb0ACLcBGAs/s1600/GoneFishing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="736" height="332" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NWxkJyaqWqA/WoVVzse_boI/AAAAAAAAL28/14-yd2awwdA_EhLnTWYfteKPJDRrZUb0ACLcBGAs/s400/GoneFishing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image by </i></b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i>http://hookedonflyfishing.net</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">The Oregon State researcher's data also showed</span><span style="font-size: large;"> black bears</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"> were more likely to eat berries late in the season when </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">Grizzly Bears</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"> were trading in the berries for salmon. 😅</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Got Kids ? Teach them about</span><span style="color: #38761d;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Nature </i>😸</span></span></blockquote>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3CCOWHa-qfc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3CCOWHa-qfc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Here's the full article on the interesting study:</span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.2076/full"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">The primacy of bears as seed dispersers in salmon-bearing ecosystems</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
<span><blockquote>There was previously another study and practical application of utilizing bear scat in nursery plantings to reveal what had been eaten. Brilliant idea and one I'm not unfamiliar with as I've done the same with Coyote Scat and others have fed native Toyon berries to their Mina bird to facilitate California Holly germination.</blockquote></span><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mgKZ5y1vay8/XzvyX3P2ruI/AAAAAAAAOaM/OrcXsWkG1i0ksYYA-_KVMQm4t3rT6ClTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1260/bearScat-seeds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="1260" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mgKZ5y1vay8/XzvyX3P2ruI/AAAAAAAAOaM/OrcXsWkG1i0ksYYA-_KVMQm4t3rT6ClTQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/bearScat-seeds.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountain National Park</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1346" height="113" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDUPko-3IE4/Xzvy70GrdHI/AAAAAAAAOaU/5Wlbe44RqHw9pPLZasVJczzGNJKz2UG1QCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h113/beaarPoop.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Image - Art Norton</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; color: black; float: right; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span></div><span>The photo above at a Nursery reveals that one pile of bear scat sprouted 1,200 berry bush seedlings in Rocky Mountain National Park. According to the article, almost one third of the seedlings were chokecherry. The rest were Oregon grape. Clearly from the leaves you can see which are which. There was a nice comment in the article which dismissed the notice that any and all findings must be stamped as official "science-based." Here's what the author said, "The scat seedlings, which are twice as tall as any human-grown sprout, are not an official scientific study with volumes of data and hours of research. They’re unofficial and called pocket science. This mini-experiment produced the kind of results that make adding real science motivating." Good for him. This is something that anybody could do on the own and share results with others and hand it on down to other generations.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> 👍</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blog.nature.org/science/2017/05/10/what-happens-when-you-plant-pile-bear-scat/"><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What Happens When You Plant a Pile of Bear Scat?</span></i></b></a><br /></span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Alaska, USA64.2008413 -149.493673330.386674799999994 127.88913919999999 90 -66.876485800000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-72583647622669810652018-02-07T13:10:00.001-08:002018-02-08T04:47:06.124-08:00Southern California: Breathtaking Natural Wonders that will one day Disappear<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-deMynonG76s/WkY8C7BoGPI/AAAAAAAALjk/wgRS-EnPA-MdF8DbFqrD1PbnBV2GVd4cQCLcBGAs/s1600/Cal-wonders.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1600" height="430" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-deMynonG76s/WkY8C7BoGPI/AAAAAAAALjk/wgRS-EnPA-MdF8DbFqrD1PbnBV2GVd4cQCLcBGAs/s640/Cal-wonders.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>My Postcard World</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the old days back in the 1950s, animated post cards for travelers were everywhere like this California Natural Wonders postcard. I've always loved the map card's artwork and this one of California is really kool with all the little animated cartoony characters. This map card shows all the different natural wonders throughout California, like the giant redwoods, Death Valley and of course Yosemite National Park, just to name a few. California was always promoted and advertised as a land of wonders and rightly so. But I want to focuss on Southern California and many of the wonders which are now either gone or will be going soon. Did you know that Southern California boast one of the largest Lodgepole Pines ?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photograph - Bryant Olsen - June 19, 2010</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>ebay.com - prefab log cabin kit</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Most of us when we think of the lodgepole Pines, we may think of those dense woodlands in the northern reaches like Yellowstone where 80% of forest there is Lodgepole pine. We may also think of where their name comes from because these were used by the Native Americans there who did use them for lodgepoles for the typical Indian Teepee. The density of a Lodgepole Pine forest is such that because of the phenotypic plasticity scenario they often are associated with, competition is so incredibly extreme that all these trees can do is grow up as opposed to out. Hence we get a pole that is so perfect, that many prefab log cabin kit companies use the Lodgepole Pine for this very purpose.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xjPJTKUH8JE/WkY3FUQMTLI/AAAAAAAALjM/6vbQN_uOHJ8r4MMRcJhHIqrn4R2hGLZ4QCLcBGAs/s1600/Lodgepole_pine_Yellowstone_1998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xjPJTKUH8JE/WkY3FUQMTLI/AAAAAAAALjM/6vbQN_uOHJ8r4MMRcJhHIqrn4R2hGLZ4QCLcBGAs/s640/Lodgepole_pine_Yellowstone_1998.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photograph - Jim Peaco - Yellowstone Sept 1998</i></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ogm-2iBH7Ps/WkZAKF0zj1I/AAAAAAAALj4/_B5O_OfsfFYInyv8sBCttm8XnieeH-8LwCLcBGAs/s1600/fire-dance-by-william-robinson-leigh1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="500" height="131" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ogm-2iBH7Ps/WkZAKF0zj1I/AAAAAAAALj4/_B5O_OfsfFYInyv8sBCttm8XnieeH-8LwCLcBGAs/s200/fire-dance-by-william-robinson-leigh1-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another name for a Lodgepole Pine forest is a Matchstick Forest. Not only because they actually do look like a book of matchsticks, but they are also known to go up in an explosion of fierce forest fire like matchsticks when ignited. Whenever the subject of wildfire comes up together with Lodgepole Pine, you almost always get an associated headline that reads,<span style="color: #990000;"> "Fire Adapted Forests & Fire Ecology."</span> Fire Ecologists are passionate bunch when it comes to wildfire, so much so that they sometimes seem to almost worship fire as the only means for saving a plant community. This doesn't mean that fire cannot be used for good. Because it most certainly can. I know because I've used it on my own land. But the question is, "Is fire really all that necessary in every and all circumstance and with what frequency ?" Opinions and beliefs among fire ecologists vary. Some say the necessary interval between wildfires should be 30-50 years, other say 70-130 years. Trust me there is no real united consensus among them. How often do you hear or read about them bickering amongst themselves for position as to each one's expertise in the public eye through various journals ? Now take a look at this megafauna dude below known as a Mastadon. He was mainly a browser. Can you imagine what effect he had on keeping forests and chaparral bush habitats open and airy ??? Or what about the giant ground sloth ???</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">No matter who you wish to believe or follow, almost none of them will acknowledge the benefits of grazing and browsing animals as a means of healthy ecosystem maintenance. Megafauna are almost never mentioned as part of the term "Natural" for no other reason than they no longer exist. Yet we often hear the term,<span style="color: #38761d;"> "Pristine Wilderness."</span> This term most generally means untouched pre-European white man landscape. But this also most often gives the impression that the Native American is somehow considered as having a sub-human status. Like a sort of animistic conservation force guiding nature. Indeed, the Native Americans are much revered and worshipped by fire ecologists and even environmental groups because of this ongoing romantacized myth that these people were the ultimate ecological land stewards. When we listen to their public lectures or read their articles in journals, the conversation almost always comes from the standpoint of the methods used by the Indians as land stewards. What has always bothered me is that I know for a fact that the Native Americans were and still are equal to all other human beings. They are prone to mistakes as everyone else. So are we to believe they only lit fires for conservation purposes ? What about mistakes with fire like lighting fires during a Santa Ana wind event to cook supper or deliberate acts of war utilizing fire against other hated enemy tribes ? The list is endless, but apparently if they made stupid mistakes, are we then to believe this too is a part of natural because they were natives??? Now consider this item below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Champion</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> Lodgepole Pine</span><span style="color: #7f6000;"> in San Bernardino National Forest</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cqqQZhD-TNA/WkYv10rUV-I/AAAAAAAALi0/6I7aGx-vJdEAbUP_GGtqgBuLlxF8rEMrACLcBGAs/s1600/lodgepole-pine-j5376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="397" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cqqQZhD-TNA/WkYv10rUV-I/AAAAAAAALi0/6I7aGx-vJdEAbUP_GGtqgBuLlxF8rEMrACLcBGAs/s640/lodgepole-pine-j5376.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b><i>"Champion Lodgepole Pine"</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><i>image - bigbearlake.net</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wow, now that's not exactly what one thinks of when the image of a Lodgepole Pine comes to mind. The world "Champion Lodgepole Pine" (discovered in 1963) is a magnificent, double-topped tree that towers above the surrounding forest reaching a height of roughly 110 feet. It's age is estimated to be older than 450 years, which means that it germinated about the year 1560 CE. You really have to stand back at a distance to get the full view from across the meadow up there in the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear. The trail getting there features a wet meadow and other mature conifers including this largest recorded Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) in California! But some puzzling questions come up about the fire ecology dogma we are force fed about what is "natural" & "normal" when it comes to fire ecology. Take a look at those low hanging branches on this massive Lodgepole in the photo taken by Walter Feller above. Are we to believe that no fire blew through here and used those low hanging branches as a fire ladder at any time in it's 450+ years of life from 1650 onward ??? Clearly when this tree was young, the dense branches would have been from the ground up for a 100+ years anyway, with time and age naturally pruning off lower branches eventually. But still, these other giant dead limbs are almost touching the ground, how did all those fires miss this tree ??? There has been some remarkable work done on fire history and it doesn't really jive with all the blind faith dogma we've been fed. Back in February 2017 of this year, the Smithsonian Magazine printed an article about research done which stated that 84% of wildfires in North America were human caused. Interestingly, on the west coast of the United States the percentage is actually<span style="color: #cc0000;"> 90%</span>. Here's the article below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-shows-84-wildfires-caused-humans-180962315/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">SmithsonianMag: Study Shows 84% of Wildfires Caused by Humans</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now back this past September, ScienceMag, did an interview with one of the researchers of that original study, Jennifer Balch, a wildfire ecologist at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Surprisingly, California itself is up around 90% higher than nationwide average of human caused wildfires:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">"Nationwide, humans are responsible for starting 84% of wildfires, according to a paper co-authored by Balch, published this past March in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In California, the eastern United States, and the coastal Northwest, people are behind more than</span><span style="color: #990000;"> 90%</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> of wildfires."</span></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now here is a breakdown on highest reasons in order of highest stupidy just why many wildfires come about:</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i>"So the breakdown: Of the approximately 1.5 million wildfires in the government record, 25% were burning of trash and debris; about a quarter (22%) were unknown human causes. The next biggest category is arson, [then] heavy equipment, campfires, children, and smokers. Those are the seven biggest categories. Fireworks didn't rank in the very top for the whole year, but it does pop on July 4th. It’s the day with the most fires. Over 7000 events started on July 4th alone. They were predominantly started by fireworks. It's unfortunate that our Independence Day didn't fall in January or December when it's cooler and wetter.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">So now we have to assume that out of all these wildfires, natural wildfire only accounts for a mere 10% which might translate to lightning storms (rarely volcanoes). Most of these occur within the middle of the country along either side of the Rocky Mountains all the way west to the Pacific Ocean. That 10% is still not a lot of wildfire if we want to label something natural in the forest maintenance department. When researchers study wildfire and proclaim it's hallowed importance to mantaining a healthy vegetative ecosystems, rarely do any of them ever account for the historical presence of large animal herds (herbivores like deer, elk, antelope, etc) and possibly even still farther back, the one time extistence of the herbivore megafauna presence which would have kept forests and chaparral bush habitats with well pruned understories. <br /><br />But it was when Native Americans (also real human beings) finally arrived on the scene, that they then would introduce their reasons for utilizing wildfire, like running buffalo (bison and/or other megafauna) off cliffs and gradually putting pressure on slow moving megafauna species towards extinction through hunting, then yes everything did change. But some are still clinging to this Indian Burn dogma as natural phenomena for no other reason than ideologically driven religious dogma and politics. I'll move on and put other references at the bottom of this post. The final point here is that environmental components and other natural mechanisms now have changed for the worse and unfortunately this Champion Lodgepole tree's good fortune for avoiding catastrophe has run out. No doubt the end is nearer than we think for this tree also. If a catastrophic forest wildfire doesn't take the Lodgepole Pine tree, then perhaps it'll succumb to another fate like that of the last ancient Ponderosa Pine tree in Idyllwild California earlier this year 2017 which finally died and was professionally removed.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image from myidyllwild.org</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wrote about this very tree in 2013. In all my searching while I lived up there this was the biggest Ponderosa Pine in all of Idyllwild and before that early logging in the area, such large trees were very common. But here is the last final documentation I am aware of. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. 😞</span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2013/05/saturday-in-idyllwild-viewing-its-most.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Saturday in Idyllwild viewing it's most gigantic Ponderosa Pine</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7439/8715600455_c300efe028_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7439/8715600455_c300efe028_c.jpg" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image is mine from 2013 - Idyllwild California</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One sad thing for sure we can count on is that this mega-drought is not over and this despite many eco-groups & government officials proclaiming the drought over and all is well, offering proof through photo posting on social media sites of a record year of wildflower abundance. And most bought into that. Scott McLean, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as<span style="color: #990000;"> Cal-Fire </span>said this in June 2017:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“Everybody’s excited about the drought being over but all that moisture enhances the grass crop. It’s denser and higher, and it catches fire very easily."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/06/19/what-a-wet-winter-means-for-future-of-wildfire-season"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes and the 2017 wildfire season turned out to be another record year of destruction. But lo & behold we are hearing again the drought was not over as propagandized last year. The death of trees will now only escalate. Previous news reports had estimated that 100 million trees in California had died thus far as a result of the 4 or 5 year mega-drought, but now a new report has that firgure at 129 million trees. As a news report just today stated, the warmer temps, lack of rain and snow are allowing more bark beetles to survive, when the normal cold should be killing and reducing their numbers. But that's not happening right now.</span><br />
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<b><i style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">"Unseasonably warm and dry winter giving Bark Beetles in the Sierra a second lease on life"</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ABC30 Action News</span></b></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">More Bad News for another natural icon, Torrey Pines </i>😬</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9A5JNVYxBnY/WbecnF9fieI/AAAAAAAALBk/jbDmHvp0MvEECPi4FCltCK1ILdM3hqZKwCLcBGAs/s1600/Broken-Hill-2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="630" height="422" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9A5JNVYxBnY/WbecnF9fieI/AAAAAAAALBk/jbDmHvp0MvEECPi4FCltCK1ILdM3hqZKwCLcBGAs/s640/Broken-Hill-2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo: Scott Davenport/Flickr/Creative Commons</i><span style="color: #cc0000;"> (2013)</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2017/09/major-decline-in-torrey-pines-socal.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Major decline in Torrey Pines & SoCal Forests in general</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sad to imagine decline and general death in Torrey Pines, but it's true. The top photo is a favourite viewpoint for 1000s of photographers, both professional and amateur. Take note of the beautiful iconic scene in the top photo from 2013. Below is a photo of this same geological location as it exists today. Notice the dead trees ? Many blamed drought, but oddly enough down the road at Torrey Pines Country Club and Golf Resort, 66 trees planted many decades ago in association with massive networks of golf course green lawns are dead as well. This is a strange anomaly because the golf course setting creates a wetter climate scenario which is the extreme opposite of the State Reserve circumstance just to the north. Thus far no one is really taking note of the difference.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Broken Hill Sunrise by Phillip Colla</i><span style="color: #cc0000;"> (2015)</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Other examples are just plain devastation of natural areas by wildfire. In San Diego County, the 2003 Cedar Fire almost completely obliterated the entire Cuyamaca Stat Park. For those who don't know this region in the San Diego Mountains, it was like the Yosemite of Southern California with numerous square miles of no development, just raw unbridled wild old growth forest. It's all gone now and numerous generations after generations will never see Cuyamaca's old growth splender with the exception of old photographs. Go ahead and google it for yourself. Mankind is debating back and forth about whether or not humans are the cause of climate change. No one now disputes climate change is upon us, but rather the argument appears to be who or what is at fault for the climate change. Presently, the Scientific Orthodoxy is fingerpointing at the whole of mankind as fault for climate. Oddly enough there is an element of truth to that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This Lemming animation above is well known. The animals themselves have often been the subject of overpopulation and mass suicide myths. Interestingly back in 1951, there was a science-fiction piece published entitled, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">"The_Marching_Morons"</span></i></b></a><span style="font-size: large;"> which depicted an over-populated planet run by a handful of Elites who viewed the rest of humanity as nothing more than unintellectual morons (compared to themselves) who needed to be controlled. You see, the morons over-populated (prolithic at having babies) Earth as compared to the intellectual elites who didn't procreate as much. Sound familiar ??? Sounds like much of the scientific environmental talking points from scientists who blame global climate change on everyone else but themselves. The sad reality fact is that mankind only follows the bad leadership it has been given. People have been conditioned and trained that way from birth. Secular Science has truly further created a mainly materialist minded human being who only wants more and more THINGS (TOYS) like the wealthy among them have. Mind you, this same materialism infects the conventionally religious among mankind who also have been material minded for many centuries as opposed to anything spiritual. And science for the past 150 years has oblidged their hunger for materialism with their technologically advanced products. Unfortunately these products and other wares demand raw materials taken from Earth's dwindling easy to get natural resources and science has oblidged there as well by providing more efficient technologically advanced destructive means by which these raw materals could be extracted. In so doing they have reverse engineered vast ecosystems across the globe, much of which provide weather and climate controls, clean water filtration and food production by incredibly complex and sophisticated mechanisms for countless 1000s of years which other more responsible parts of science are now only beginning to understand. Yes the average poor slob human beings are viewed as those moron Lemmings and Big Consensus Settled Science represents the Elitists who now attempt to run things and fingerpoint at everyone else as the problem. Really guys ??? 😔😕</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">I'll add more examples as I have time, but clearly many many more major natural attractions in California will continue to be in decline, despite so-called proclamations from environmental groups that all is well.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Other References on Reason for Decline</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2017/06/whats-real-connection-between-droughts.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">What's the real connection between Droughts & Wildfires ?</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2017/06/burn-baby-burn-fire-ecologist-celebrate.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Burn Baby Burn - Fire Ecologist Celebrate Fire Season</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0San Bernardino Mountains, Kalifornien 92305, USA34.13 -116.8816.394599000000003 -158.188594 51.865401000000006 -75.571406tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-50035588541680146572018-01-27T01:38:00.000-08:002018-09-04T12:53:06.805-07:00California Fan Palm Updates<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">UPDATE:</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-style: italic;">Oasis of Mara</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-style: italic;"> Update by</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-style: italic;"> Desert Sun</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Sept 1, 2018</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9zXf8ABZEM/W47hMhWmJ1I/AAAAAAAAMuw/7dXjMxuCSlsCe5s92sE7-bOTaV0KQrDqQCLcBGAs/s1600/OasisMaraUpdate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1600" height="430" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9zXf8ABZEM/W47hMhWmJ1I/AAAAAAAAMuw/7dXjMxuCSlsCe5s92sE7-bOTaV0KQrDqQCLcBGAs/s640/OasisMaraUpdate.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>"Joshua Tree park superintendent David Smith talks about arson caused fire in March 2018 that burned plants and trees in the Oasis of Mara in Twentynine Palms."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://eu.desertsun.com/story/news/2018/08/31/after-arson-joshua-tree-national-park-plans-future-oasis-mara/1125080002/"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Desert Sun: "After Joshua Tree arson, Joshua Tree National Park takes steps to heal the Oasis of Mara"</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><b>=========================================</b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Like most all living things today, the Oasis of Mara in 29 Palms is fighting for it's life on Earth</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"The Oasis of Mara was first settled by the Serrano and provided them with food, clothes, tools and housing. In one legend told about the oasis, the Serrano were instructed by a medicine man to plant a palm tree each time a boy was born. In the first year, they planted 29 palm trees at the oasis."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.hidesertstar.com/news/article_520261bc-5dec-11e7-a896-1729011887d8.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Hi-Desert Star: "Oasis of Mara fights for life"</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQd8trh4Iv0/WkTu9HtGdmI/AAAAAAAALgc/gNuGIvJIAXASPivfDUGItjeddfoKUFXNgCLcBGAs/s1600/oasis-mara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="432" height="436" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQd8trh4Iv0/WkTu9HtGdmI/AAAAAAAALgc/gNuGIvJIAXASPivfDUGItjeddfoKUFXNgCLcBGAs/s640/oasis-mara.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Hi-Desert Star - June 2017</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is no argument that in this 2017 photo above, these lovely California Fan Palms are struggling to stay alive. The being narative being spun on this is that the desert oasis ecosystem here in 29 Palms is a casualty of the bigger ongoing megadrought which has been effecting all of California over the past five years. What I find odd however is that deserts by definition compared to other ecosystems are generally all about drought in the sense that deserts always experiencee less rainfall, general lack of humidy and lots of heat. So what is drought to most ecosystems is life to deserts. Despite the record rainfall from the last rainy season (winter of 2016/17), the drought pattern is far from over. Most environmental groups proclaimed all was still well in Nature to their followers by posting wildflower images taken on outdoor Springtime field trips on social networks in an attempt to smokescreen the real dire nature of our times. Fact, all is not well and the leadership in these organizations know that. Clearly so far this season, those promised normal rainfall patterns are once again a no show and the weather experts have explained that the negative high pressure pattern over the Pacific is still stationary and stronger than ever. But there is something even more worrying here than declining fan palm trees as you can see in this photo below.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Comelia Botha - April 2015 (AllTrails)</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"The mesquite trees in the oasis area are also declining,"</i> </span><b>says Neil Frakes - Vegetation Branch Chief - National Parks</b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is definitely even more odd. The native desert Mesquite Trees are in decline at this same Oasis ? 😲 Mesquite, Acacia, Palo Verde and Ironwood are some of the toughest desert trees I know when it comes to survival in the harshest of desert climate conditions. They can take any amount of intense heat the summer sun can throw at them as long as they have available water supply. And normally they do as you can see in the illustration on the right hand side of the page here. Once mature, many mesquite trees have an extremely extensive long deep tap root system which grows down 150' to 200' where many water tables can be tapped into. This allows most mesquite no real need for any available surface water which is usually dependent on rainfall. As long as Mesquite is tapped into an underground aquifer, there should be no problem. But these mesquite in the photograph above are clearly struggling and they are having a tough time in a geologic scenario where for perhaps 1000s of years this desert artesian spring has existed. This oasis is located at the end of the Pinto Mountain fault. Many earthquake faults are natural conduits for moving water where it collects and is moved towards the surface. But this sudden lack of water in an artesian spring on a fault such as Mara Oasis is troubling. Clearly one could understand shallower rooted plants like the California Fan Palms and then Cottonwoods having a rough go of things if the surface water table dropped significantly, but dropping so far down that mesquite start to die off ??? Below is a map of the earthquake faults in and around Joshua Tree National Monument.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>National Park Service</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take note of the pinpointed spot located at the entrance of Joshua Tree National Park where the Oasis of Mara is located at the end of the Pinto Mountain Faultline. Below is a definition of just what constitutes an actual artesian spring as opposed to other types of springs or seeps from the US Geological Survey site.</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">"A spring is the result of an aquifer being filled to the point that the water overflows onto the land surface. There are different kinds of springs and they may be classified according to the geologic formation from which they obtain their water, such as limestone springs or lava-rock springs; or according to the amount of water they discharge-large or small; or according to the temperature of the water-hot, warm, or cold; or by the forces causing the spring-gravity or artesian flow." </span><a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gw/how_c.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">(Source: USGS)</span></b></a></i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Wow </i>😲😠</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>Photo credit: Steve Raines - Firefighters on scene during the Oasis of Mara fire. </i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>ATTENTION UPDATE (March 27, 2018)</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looks like the Oasis of Mara is now totally gone thru an arson set fire last night (26th). One of the more annoying things is all photos of the Oasis are older photos when it was still vibrant and healthy, no reality of it's poor almost dead condition as of recently. Much the same with the decline of Torrey Pines in San Diego.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/fire-joshua-tree-damages-california-landmark-54046685"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i><b>ABC News: Fire at Joshua Tree damages California landmark</b></i></span></a></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Daniel Mayer - July 2009 <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Wikimedia Commons)</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This photograph above was taken in 2009 and can be found on Wikimedia. What a contrast when we compare this 2009 photograph to the one at the beginning from the Hi-Desert Star's article from June 30, 2017. There was one comment at the bottom of the Hi-Desert Star article which however well meaning, would never be a viable solution to correcting anything at the Oasis.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"I've lived in 29 Palms since the early 1960s and this is by far the worst the Oasis has looked in that time period. Something needs to be done to save what's left. The mesquite needs to be cut way back for starters because it's stealing water from other plants that need it more, like the Palms and the lone Cottonwood. After all, these palms in the Oasis are our namesake."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.hidesertstar.com/news/article_520261bc-5dec-11e7-a896-1729011887d8.html#comment-8aa6a8d2-5df3-11e7-b14c-5cb9017b9d1f"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Hi-Desert Star's comment section)</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />The Mesquite at the Oasis are not the bad guys here. But this is common with many people who by nature will demonize one favoured plant over another less loved plant. I clearly do understand the emotion behind the commenter's feelings about the idea of removing the mesquite to save the much beloved and rarer palm as compared to plants from the pea family, but the mesquite are generally more helpful than harmful. In previous posts I've provided this animated illustration above showing the incredible natural hydrological phenomena mesquite are known for. This natural phenomena is known as, <span style="color: #0b5394;">Hydrailic Lift and Redistribution</span>. The Mesquite tree is quite often an excellent important nurse tree for other desert plants like young Saguaros cacti. Likewise so are Palo Verde and other desert trees. They can tap into a permanent water source and lift that deep water to the surface re-hydrating their own lateral rootsystem, thereafter feeding it into the mycorrhizal fungal network grid which may be connected to other plants like the California Fan Palms and/or Fremont Cottonwoods. This phenomena is especially strongest at night. So cutting down the mesquite would offer no value, since the mesquite themselves are clearly struggling and in decline. This would not be so if the water table within the fault were at normal levels. It could be that a lack of rainfall and snow up in the San Bernardino Mountains to the west have not been capable of recharging the Pinto Mountain Fault aquifer because of the mega-drought. But I'm not sure. Or it may also be another natural anomaly which sometimes changes hydrological conduits caused by some major earthquakes which have been known to close off and completely shut down age old artesian Springs, forcing their waters to resurface elsewhere. This actually happened historically with the town of St David Arizona south of Benson where artesian springs and ponds began to appear where they never were previously. However in other townsite areas further south like Charleston and Fairbanks where springs and lush grazing lands once existed in the old west cattle ranching days, they actually began to dry up and disappear after an earthquake. Here is the link below to this event and it's a good read. Mind you, I'm not certain if that happened near 29 Palms, but it's one posibility given the historical seismic activity of Yucca Valley which is aligned with the infamous San Andreas fault.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.tombstonetimes.com/stories/quake.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Tombstone Times: "The Day the Earth Shook in 1887"</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">How an 1887 Earthquake change a high desert environment into a lush riparian paradise - </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">St. David, Arizona</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Other </span><span style="color: #38761d;">California Fan Palm</span><span style="color: #b45f06;"> Updates</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>“Pygmy Grove” - Anza-Borrego Desert State Park</i></b></span></td></tr>
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Well in other News, there appear to be a number of people with agendas insisting that the Washingtonia filifera is a non-native invasive brought here from Mexico and planted in numerous brand new locations throughout the Southwestern USA by Native Americans and therefore not Natural. This is a switch since numerous environmentalist groups have often considered the Native American as type of early primitive sub-human animal which was an integral part of North American ecosystems. But as I've stated before, the idea of an "Ecological Indian" is nothing more than a myth. They always were/are real human beings equal to all other cultures and races on Earth. The ONLY real difference between themselves and the white European settlers when they first came to North America was nothing more than differences in education and technology. I don't really wish to focus on this controversy which is mostly time wasting. But apparently there is another ideologue out there, James W. Cornett, an ecological consultant with the city of Palm Springs, who is convinced that the California Fan Palm is actually an invasive, brought here originally from Mexico by native indigenous peoples from the ancient past. While acknowledging they can be spread by animals like birds and coyotes, etc, he blames Native Americans (real people/humans) as the foremost cause for the Fan Palm's presence. Clearly many Natives Americans did farm, plants small gardens and field crops, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that they did spread the Fan Palms to new locations as they did with Elderberry and Prickly Pear Cactus. But we live in times of controversy in the botany world. There's a plethora of individuals out there right now attempting to rewrite classsification history of all manner of plants. Here is his story anyway:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5CdqjnzaE_E/WmYdREcuYjI/AAAAAAAALr8/zObML2RqxPYdwipPqc6coqgehiioNpIcQCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BELAYNE%2BSEARS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="342" height="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5CdqjnzaE_E/WmYdREcuYjI/AAAAAAAALr8/zObML2RqxPYdwipPqc6coqgehiioNpIcQCLcBGAs/s400/Photo%2Bcourtesy%2BELAYNE%2BSEARS.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo courtesy Elayne Sears</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://macskamoksha.com/2017/03/did-native-americans-introduce-fan-palms-california"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">"Did Native Americans introduce Fan Palms to California?"</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is certainly not the first time he has promoted this same line of reasoning since he has done so as far back as back in 1991. Apparently, James W. Cornett published this same Washingtonia filifera is invasive nonsense in the San Bernardino county Museum Association Quarterly Volume 38 Number 2, summer 1991. But there is another person out there who is dedicated to the saving of the Moapa Palms Oasis, Spencer Winton, who has written numerous articles about justification for the palms long ancient history. He's researched thoroughly and even interviewed the grand parents and great grand parents of many of the Native Americans to this area who have explained the palms were always a major part of life in this area. You can judge for yourself. Here Spencer provides a rebuttal to Cornett's 1991 invasive narative. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.xeri.com/Moapa/globalwarm.htm"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.xeri.com/MoapaPalms-GlobalWarmingRebuttal</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.xeri.com/Moapa/relict.htm"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.xeri.com: "The Desert Fan Palm-- Evidence Supports Relict Status"</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
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Another player in the proposed Fan Palm removal has not only been the Government, but also the <span style="color: #0b5394;">Southern Nevada Water Authority</span> who has stepped in pushing it's own water rights agenda by using the saving of a native fish, Moapa Dace, strategy for which the Palm Trees are said to be partially the blame for the fish's decline. Here are some pertinent quotes:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>Tensions are running high in the Warm Springs area 60 miles north of Las Vegas, where the Southern Nevada Water Authority bought up land to protect a rare fish but has endangered relations with the locals in the process.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i> Lately, it’s the sound of chain saws that has residents buzzing. Over the past year, workers have cut down some 900 wild palm trees on the fenced, 1,200-acre tract the authority bought in 2007 and now operates as the Warm Springs Natural Area."</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"Before the Southern Nevada Water Authority took a lead role in protecting the endangered Moapa dace, the regional agency was widely considered one of the biggest threats to its survival. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>For decades, the authority has pushed a plan to tap billions of gallons of groundwater across rural Nevada. One of the links in that pipeline network is Coyote Springs Valley, just west of the palm-lined springs and streams at the upper end of the Moapa Valley. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>Authority officials became chief defenders of the finger-length fish under a 2006 federal agreement that also cleared them to pump water at Coyote Springs."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/snwa-thins-palms-upsets-warm-springs-residents/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Southern Nevada Water Authority thins palms, upsets Warm Springs residents</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>By Henry Brean - Las Vegas Review Journal</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />So 900 Washingtonia filifera or California Fan Palms were cut down and the happy biologists can now snorkle to count how many Moapa Dace actually exist as seen in the photo above where palm stumps are the only visible remnants of the Fan Palm's former existence. It's the same old story, to obtain success with one's favoured agenda, justify it by claiming you just want to save something else. This happens all the time, especially regarding forestry and housing development arguments. Environmental groups do this all the time championing the life of something when something entirely different is on their mind. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't care about saving endangered organisms, we should. But you really have to put those who make claims to be outraged about an endangered creature into perspective when often times their goal is this just another "Sue and Settle" money making scheme to fill their coffers. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Moapa Oasis & Natural Area, Nevada</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b><i>Image - Stan Shebs - May 2006</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.xeri.com/Moapa/wf-hr-part1.htm"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"><br />Intro to The Basis for the Current Official Listing of Washingtonia filifera in Moapa Warm Springs Nevada as a 'Non-native' Species - and the evidence which contradicts it</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Anyway all these updates make for some interesting reading about California Fan Palm beyond the brief landscaping descriptions referenced in a Sunset Western Garden book. It is interesting that the native Desert California Fan Palm is on the increase in desert areas of Coachella and Imperial Valley and not necessarily by people, but by means of critters. The Mexican Fan Palm on the other hand is out of control, spreading and invading riparian habitats on the western side of the Mountains near the Pacific coast. Here are some other posts I've written regarding California Fan Palms and finally the invasive Mexican Fan Palm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2014/06/getting-to-root-of-why-natives-rule.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Getting to the Root of why Natives rule & Exotics struggle or outright fail</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2015/09/california-fan-palm-washingtonia.html"><span style="color: blue;">California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) growth explosion with Mycorrhizal Fungi</span></a></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2015/08/day-of-triffids-or-monolith-monsters.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">"Day of the Triffids" or "Monolith Monsters" ? (Mexican Fan Palm - Washingtonia robusta)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>=======================================</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>The Fan Palm Oasis in Mum's Front Yard</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo mine in 2015 (El Cajon, California)</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Both Mexican & California Fan Palms, Screwbean Mesquite, Mexican Bird of Paradise Bush, Baja Fairyduster, Laurel Sumac, and Engelmann Oak.</span></blockquote>
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Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Twentynine Palms, Kalifornien 92277, USA34.1355582 -116.0541688999999833.9253437 -116.37689239999997 34.3457727 -115.73144539999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-3695523442291286132017-09-13T06:25:00.008-07:002022-11-14T09:48:32.672-08:00Southern California: Engineering an Urban Landscape patterned after the blueprint found in Nature<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: #783f04;">Some interesting facts about </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Laurel Sumac</span><span style="color: #783f04;"> and it's ability as an ideal nurse plant which utilizes </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">Hydraulic Lift & Redistribution </span><span style="color: #783f04;">of sub-soil </span><span style="color: blue;">water </span><span style="color: #783f04;">which facilitated this </span><span style="color: #274e13;">Torrey Pine</span><span style="color: #783f04;"> to thrive</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've written previously about this specific location in El Cajon California on the famous Rattlesnake Mountain regarding the Torrey Pines planted there over 30+ years ago and the emotional response by many folks over the irresponsible actions by Sky Ranch Housing residents who cut them down with chainsaws and the blind eye stance by <span style="color: #bf9000;">Center for Natural Lands Management</span> to what took place even though the conservation area has a plethora of threatening signage around this mountain about the consequences of trepass into this conservation area <span style="color: #990000;">(I would presume this also means Sky Ranch residents)</span>. I did contact someone at the <span style="color: #bf9000;">CNLM (Ecologist Markus Spiegelberg)</span>, but he said there was nothing they could do. He claimed he never saw the trees, which wasn't true because he did initial plant inventory and did notice the San Diego Coastal Cholla Colony which I also established 30 + years ago along with one Saguaro I had and didn't know what t do with because my father did not want it in his yard. Yet Markus found it's presence way back when interating. The 30' tall Torrey Pines were all next to this colony, so he new, plus he said they did not belong there anyway. They were non-native. The irony is the restoration work of all Coastal Sage Scrub habitat ruined by Sky Ranch construction which he over saw contains non-natives like Mediterranean Rockrose, etc. However this post isn't about them or the negative actions they undertook. This is for people who wish to understand why these trees succeeded in such an inhospitable environment for trees where failure should have been the norm. The practical applications I used so many years ago which were inspired of biomimicry (strictly replicating how Nature works) is even more important now in view of the major declines of Torrey Pines at their native habitat in La Jolla and Del Mar along the coast which I just now wrote about in this link below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2017/09/major-decline-in-torrey-pines-socal.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Earth's Internet: "Major decline in Torrey Pines & SoCal Forests in general"</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My photograph from 2011</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This Torrey Pine tree above was one of many planted during the winter rainy season of 1980/81 after a wildfire had raged all across the Rattlesnake Mountain range between the cities of El Cajon, Santee and Lakeside that previous hot summer of 1980. I had planted other Torrey Pines during the 1977, but the wildfire of 1980 consumed all of them. It was in the middle 1970s when I was taking Ornamental Horticulture that some research was just coming out about the idea of nature having some plants which acted as nurse plants for tree seedlings. That intrigued me and my first experiments with testing for the best nurse plants were with California Buckwheat shrubs. While they worked okay, many plants failed after a couple of years and I eventually settled on Laurel Sumac which I found far more successful. I eventually chose the location I did because it was remote and rarely had visitors. It was on the direct south facing slopes of Rattlesnake Mountain towards direct sunlight. Not exactly an ideal location for trees in the dry west. Very little trails or reasons for people to hike around there. The tree in the photo above was over 25' in height when this photo was taken in 2011. It grew slowly at first, then started shooting up more as it matured. Under more ideal conditions it would be almost double that height like my 4 Torrey Pines I planted at my home in Anza California at elevation 4,500' (Table Mountain) back in 1986. Those trees are about 50', but the San Jacinto Mountains also get far more measurable rainfall per year compared to the interior hot valleys east of San Diego. An important part of that rain also comes in the form of Summer monsoonal thunderstorms from Mexico, something El Cajon never sees. This tree below is the smallest of the two Torrey Pines mainly because it became overwhelmed by it's nurse plant's foliage until it much later found a way out from the Laural Sumac's canopy. Hence you can see the crocked picturesque angle it had to take much like the Torrey Pines along the Sea cliffs. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is mine from 2011</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - <span style="color: #990000;">AZ Plant Lady</span></i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Again this photo above is the smaller of the Torrey Pine which like the larger one was planted within the influence of a large Laurel Sumac chaparral shrub, but at time of planting after wildfire was burnt to the ground. The shrub resprouted and grew rapidly. Eventually enveloping both trees, but the upper tree had managed to have it's central leader always protruding through the Laurel Sumac's canopy. While this lower tree's foliage struggled with not only the larger Sumac's foliage, but also from competition from another Laurel Sumac on the other side as there was a second shrub. I watered them once a week during the first Summer by carrying milk jugs full of water, three in each hand. It was tough going and generally 100+ Fahrenheit in summer. Later I switched to very early mornings or evenings after sunset, but still light outside. I had to also be careful so as not to drawn any suspicion from neighbours. And of course you know the reason why. My method of using the milk jugs was not like the one in the picture above, but rather I would turn them upside down partially burried and water would percolate slowly straight down into the soil directly next to the seedling. But after a year, this method was no longer needed.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is mine from </i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The following two years after that first hot summer the trees were doing excellent under their nurse chaparral shrubs (Laurel Sumacs and California Buckwheat), but something more was needed because I was not going to pack mule water up that mountainside forever which would force the seedlings to remain on life-support. Eventually they had to mature and stand on their own in the wild. For about eight good years the trees grwe slowly, but remained healthy. Something more was needed and again there was newer research coming out in some Ag & Forestry Journals about numerous symbiotic fungi which lived on plant roots and kept their hosts alive in the wild. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>(Research was tougher come by back in the 1970s as access was limited to conventional brick & Mortar libraries, school textbook references and subscriptions to journals. Today we have the internet which provides mountains of research on how nature works. And yet amazingly biomimicry still doesn't represent mainstream science.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Human understanding of plant ecosystem mechanisms in the wild was improving in the late 70s - early 80s. I found the research of US Forest Service Biologist, Dr Donald Marx (former senior scientist for PHC), who was studying which was the best species of ectomycorrhzal fungi that would benefit new pine and oak seedlings for survival. His conclusion was Pisolithus tinctorius like the one I collected here in the photo above from the San Diego County backcountry just south of the gold mining town of Julian. So I figured why not. The dried puffball truffles which looked like dog turds had the dark brown powdery substance (spores) I needed to make this work. So almost a decade after planting in 1980, I dug small three inch deep holes (about four) around all sides of the Torrey Pine seedlings with my finger and drop in some of the chocolate coloured spore powder into the holes, then back fill it in with soil and watered. I made about a dozen holes and inoculation points far enough away from the tree trunks where I thought the root hair feeder roots would be. It was crude in comparision to what I use now because many of the commercially prepared mixes today come with root growth stimulators like humic acid, etc. These are important because they encourage new root hair growth which is necessary for the fungi to begin to colonize. The fungi will only colonize the root hair tips or cap when it comes into contact with the spore. I worked quickly because in 1982 I was moving to Idyllwild California up in the San Jacinto Mountains. Take note below of the benefits of fungi and plant root interactions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can see clearly the colonized roots on the pine seeding at right. The image on the left has been digitally altered to remove the fungal web so that the actual pine seedling root system are exposed. As you can see, pines without fungal colonization are at a huge disadvantage from a water distribution area point of view. Frankly it was still some years later that I became more familiar with the value in nutrient uptake as well. For me, access to water was the more important factor at that time. It wasn't till the middle 1990s I found out that this particular fungi increases both water and nutrient absorption from 200% to 800%. Some of the central leader stems on the trees were now growing more than a foot high in a season and producing next years leader with numerous branch buds six more inches in length. That explained to me even further why I always had success with pines and oaks on my acreage up in Anza, California, when I mostly attributed the healthy vigorous growth to better access to more water availability because of higher geographical rainfall totals. This particular fungi is an ectomycorrhizal fungi symbiotic companion which generally prefers trees, but the nurse shrubs I used in El Cajon were endomycorrhizal. So no real connective interactions between pines and shrub. However, the PT mycorrhizae will travel underground 200' away from it's host looking for water and nutrients, so any water acquired by the nurse plant shrub from deeper sub-soil will be released in the top surface layers of soil and picked up be the ecto-fungi. More on that function and phenomena we call hydraulic lift below.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>A Perfectly Natural Phenomena of Older Needle Drop in Evergreens like Pines</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - affordabletrees.com</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Ladd Livingston, <br />Idaho Department of Lands, Bugwood.org</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Some people become alarmed when they see yellow dead and dying needles within their urban landscape pines or other evergreens. No worries, if the older, interior needles of your evergreen pine trees or even shrubs are yellowing and dropping, rest assured it is probably not a disease or an insect infestation. It is the normal fall needle drop, sometimes referred to as seasonal needle drop. All conifers loose at least some of their needles every year. Most conifers (Pines) will retain needles through several growing seasons as indicated by the branch whorls which count as a years growth in a season. But think of the foliage of a Pine tree or any other tree or shrub as a living biological manufacturing plant. They will shed and remove any of their older, less efficient needles each fall. Generally these are the oldest needles from past years. Prior to shedding these needles they will change color from their healthy green to yellow, orange and brownish-red like both photos above and to the right. Early in the shedding process, while the needles are still attached to the branches, these trees may appear to have an unhealthy appearance which can cause unnecessary concern. In urban landscapes people generally want everything to be perfect. Below is a beautiful illustrative graphic from Michigan State University which helps you to understand the process.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>MSU Graphic</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take note in the graphic above, it indicates two and a half years growth is still going strong. However, about three and a quarter years growth is being shed. In some cases this could also be due to drier, maybe even drought conditions. Hence the elimination of older needles may help limit transpiration surface to help the tree survive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">References on </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">Dead or Dying </span><span style="color: #274e13;">seasonal Pine Needle Drop</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/dying_and_falling_needles_on_evergreens_is_a_natural_process_in_the_fall"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/dying_and_falling_needles_on_evergreens_is_a_natural_process_in_the_fall</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://byf.unl.edu/natural-needle-drop"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://byf.unl.edu/natural-needle-drop</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/fall_needle_drop_a_natural_phenomenon_in_conifers"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/fall_needle_drop_a_natural_phenomenon_in_conifers</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.thespruce.com/fall-needle-drop-1403324"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">https://www.thespruce.com/fall-needle-drop-1403324</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Why the ability of Pine Trees to hold many growth years of their needles is important</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fY_mJYmU3CA/UB7fSi4tBHI/AAAAAAAAAos/l4XTwFtEwuA/s1600/Kevin_and_his_planting_(4)+-+Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fY_mJYmU3CA/UB7fSi4tBHI/AAAAAAAAAos/l4XTwFtEwuA/w300-h400/Kevin_and_his_planting_(4)+-+Copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b><i>My last photograph taken 2013<br /> Tree was diliberately destroyed the following year 2014</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Colorado State University</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the more remarkable things I noticed when I took this last photo in 2014 of the largest Torrey Pine on Rattlesnake Mountain in El Cajon, California, was the fact that the tree was still carrying all it's needles on every branch and the central leader on all it's growth whorls six years back. Same was true of the Torrey pine that was half this size. Keep in mind these trees were 30+ years old and survived only on the meager rainfall averages (many of which were drought years) within an interior environment where the temperatures soared to 100+ Fahrenheit which is common. The photo at right is of a drought stressed Ponderosa Pine which has all it's needles turned brown with the exception of that present year's growth. This is also often common scene in Southern California urban landscapes where much of the trees and shrubs are on some sort of irrigation life-support infrastructure. When water rates soar sky-high, then the householder cuts back. Unfortunately the underground root structure has not developed naturally to where sub-soil moisture cannot be reached and all supporting cast members present in a wild setting like deeply rooted shrubs and mycorrhizal fungi are greatly reduced or more than likely completely absent. Often the root water transportation infrastructure and it's landscaping will suffer the most. Take this example below.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Image <span style="color: blue;">Google Earth</span> (2914)<br /> Interchange between Freeway 52 & I-15</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These pines are actually Torrey Pines planted along the western side of Interstate 15 heading south to San Diego just before the Freeway 52 interchange. Take close note of the extreme stress they are in holding only present years growth of pine needles and tiny needles at that. Torreys have some of the largest and longest needles of most pines. These are also natives and not that far from the coastline where they are native. This location also experiences a strong marine air influence of daily cloud cover, especially in May-Gray & June-Gloom periods. Still they are stressed more so than those Torrey Pines further east in the much hotter inland interior valleys of Santee, Lakeside & El Cajon. Not to mention the location on a southern slope face of Rattlesnake Mountain in direct intense sunlight. I should say that some of the Torrey Pine seedlings I did plant within the shelter of California Sagebrush and California Buckwheat did well for a few years, but at about 10 years they looked much like these example you see here above and below. Eventually they died or were vandalized by idiots with guns for target practice. Only the trees planted within Laurel Sumac fared exceptionally well. The installation plan and maintenance techniques are clear, Nature needs to be replicated through biomimicry. Now look at this same location below with a Google Earth shot in 2017.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZrt0OcYZ5k/WbaBGVuNxgI/AAAAAAAALA4/WIhzS0urZDIIxIHDyV9ovreC8j1AaEbXgCLcBGAs/s1600/stressed-Torreys.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="1162" height="217" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZrt0OcYZ5k/WbaBGVuNxgI/AAAAAAAALA4/WIhzS0urZDIIxIHDyV9ovreC8j1AaEbXgCLcBGAs/w400-h217/stressed-Torreys.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Google earth</span> Same location along Interstate 15 (2017) </b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take note of the lusher greener plants in the foreground. In San Diego this past rainfall season they had much heavier rainfall records, but also an irrigation system and plants have been installed in the foreground. The trees are still in an incrediblly stressed out state with only present growth barely hanging on. Water is not the only key here, but rather colonization of Pisolithus tinctorius mycorrhizal fungi. PT mycorrhizal fungi is the best fungi for plants growing in hot dry areas. Yes, species does matter in this case. But so does a supprting cast of native deep rooted chaparral shrubs in the right strategic placements in this industrial landscape.</span>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Supporting Cast Members in the Landscape, includes various species of Chaparral</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OHDmeKA4aa0/WbLK4Vw0HHI/AAAAAAAAK-I/7t9pjmo-8KUU0aGjjYFl-j_4p7qnHlrBQCLcBGAs/s1600/malosma_laurina-p5300005a.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OHDmeKA4aa0/WbLK4Vw0HHI/AAAAAAAAK-I/7t9pjmo-8KUU0aGjjYFl-j_4p7qnHlrBQCLcBGAs/w400-h300/malosma_laurina-p5300005a.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photograph by David Magney (2005)</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cGw08T_9_a0/WbLKp05mlMI/AAAAAAAAK-E/TO5xJlO6bpUtMOyClf67tcC3O2w8xumLwCLcBGAs/s1600/Malosma_laurina10_1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cGw08T_9_a0/WbLKp05mlMI/AAAAAAAAK-E/TO5xJlO6bpUtMOyClf67tcC3O2w8xumLwCLcBGAs/s200/Malosma_laurina10_1.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>San Alijo Lagoon Conservancy</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is the nurse plant chaparral shrub above and to the right called Laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) which has outstanding bright green foliage all year. These large clusters of cream flowers appear in the summer. Later the dried flowers and seed heads turn a rusty red-brown. The leaves tend to fold up along the midrib, especially during dry weather whuch apparently helps reduce exposure to the dry hot summer sun of the coastal sage scrub plant community, especially in the hotter interior valleys and mountains nearer to the coast. This gives the plant another common name reference, the</span><span style="font-size: large;"> taco shell plant. This along with a colony of very old, almost ancient, looking Lemonade Berry which are at the top of this mountain at the head of this normally dry wash (sometimes perennial stream) are the largest shrubs on this hill. Everything else is California Buckwheat, California Sagebrush, White Sage, Gold Yarrow, Monkeyflower, Deer Weed, Coastal Prickly Pear Cactus, Coastal Cholla Cactus, Coastal San Diego Barrel Cactus, etc. My choice for nurse plant was Laurel Sumac in 1980 which turned out to be a great choice and here's why:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"Laurel sumac roots are deep and extensive; vertical root depth of one individual in the Santa Monica Mountains exceeded 43.6 feet (13.2 m)"</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/mallau/all.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">US Forest Service - Malmosa laurina</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qYpu7K7PVaI/UjPyvpSey0I/AAAAAAAACuE/B3XE8Vkl7-g-pt38Tf1IMl9UgEKaL-e5gCKgB/s400/hd-night.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="400" height="245" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qYpu7K7PVaI/UjPyvpSey0I/AAAAAAAACuE/B3XE8Vkl7-g-pt38Tf1IMl9UgEKaL-e5gCKgB/s320/hd-night.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most amazing phenomena of a good nurse plant is it's deep root system ability to extract water from very deep subsoil layers and bring it to the surface. This process is known as Hydraulic Lift & Redistribution. Not only for itself, but also the more shallow rooted shrubs and perennials around it. But it's also beneficial for tree seedlings like oak or pine which would otherwise fail and not make it to the sapling stage of life and beyond towards being a fully mature tree. Especially at night will nurse plants like Laurel Sumac pull up incredible amounts of moisture for themselves and other plants as you see here on the left in the illustration. In places like Africa, plants like grasses and other forbes on the Savanna benefit by growing closest to those giant picturesque Acacia trees like Acacia tortilis. Young tree seedlings also benefit as a tiny emergent seedling from the nurse plant's shade before it pushes through the shrub's foliage when reaching for the sky on it's own. But there is so much more to this hydraulic movement of water.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WLSJOhvG934/UjQA6pHpjLI/AAAAAAAACuc/svcK7rewmRo/s1600/hd_down.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="450" height="245" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WLSJOhvG934/UjQA6pHpjLI/AAAAAAAACuc/svcK7rewmRo/s1600/hd_down.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There is yet another reverse type of phenomena known as Hydraulic Descent where in winter rainy season when the shrub or tree is dormant and not actively growing above ground, the root system is still active underground taking surface soils saturated with rainwater and sucking in and pumping that water into deeper sub-soil layers. If an ecosystem is healthy enough, this collective action by trees and shrubs can recharge acquifers. Many soils are to tough for water to percolate on it's own, so a healthy vegetated ecosystem like an old growth forest or even an old growth Chaparral Plant Community of Southern California will saturate the deeper layers of sub-soils for later usage during the hot summer months. Now even though this shrub is endomycorrhizal and will not form interconnected relationships with pines, oaks, etc, they will still release water from their lateral roots at the surface which can then be accessed by the ecto mycelium or fungal strands. When I lived at elevation 4,500' I used the chaparral shrub called Redshank or Ribbonwood as a nurse plant. Take a look at this gallery of trees below from my former acreage in Anza California.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLLW7FAlcYw/U5SmdFvXIAI/AAAAAAAAD_0/Vm8mHeg9y-E/s1600/Coulter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLLW7FAlcYw/U5SmdFvXIAI/AAAAAAAAD_0/Vm8mHeg9y-E/s400/Coulter.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b><i>Photo Mine 2012</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These to Coulter Pines above and below were planted across from one another. These trees were foot high bareroot trees I planted on a remote section of my acreage in Anza California. No irrigation. Although these were wild collected from along roadsides, I still inoculated them with Pisolithus tinctorius or P.T. Mycorrhizal Fungal spores. I also located them next to Scrub Oaks or Redshank Chaparral Shrubs. If Redshank was unavailable then I would use it's cousin Chamise or Greasewood (shrub gets blamed for intense wildfires), both of which are also ectomycorrhizal, but under only certain environmental conditions like times of heavy rainfall years. This is important to know because such knowledge allows for foresters to plant trees like Jeffrey, Coulter or Torrey Pines to pioneer into predominantly chaparral areas. Thus the shrubs and trees can interconnect through the mycorrhizal network and young trees throughout youth will be assured of being hydrated by their chaparral nurse plants. Up in Anza the Parry Pinyon will interconnect with Chamise and redshank during the wetter years. Sadly the present property owner removed some of the chaparral around the trees and built this shed between them. Still the healthy start for these trees has been a success. </span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1mx3rcUhz9Q/U5S2rWr10DI/AAAAAAAAEAE/AExMusda3No/s1600/Jeffrey.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1mx3rcUhz9Q/U5S2rWr10DI/AAAAAAAAEAE/AExMusda3No/s1600/Jeffrey.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is Mine 2012</i></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">The three trees below here are two Ponderosa and one Coulter Pine. The Coulter was actually a volunteer under a Redshank which was planted by a scrubjay from pine nuts taken from a large maturee tree next to my front porch. The two Ponderosas I planted within the same chaparral. At one time they were all surround by Redshank and Scrub Oaks, but the present owner wanted all brush removed. But notice on all my trees the five or six years growth of needles still on their whorls ? Very little leaf dander under these trees. This is a sign of very healthy trees. An odd side effect was that there was also an improvement in shrub vegetation and vigor after I inoculated with fungi, especially from the scrub oaks. Truffle formation was everywhere after that. The other fascinating thing here is that these trees are already baring pine cones.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0cLlRHfVmt4/T2xMKTJGtfI/AAAAAAAAABo/Lll13c0RxPk/s1600/IMGP0596.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0cLlRHfVmt4/T2xMKTJGtfI/AAAAAAAAABo/Lll13c0RxPk/s1600/IMGP0596.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo Mine 2012</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Below are the three Torrey Pines I planted in </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Anza, California</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VV4VpwhXryQ/U-N3aSRatuI/AAAAAAAAEck/SsjsjDo3ydQ/s1600/Torrey+Pines+Anza.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VV4VpwhXryQ/U-N3aSRatuI/AAAAAAAAEck/SsjsjDo3ydQ/s1600/Torrey+Pines+Anza.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo Mine 2012</i></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">These four Torrey Pines were planted on this bank behind the house in association with California Coffeeberry, San Gabriel Flannelbush and California Holly (Toyon). The year was 1985 where we has a couple of winters (3 in a row which had extremely low subzero temps from Arctic blasts from Canada and high wins at times from 50 to 60 mph. It was insane. The only problem for the Torreys were the very tips of all needles turned brown for about an inch in length. No problem, because after those three winters the central leader grew more than a meter or more in length, with often a secondary growth spurt after summer monsoonal thunderstorms which were intense with heavy rainfall. So no worries at high elevations and no supplementary watering after that.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Examples of Nurse Plant Mutualisms found in Nature within </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">San Diego County</span></i></b></span></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fjlzmBokpVNJ7suzJB-GXwywwieMYunXkCRDzD0LYRqHIU-c9SaDvPjkh9oVm19f6NAbr_DTiNICiN6_DtCERd2fQMKZKIfMBLqYxZn4fDG5xfmohLHNAX0w1Y3QMDQJ9RSrmuidIitTG78KfVSbtg2ewTltbWNg6cDVVZc-N8RFYcp0ttsV0EDomg/s499/henshaw-nurseCottonwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="499" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fjlzmBokpVNJ7suzJB-GXwywwieMYunXkCRDzD0LYRqHIU-c9SaDvPjkh9oVm19f6NAbr_DTiNICiN6_DtCERd2fQMKZKIfMBLqYxZn4fDG5xfmohLHNAX0w1Y3QMDQJ9RSrmuidIitTG78KfVSbtg2ewTltbWNg6cDVVZc-N8RFYcp0ttsV0EDomg/w400-h268/henshaw-nurseCottonwood.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption"><b><i>Photo is mine from 2013<br /></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Of9xDtS1e54/WbaKI9n4srI/AAAAAAAALBU/VHabE7K2zeQZ00wmBkn2ING1i7BGnPnKwCLcBGAs/s1600/Rosa_californica.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="385" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Of9xDtS1e54/WbaKI9n4srI/AAAAAAAALBU/VHabE7K2zeQZ00wmBkn2ING1i7BGnPnKwCLcBGAs/s200/Rosa_californica.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The photo above shows a stand of Fremont Cottonwoods on the Henshaw Valley floor in northeast San Diego County. Take note that these large deeply rooted Cottonwood trees are able to support other smaller native plants like this wild native California Rose (Rosa californica) </span><span style="font-size: large;">hedge. Other plants are also able to thrive under these trees like the native Snowberry (</span><span style="font-size: large;">Symphoricarpos albus laevigatus)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> and </span><span style="font-size: large;">Western Bracken Ferns</span><span style="font-size: large;">. This location is amazing because of it's distance away from the forests on the mountainside and the fact that birds or animals originally brought the seeds of these plants to the trees through their feces droppings.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/9181280551_a484f8099c.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="265" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/9181280551_a484f8099c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is mine from 2013</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTbreBLTEuo/WbaIE8DCY2I/AAAAAAAALBI/dcZy-U_JxFY-NJOAmU-bngD4XDMRGoWoACLcBGAs/s1600/Lonicera%2Binterrupta.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="192" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTbreBLTEuo/WbaIE8DCY2I/AAAAAAAALBI/dcZy-U_JxFY-NJOAmU-bngD4XDMRGoWoACLcBGAs/s1600/Lonicera%2Binterrupta.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><i>Calflora</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This photo is much further east in the backcountry community of Ranchita where my brother lives. This is a much hotter drier area just before the landscape drops down into the Anza Borrego Desert. The tree is an Interior Live Oak and the plant below which it is supporting is the native Honeysuckle. Take this Oak tree away and the honeysuckle dies. The area is just too harsh and dry for it to thrive without a companion nurse plant. No doubt a bird flew within the foliage of this Oak tree, pooped after eating the honeysuckle fruits somewhere else and poof, a honeysuckle seedling.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8748081676_005a86803e_z.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="265" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8748081676_005a86803e_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is mine from 2013</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIFtxyctRAU/WbUKe5YDINI/AAAAAAAALAY/lvykHV8lGc02LFvqW2bp2o4X5zjybdh0wCLcBGAs/s1600/IndianPaintbrushInSage_web.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIFtxyctRAU/WbUKe5YDINI/AAAAAAAALAY/lvykHV8lGc02LFvqW2bp2o4X5zjybdh0wCLcBGAs/s320/IndianPaintbrushInSage_web.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is by Cody Bish</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of my favourite nurse plants is the Silver Sagebrush which thrives in the dry high mountain valleys and high deserts steppes of the western United States. The photo at the top is along Montezuma Road in Ranchita almost across from Old Mine Road turnoff. These Silver Sagebrush (Artemisia cana) are nursing along numerous Incense Cedar seedlings and Saplings. Older trees of Cedar were planted several decades ago along this road and San Felipe Road further west. In 2002 there was a wildfire that burned from Julian to the mountains north of Ranchita above Warner Springs. Many of the trees (Coulter Pine, Incense Cedar, etc) escaped the Pines Fire's fury and were years later producing seed which successfully germinated as you see in the top photo taken back in 2013. Another common association with Silver Sagebrush is the Indian Paintbrush seen in the photo here on the right. What many never realize is that Silver Sagebrush is an excellent facilitator of hydraulic lift and redistribution of water. While many will say that the Indian Paintbrush is partially parasitic to Silver Sagebrush, I imagine that this remarkable water hydraulics phenomena goes a long way in why Indian Paintbrush works out successsfully in growing in association with this Artesemia plant. Below are two other posts I've written more extensively on this mutualism with both plants & Artemesia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2012/12/an-icon-of-old-west-sagebrush-atermisia.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">An Icon of the Old West, Sagebrush (Atermisia tridentata) is Still Demonized as a Competing Invasive in it's Own Native Habitat</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2013/05/lessons-observed-from-ranchita-hwy.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Lessons Observed From the Ranchita Hwy Beautification Project</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Tragic End to one of the koolest 30+ year Forestry Nurse Plant Experiments I've ever accomplished in 2014</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image taken from <span style="color: blue;">Google Earth</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image is mine from 2011</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: small;">San Diego Coast Cholla</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When the Sky Ranch Housing Development bulldozed it's way across the western part of the Rattlesnake Mountain range, they stopped short of the colony of Torrey Pines and Coastal Cholla colony. The San Diego Coast Cholla Cactus are also another endangered species from the coast sage scrub plant community. There never was Coast Cholla on Rattlesnake Mountain before, only San Diego Coast Barrel Cactus for which there were 1000s of them when I was a kid in the early 1960s and now only a handful, almost extinct. But I was excited to see that when they pre-stripped the land of all vegetation prior to bulldozing for roads and housing unit property pads, that they had roped off with special environmental sensitive area tape protecting the pines and cacti. Kool I thought. That was on an earlier visit in 2007 when I came back for a visit from my new home in Sweden. Above here you can see the construction and if you gaze up that rainwater runoff channel you can see one of the larger Torrey Pines just behind and to the left of the concrete roof tiles stacks. Unfortunately this did not last.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b><i>My photograph from 2011</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This photo above shows a different viewpoint on how close the Sky Ranch Housing Development came to the Torrey Pine experiment. In fact this is the same smaller Torrey Pine I posted above, but out of view of the housing. Sadly in 2014 these Sky Ranch home owners and I'm guessing with the blessing of the Conservation Area Biologist (I only say I'm guessing because he was very vague on the telephone when I called to report the incident and was disinterested in doing anything about the trespass and destruction), cut down with chainsaws all of these Torrey Pines. They were in their backyards and the wives ran into the house to get their husbands because I was photographing the area. The husbands weren't exactly overly friendly. The reason these residents gave me was that they were a fire hazard. The biologist in Escondido said they were non-natives to the Coastal Sage Scrub within this designated California Gnat Catcher Conservation Area. This was bunk, almost a century prior to this Rattlesnake Mountain being considered as a conservation area, no one ever gave a rat's backside about Rattlesnake Mountain. In fact the very landscape company they hired to restore areas damaged or disturbed by the Sky Ranch contractors installed numerous exotic non-native Mediterranean plants like Rock Rose, some type of Iris and a variety of other non-native cactus to this mountain. Friends and neighbours were upset for me, but frankly while I was bummed in the beginning, I had always understood the property was never mine and the trees could succum to whatever disaster came along, be it wildfire or housing development. In any event what cannot be taken away is the valuable experience and knowledge I gained from these nurse plant experiments. So seriously, nobody should hold anything against these folks. That's just the way our world works.<br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijW3PvzcaHmwuWHvtTgKKmVpeNE3YHzHYCx50yebQOhUW1Lz3J_I1vfVma_fRqiQwZoD2ufDaNfiB5f3Ck7SiulAm5swjUVcK01_x_vQ7SEbotst5_chxsClBGSwvGVbbiedhB6K-Vptgd6F5Cb1mrlstaNWPYfYkUycp8gm5yYqLXRJYZAS8QT3kh5g=s1010" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1010" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijW3PvzcaHmwuWHvtTgKKmVpeNE3YHzHYCx50yebQOhUW1Lz3J_I1vfVma_fRqiQwZoD2ufDaNfiB5f3Ck7SiulAm5swjUVcK01_x_vQ7SEbotst5_chxsClBGSwvGVbbiedhB6K-Vptgd6F5Cb1mrlstaNWPYfYkUycp8gm5yYqLXRJYZAS8QT3kh5g=w400-h240" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">😲😭</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #783f04;">Gallery of Photographs Documenting the Destruction of the </span><span style="color: #274e13;">Torrey Pines</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QMHJQjuEJ3I/Ui2KgXaGNyI/AAAAAAAACoc/7FLNldh-XeU/s1600/Rattlesanke+Mountain+Pines.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="829" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QMHJQjuEJ3I/Ui2KgXaGNyI/AAAAAAAACoc/7FLNldh-XeU/s1600/Rattlesanke+Mountain+Pines.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is mine 2014</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is mine 2014</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is mine 2014</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L30MGu-ql7E/Wbkub3xFciI/AAAAAAAALEw/3XHe08PzSkQHDNXzuoBqlmeDTHnC1JsXACLcBGAs/s1600/IMGP0230.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L30MGu-ql7E/Wbkub3xFciI/AAAAAAAALEw/3XHe08PzSkQHDNXzuoBqlmeDTHnC1JsXACLcBGAs/s320/IMGP0230.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo is mine from 2014</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Above is the photo of the signage threatening anyone with trespass which can be found everywhere around the conservation area borders. Interestingly when I was confronted by the residents wondering why I was taking photographs by angry people in their backyards, I asked the reason for the Torrey Pines being cut down. The unbelievable excuse I was given was that these pines posed a wildfire hazzard and the larger trees were producing cones and seedlings were discovered along the bank behind the backyards. Seriously, seedlings ??? That would have meant if the cones were truly matured <span style="color: #b45f06;">(I had previously seen cones, but didn't know if they were mature enough the previous year)</span>, that <span style="color: #0b5394;">ScrubJays</span> had been taking the heavy pine nuts and planting them somewhere, since the heavy Torrey Pine nuts are unable to sail away on wind currents like other pines. The Sky Ranch Housing development also has allowed invasive plants such as non-native weedy invasives like Mediterranean Wild Mustard, Yellow Star Thistle, European Wild Oats, Cheatgrass, and African Fountain Grass (commonly planted along freeway cutouts in Southern California). For example, in this photo on the right I brought in numerous Coastal Cholla sections and planted them within the coastal sage scrub. Previous Cholla colonies were never there and surprisingly Cactus Wren are present when they never were before. But African Fountain grass has made it's way here. I believe the Sky Ranch landscapers planted them along the road cutous like CalTrans has done along freeways. None of these invaders existed in mass qualities at this high of elevation on Rattlesnake Mountain prior to Sky Ranch Development.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisuIFg8NyLhC30Ic1tyrR6RHUIhSUMKtvcj0TMovoH45j6m5NKkpIvuu_6puIjH7UGl-uhqK5hYXEFwWbcFIMZsiUN7p-AERO9f-LtzNwdlrmEmgk4ND21FzW81ryOjkt_BZpEERuXdbbS4rdYvk3YP5AnaWZ2fMr7XcEXCdSUr14VKxZWnmzDc-RrwA=s1500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1500" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisuIFg8NyLhC30Ic1tyrR6RHUIhSUMKtvcj0TMovoH45j6m5NKkpIvuu_6puIjH7UGl-uhqK5hYXEFwWbcFIMZsiUN7p-AERO9f-LtzNwdlrmEmgk4ND21FzW81ryOjkt_BZpEERuXdbbS4rdYvk3YP5AnaWZ2fMr7XcEXCdSUr14VKxZWnmzDc-RrwA=w400-h176" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>List Image - Sky Ranch</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">These invasives have an epigenetic effect in the releasing of chemical root exudates which hinder the chemical signaling between the native shrubs and/or trees and their mycorrhizal partners. Eventually this coast sage scrub landscape will disappear and become like the shrubless hillsides of northern Santee and Fletcher Hills west of El Cajon which are now nothing more than non-native grasslands. But at least many reading who may live in this area will get a glimpse of how Nature of SoCal works and how they can replicate the mechanisms within their own landscapes. Seriously, anyone reading can easily replicate this within their own landscapes. The local area newspaper, <span style="color: #b45f06;">El Cajon Californian (online)</span>, has a nice reecent article about the Rattlesnake Mountain Conservation Area and visiting certain portions of it which are open to public and the challenges of ridding that area of invasive non-native weeds. </span><br />
<br /><a href="https://eccalifornian.com/exploring-the-breathtaking-beauty-of-rattlesnake-mountain-habitat-preserve/"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><i><b>https://eccalifornian.com/exploring-the-breathtaking-beauty-of-rattlesnake-mountain-habitat-preserve/</b></i></span></a><br /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Also another news source, <span style="color: #bf9000;">inewsource.org</span>, had an interesting article from September of 2016 about the dire situation of all forests within San Diego county disappearing for good.</span><br />
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<a href="http://inewsource.org/2016/09/28/san-diego-forest-loss/"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">http://inewsource.org: If San Diego County Lost it's Forests</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">And here is my own take on climate change's effect on San Diego County and how people can counter it's effects on a personal level.</span><br />
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<a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2016/06/face-of-climate-change-drought-in-san.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Face of the Climate Change & Drought in San Diego County</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>An Urban Landscape Success Story at the foot of Rattlesnake Mountain's Sky Ranch Housing Development</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qWYfidi7y1I/VfmLRHRb75I/AAAAAAAAGUU/fgr-OqXoHH0/s1600/IMGP5244.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qWYfidi7y1I/VfmLRHRb75I/AAAAAAAAGUU/fgr-OqXoHH0/s1600/IMGP5244.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image Mine in September 2015</i></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2015/09/california-fan-palm-washingtonia.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) growth explosion with Mycorrhizal Fungi</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is my mother's place above, the same place I grew up in from 1961 all the way through high school until I left home in 1977. It's at the foot of Rattlesnake Mountain across from Pepper Drive Elementary School in El Cajon. There is no irrigation infrastructure here and the entire landscape is native plants with heavily inoculated mycorrhizal associations. Yearly applications of mulch is the only fertilizer they ever get. Annual weeds do not appear anymore. The only weeds are shrub and tree seedlings and these are easy to deal with once a year. You can read about this landscape from the link below the photograph.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Further Educational References on Practical Applications Biomimicing Nature</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2014/09/chaparral-biome-its-forest-building.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Chaparral Biome & it's Forest building abilities with or without Wildfire</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My source for most mycorrhizal fungi mixes is out of Oregon <a href="http://mycorrhizae.com/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">http://mycorrhizae.com</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Aside from that I have always wild collected specific truffle species with great success.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com2El Cajon, Kalifornien, USA32.7947731 -116.962526932.6879956 -117.1238884 32.9015506 -116.8011654tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-56146007040340899542017-09-13T04:42:00.005-07:002022-03-09T08:57:15.544-08:00Major decline in Torrey Pines & SoCal Forests in general<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">"Broken Hill" </span>or<span style="color: #134f5c;">"Broken Emotions" </span>which ???</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kcet.org/redefine/a-brief-guide-to-15-of-san-diego-countys-coastal-nature-preserves"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Broken Hill at the Torrey Pines reserve | Photo: Scott Davenport/Flickr/Creative Commons License</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The photograph above was used by science writer, Chris Clark, of Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree high desert fame, who was providing a list of some wonderful Nature Preserves & Reserves to visit in and around San Diego County. It was written back in 2015 and I believe the photo by Scott Davenport was either 2013 or 2014. Wow what a contrast when you look at the other photograph below. Scott Davenport has also taken numerous photos of this same location since which reveal the now dead Torrey Pines. Other people have also, it's a most popular tourist spot. It should be noted that the above photo is usually the only photo which generally is used toadvertise and promote Torrey Pines. What you won't see is today's reality on the ground in a photograph, even from the Torrey Pines State Reserve. Of course it's understandable as to why. For example photographer Phillip Colla took this photos here below.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oceanlight.com/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Broken Hill Sunrise by Phillip Colla</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To be honest, from this angle things look totally dead, but I believe on the other side of the geological formation you can see from a different angle that there is still one live Torrey Pine. What struck me most by the three photographers I'm referencing here, but also all other photographers I've Googled on the net , none of them ever make mention of the dead trees or the changes that have taken place. Their conversation is always about the light, the clouds, the sunset or the sunrise, the geological patterns in the bluffs etc. But nobody says anything about the very trees for which this reserve is named after, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"Broken Emotions" ?????????</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ELxGKD762xU/WbeoH8qzq2I/AAAAAAAALB4/ZFOgrEczrVU73NC9yO-Ir3O7kKg7AVHogCLcBGAs/s1600/Broken%2BEmotions%2B%25282015%2529%2BSignature%2Bcmp%2Ba.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1383" data-original-width="1064" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ELxGKD762xU/WbeoH8qzq2I/AAAAAAAALB4/ZFOgrEczrVU73NC9yO-Ir3O7kKg7AVHogCLcBGAs/s320/Broken%2BEmotions%2B%25282015%2529%2BSignature%2Bcmp%2Ba.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bodhismith.blogspot.se/2015/04/new-composition-broken-emotions-by-d.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">Bodhi Smith Photography</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I must admit, I had special hopes from this photgrapher of Broken Hill, Bodhi Smith, who gave this area shot the title, "Broken Emotions." I thought finally someone who was moved not just by the magnificence of the geological patterns, but actually touched by the decline of the native Torrey Pines here at the Reserve and elsewhere which must surely have served for the inspiration behind this photograph's title. Unfortunately, this was not the case. He was entirely on a different track. Beautiful photo though. Take a look at a couple of quotes I extracted from his description:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-size: large;">"</span><span style="font-size: large;">I have been trying to catch a special image of this spot for close to one year now, having shown up to this place numerous times only to go away empty handed. But alas, finally last evening I was able to capture something worthy of my own liking." </span></span></i> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"I have just been patiently waiting for the right conditions (clouds, sunset, springtime)...so when I got to Broken Hill, I did not need to figure out where I was going to set up for my shot..."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's a special plea to all photographers out there who photo things in Nature. First of all, please date them, especially when taking pictures of the same location year after year. Second, while I understand stand the complexities of that photograph shot setup which requires a measure of concentration, patience and tunnel Vision, please consider a peripheral view of things. None of the photographers that I could find who had taken photos of this spot ever commented on the decline in vegetation, in this case Torrey Pines, which if were a rattlesnake, you would have been sent to the emergency room. Kidding of course, but you know what I mean. Your photos are important for ecological documentation reasons although you may be totally unaware of this. Interestingly however, even the </span><a href="https://torreypine.org/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve</span></b></i></a><span style="font-size: large;"> is not interested in today's scenic view. In fact they continue to use an older photograph of "Broken Hill" on the Home page. It's a public relations thing. Go Figure! 😎</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Other Locations with Bad News -> </span><span style="color: #783f04;">North Loop - </span><span style="color: #7f6000;">"The Guy Flemming Trail"</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ronaldleeoliver.com/blog/art-in-the-pines-2/img_0324/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Photographer Ronald Lee Oliver (2013)</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo courtesy of Ken Blackford. Copyright Ken Blackford. San Diego, Ca.</i></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ttbQtYqGjwo/Wbe4eDiwVBI/AAAAAAAALCs/16yplVggUe8xINnVnyk7hs4FlgPxrESUQCLcBGAs/s1600/Guy%2BFleming%2Btrail.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ttbQtYqGjwo/Wbe4eDiwVBI/AAAAAAAALCs/16yplVggUe8xINnVnyk7hs4FlgPxrESUQCLcBGAs/s320/Guy%2BFleming%2Btrail.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Who hasn't visited Torrey Pines State Natural Preserve and stepped off of the old narrow asphalt road where the sign says in bold letters, </span><b>"North Loop,"</b><span style="font-size: large;"> then right under that, </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">"The Guy Fleming Trail."</span><span style="font-size: large;"> I've done this many times since the 1960s. This was one of the better and easiest trails to hike and actually get inside of the Torrey Pine forest. Most other trails are broken up with chaparral, but this is forest. Other areas of dense Torrey Pine forest you can only see from a viewpoint distance to protect them. It's also not especially steep or challenging and it takes you right next to the viewpoint of Torrey Pines State Beach overlook. Interestingly the woods at the end of the trail are like the stunted growth of common chaparral we call, </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">"Elfin Forest,"</span><span style="font-size: large;"> because they are windswept by the ocean breezes which have sculpted them this way. Often the signage will comment on the grotesque and/or picturesque shapes and explain the natural phenomena of the windy salty air that created these shapes. But something's changed here as well. As you continue to on ahead walking down a little further in the photo above, you can see in the distance that something has gone terribly wrong here too. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Courtesy of Jeremy Spath, of Spath Gardens, for landscape design and installation in Southern Ca.</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Peter Jensen 2017</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Almost three years after the green forest photos above were taken, the bark beetles have taken their toll here as well. In actual fact almost everything in the way of older Torrey Pines are dead. This photo at right is provided by the Torrey Pines Association which was founded in 1950 with Guy Fleming as it's first President. The article which accompanied this picture on the right explained why this trail has been closed for a year. Clearly things had to be upgraded from wooden post railings to steel and newer younger trees had to be planted to replace the dead ones. Apparently funds were made available by the Scripts Foundation to complete trail repairs and rehab some of the main attraction ecological features. It will be decades before people we begin to see a glimpse of the beauty that one existed there before. Below here is an except from the article with link by Peter Jensen.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"Poor High Point! A good number of trees have died here in recent years, victims of the drought, and the old railing made of peeler poles was usually in a state of falling-down disrepair. But this trail is finally on the “come back."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.torreypines.org/index.php/news-and-events/in-the-news/126-bird-hike-write-up-3"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">On The Come-Back Trail to High Point</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7f6000;"><b><i>Image is mine from 2014 visit</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To be honest, when my wife and I visited back in 2014, we noticed not much of anything living was doing very well. Take this example photograph of how poorly even the normally tough and resilient <span style="color: #38761d;">chaparral</span> was doing within the Torrey Pines Reserve boundaries. Not good. 😕</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"> So is the obvious answer <span style="color: #bf9000;">Global Warming</span> ??? </i>😵🌄</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />The obvious popular answer of course is climate change and the last five years of drought. Add to that higher than normal temperatures and less rainfall and those are ideal conditions for pine bark beetles to do their dirty work. If conditions are normal as far as the soil's mositure content sense, then Torrey Pines should be able to manufacture enough sap or pitch to ooze into those bore holes drilled by a pine bark beetle who wants to lay eggs and hatch young. The sap or pitch would drown out any of the beetle larva. So in normal average rainfall years, San Diego and Del Mar average around 10 or 11 inches of annual rainfall, but of course for the past five years they have only received half that amount or less and have had to endure much higher than average Temperatures. So that sounds reasonable as to a cause, but something's just not jiving next door at the Torrey Pines Country Club and Golf Course.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - yourgolftravel.som</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo by Jacob Sandoval</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the puzzling anomalies regarding the death of torrey Pine trees are the loss of trees at the world class Torrey Pines Golf Course. Now as understandable as it is to see Torrey Pine trees dying at the State Reserve which is the neighbour to the north because of drought, it's tough to phathom what's really going on next door at the golf course. Even "IF" there is climate change, drought, less than average rainfall, none of those things should matter at the golf course which is loaded with massive amounts of water availability. After all, Golf Courses use more water than anywhere else, especially in the drier climates of the southwest or you don't get green grass. Plus there are the other factors of normally hotter months like May & June being cloud covered here with what they term "May Gray" or "June Gloom." Temps at their hottest here are generally in the 70s Fahrenheit or 20s Celsius. And yet take a close look at this photo of a dead tree in the middle of green wet grass taken by Jacob Sandoval. I'm always telling people who want to plant natives which prefer things a little on the dry side, don't plant next to or in lawns because this is comparable to things like a lakes or bogs when it comes to constant available water. Watch this video below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.cbs8.com/story/31017248/new-solution-to-prevent-bark-beetles-from-killing-pines-at-torrey-pines"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">New solution to prevent bark beetles from killing pines at Torrey Pines</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8grpX--ako"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">ABC 10 News: Bark Beetles slowly killing Torrey Pines trees</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Update December 4, 2017</b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">This video below was done by San Diego resident, </span><span style="color: #990000;">Dale Williams</span><span style="color: #274e13;">, who argues that aluminum, in combination with acid fog, weakens Torrey Pine trees and was the primary cause of their die-off in 2014-16. Frankly, I'm not altogether sure, but here is Dale William research take on the subject.</span></i></b></span></blockquote></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2YBZI1y1Vy8" width="320" youtube-src-id="2YBZI1y1Vy8"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">This photo above the video are the bark beetle pheromone traps used to attract and capture these little pests that are killing the trees. The link below the photo is from News 8 (CBS) in San Diego which aired back in January 2016. The second video is from ABC 10 News just a couple of months later. Take note however that in both videos, we're not talking drier areas like Torrey Pines State Reserve, but rather trees inside green lawns in both the gold course and city of Del Mar. The news reporters said that the traps should help save the trees until winter rains come, but that's nonsense since these trees have incredible access to water already, plus Torreys have always been subject in Nature to drier habitat locations. Former Nature Film producer, Jim Karnik (no deceased as of earlt last year 2017), also provided a good video on this very subject. It's a pity that many environmental groups paid little attention to Jim's passing away. In fact this video below which appears to be his last, only received 55 views EVER. I guess non-profits are more interested in donations and membership drives.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For a very long time now I have wondered if maybe the underground microbiology could itself be in decline in many areas as well. Most humans only have in their minds things that we can see. The underground microbiome is completely out of sight and therefore out of mind. Think of the forest as a sort of an amusement park like Disneyland. The tourists only see the beaty colour and glitter of the theme part, but they never see the behind the scenes sophistication of the machinery, computer systems, staff, security, etc, etc, etc that make it all work and function smoothly. Many nature lovers assume that nothing could possibly harm that tough microbiological community. That's why when I've suggested people inoculate plants at time of planting, even in the wild, the typical sarcastic response I have gotten has been, <span style="color: #bf9000;">"You don't need to inoculate because fungal spores are just everywhere out there in the air."</span> Not a very scientific take, but more of a blind faith affirmation. Human beings have so radically changed nature's surroundings, that past normal behaviours of the natural world are not responding and functioning as they once did. Yes, mycorrhizal fungal spores are no doubt well populated within many healthy wild soils like the large population of fungal spores taken from a soil sample in the photo above-right by Soil Scientist & Mycorrhizal Fungi Specialist, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZxs5-ZMcIk"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Dr Wendy Taheri</span></i></b></a><span style="font-size: large;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But she also sampled industrially maintained agricultural soil from somewhere in the Midwest in which a big commercial farmer had followed the recommended agricultural practices as recommended by biotechs and agro-chemical corporations. The difference is stunning and not what you think when you look at both sample photos side by side. The picture here with less spores has far less than you think. Those really tiny white looking spores are not mycorrhizal fungal spores at all, but rather soil Nematode pest eggs which attack plant roots. So it's still puzzle as to the gold course and Del Mar city properties which are well water. But they are also industrially maintained through science-based synthetic chemical regimens. This is what I question and focus on. After all this blog is about underground soil networks mainly dealing with mycorrhizal fungi networks and plant root system infrastructure. Hence, <span style="color: #bf9000;">"Earth's Internet."</span> Not to mention the other fascinating phenomena associated with both. This is why I wrote back on July 2014 about not finding specific truffles of Pisolithus tinctorius mycorrhizae in my favourite collecting locations in the San Jacinto Mountains anymore. </span><i><b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2014/07/what-happens-to-earths-mycorrhizal.html"><span style="color: blue;">(See Here)</span></a> </span></b></i><i><b><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></i>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My photo 2016</i><br /><br /><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: small;">(Pinus sabiniana) in Ranchita</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Prior to the missing mushrooms or puffballs, the Coulter and Jeffrey Pines just above Anza Valley within the Table Mountain area had been in major decline. Trees everywhere were dying, but I had first noticed that the puffballs or truffles were now missing when previously there were always 100s of them after a summer monsoon Thundersstorm or even in their Springtime crop appearance. Everything to do with mycorrhizal fungi shut down and then next the trees went. Oddly enough I found other valuable collecting locations in the forests and chaparral biomes south of the gold mining town of Julian in San Diego county. The picture above is the truffles I found south of Julian. In the year 2014, I remote planted a Foothill or Digger Pine </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Pinus sabiniana) on some of his wild acreage far away from any irrigation sources in Ranchita, California in eastern San Diego county above Borrego Springs. I planted this foot tall one gallon container tree you see here in the photo in between the native chaparral (next to a scrub Oak). My brother watered them that first summer (we planted in summer with temps at 104 F) clear thru to winter, he didn't need to water thereafter. The tree as you can see here is now about three to four foot tall as of 2016. He recently told me it's much bigger now. My point here is that the microbiome is important and it may be in decline like everything else we see. I've successfully remote planted Torrey Pines in a low elevation mountain range around El Cajon, Santee and Lakeside. Most locals know it as Rattlesnake Mountain. Here is a link to my successful experience in this hotter than coastal conditions with Torrey Pines which proved far healthier than those along the coast and in drought conditions. But even these important components may be in decline at Torrey Pines State Reserve and explain far more than just hotter temps and lack of rainfall. These trees have been here for 1000s of years and I've certainly not seen the serious problems there in my lifetime like we have now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Wild Torrey Pines on </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rattlesnake Mountain</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> in between the cities of El Cajon and Santee</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5RqUEsZOGxA/WbK5W_SIPKI/AAAAAAAAK9I/qoWLN7WIo-YhvTXf9wbWSllkpimShRSiACLcBGAs/s1600/IMGP0228.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5RqUEsZOGxA/WbK5W_SIPKI/AAAAAAAAK9I/qoWLN7WIo-YhvTXf9wbWSllkpimShRSiACLcBGAs/s640/IMGP0228.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b><i>My photograph from 2011</i></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2017/09/southern-california-engineering-urban.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Southern California: Engineering an Urban Landscape patterned after the blueprint found in Nature</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">You should know that now the Torrey Pines on Rattlesnake Mountain no longer exist. They were all between 25' to 30' high. Biggest ones were actually starting to produce cones, but the Sky Ranch Housing Development residents took offense the the presence of the Torrey Pines and chain sawed every one of them down. When I came back for a visit I found them all missing. The neighbours all saw me and came out yelling what I was doing back there. I told them I was photographing Coast Cholla colonies and the Torrey Pines but they were gone. I was informed that the Torrey Pines were a fire hazzard and actually caused fire (which was an ignorant thing to say and poor excuse for killing them). Then I was told that the police were being called because I was trespassing on Rattlesnake Mountain Conservation Area preserve. So I left and never came back. I got in contact with the Center for Natural Lands Management and the Naturalist in charge of the area's oversight and he feigned ignorance about the trees ever being there. This was an untruth because when Sky Ranch Construction began, a survey of all plants and animals was done well ahead of time and conservation sensitive area tape was all around this huge area. So I figured the chainsaw activity had his organization's blessing. Doesn't matter, they weren't native, wasn't my land and it's not worth the hatred I incurred by the residents. The destruction took place in 2013.</span><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cJA5OTvNb7U/WwBcEj-7RmI/AAAAAAAAMi4/rrIfXx1iYFsSyXu9_DUWTnV0_-qiQYbRwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180425_130659_001.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cJA5OTvNb7U/WwBcEj-7RmI/AAAAAAAAMi4/rrIfXx1iYFsSyXu9_DUWTnV0_-qiQYbRwCLcBGAs/w640-h422/20180425_130659_001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This photo is mine from 2018, Table Mountain 4,500' elevation east of Anza CA</b></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Some important info you should know about these Torrey Pines and my experience with plant</span><span>ing them as small seedlings back in 2005. Climate is much more radically different than along the Del Mar coast where the seed ori</span><span>ginated. The early and middle 1980s were roug</span><span>h years freezing termperature-wise. Back then every years for about five years we experience a northeastern high winds which brought frigid arctic air down from Canada. The Coachella Valley lost numerous grapefruit citrus orchards. These Torrey Pines at six foot tall experienced temperatures down to 6- below 0 Fahrenheit which is 21- Celsius. We experienced terrible Santa Ana high winds with gusts 60 to 70 miles per hour and through it all these trees survived. Only real damage was from the tips of all needles back one half an inch the needles turned brown. However, also during those years in summers, the trees all grew over three to four foot in height. When I experimented with outplanting seed in wild areas of the property, they germinated and emerged pushing up through the snow in March which is early for most native Pinyon, Coulter & Jeffrey pines trees up there, but apparently no visible signs of damage. It was an amazing experience and there is still so much more to know about these amazing trees. You should know that other Anza area residents have also grown huge Torreys, but down in the valley at 4,000' elevation.</span></span></blockquote><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Other Articles of Reference on Torrey Pines</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2014/dec/09/stringers-torrey-pines-infested-100-trees-doomed/#"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">San Diego Reader: Torrey pines infested — 100 trees doomed</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.readyforwildfire.org/Bark-Beetles-Dead-Trees/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Cal Fire: Bark Beetles and Dead Trees</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://inewsource.org/2016/09/28/san-diego-forest-loss/"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">http://inewsource.org: If San Diego County Lost it's Forests</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Other Important related articles on tree death in San Diego, California- </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Balboa Park</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/water/balboa-parks-trees-are-dying-in-the-drought/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Balboa Park's Trees Are Dying in the Drought</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo by Ry Rivard</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo by Ry Rivard</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Update: August 2018</b></span></blockquote>
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<span><i><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.nuclearplanet.com/tpgp.pdf">Previously Unrecognized Primary Factors in the Demise of Endangered Torrey Pines: A Microcosm of Global Forest Die-offs</a></span></b></i></span></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo4SMHU6J3I/XyvWjb9atTI/AAAAAAAAOYM/06LE_D0UmwIKeZI6kXVyhmW1W0YZCMSSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/daleWilliamsTorreys.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="1000" height="115" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo4SMHU6J3I/XyvWjb9atTI/AAAAAAAAOYM/06LE_D0UmwIKeZI6kXVyhmW1W0YZCMSSwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h115/daleWilliamsTorreys.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Photo collage taken by Dale Williams</b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Del Mar, CA 92014, USA32.9594891 -117.2653146000000132.9061961 -117.34599560000001 33.012782099999995 -117.18463360000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-7621436569056246382017-06-27T00:31:00.002-07:002023-08-11T00:47:22.057-07:00Busy Beavers & Slow Water Movement are back in the News again<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Leave it to</b></span><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: x-large;"> Beavers </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PHSIBDc83Y"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">(Full Documentary)</span></a></i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZIrLXxEpOo/WS1E_462vlI/AAAAAAAAKTU/5d8vYSQ0Dz4MnJs4WZSWrVRlLZSse51OgCLcB/s1600/Irrigate-the-Oceans.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="710" height="309" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZIrLXxEpOo/WS1E_462vlI/AAAAAAAAKTU/5d8vYSQ0Dz4MnJs4WZSWrVRlLZSse51OgCLcB/w400-h309/Irrigate-the-Oceans.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Stop the dams – Irrigate the oceans – Courtesy Steve Hunter</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Leave it to Beaver ? No way, says Salt Lake County in the State of Utah</i></b></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TYLnEcrKyeU/WTGoFFFAhTI/AAAAAAAAKXk/T0GurO_WluwCoP5EGs0R8AFjExgGFTgNgCLcB/s1600/beaver-dam.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="968" height="182" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TYLnEcrKyeU/WTGoFFFAhTI/AAAAAAAAKXk/T0GurO_WluwCoP5EGs0R8AFjExgGFTgNgCLcB/s320/beaver-dam.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just when nature awareness and education movements finally after decades of long hard work actually get the average rural citizen interested and excited about Nature on their own perperties and how to better nuture and maintain it, then the Authorities &/or Corporate entities under the guise of an </span><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><i>eco-green</i></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> cloak, later on say, "Nah, that's really not such a good idea after all." Here was a story that should have had a happy ending. This entire valley where a natural drainage of Big Willow Creek winds and meanders across numerous properties, everyone is on board with excitement. As you well know, many properties owners have traditionally at times dislike such natural obstacles which they perceive may impede what they had originally intended to use the property for. If that was the case here, then people later on changed their minds. This photo above and to the right is Kelly McAdams walking across a beaver dam in his back yard to remove a bucket that was caught on the top of the dam on Thursday, April 6, 2017. Salt Lake County officials are pressuring McAdams and his neighbors to remove the beaver dams from Big Willow Creek where the stream flows across their properties. They insist the dams have been there for years and should remain because they are natural and provide wetland habitat, but officials say they pose a flood hazard. When is the last time you heard of a group of property owners wanting to quietly get together on their own without the invite of a group of radical monkey-wrenching eco-activist groups to create and protect an ecological wetland area ???</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><b>Draper, Utah</b><i style="color: #783f04;"> • Big Willow Creek bends and meanders behind Kelly McAdams' Draper home and her backyard steps down into an urban wildlife preserve. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i style="color: #783f04;">Thanks to a string of beaver dams, the creek pools into wetlands teaming with life. Ducks and geese nest on the banks lined with cattails; herons and pelicans visit to dine on the 18-inch carp and catfish. Neighborhood kids also fish the ponds. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i style="color: #783f04;">But where McAdams, his wife, Kris Burns, and neighbors on Dunning Court see an ecological sanctuary, Salt Lake County sees "unauthorized modifications to a countywide drainage facility." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i style="color: #783f04;">The county Division of Flood Control has ordered them to remove the dams or face a $25-a-day fine, even though federal wildlife officials say these dams enhance the water quality, hydraulics and riparian habitat of an impaired segment of Big Willow Creek.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>"The dams have been here for at least 20 years," said McAdams, who moved in five years ago. "It is unfair they are coming in and destroying the area when there are alternatives." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>Along with neighbor David Dustin, McAdams is fighting the county's dam-removal order, saying it misapplies the county's flood-control ordinance by ignoring the proven benefits beaver dams provide and ways to reduce their risks.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>But county officials say they have a legal obligation to keep waterways open and safe. Should high water push the beavers' tangle of branches and creek debris downstream, the material could back up the creek onto someone else's property or obstruct culverts, and the county would be liable for the damage, according to Rick Graham, deputy county mayor for operations. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>"The waterways and channels need to be clear and run and serve their purposes. There is a balancing act," Rick Graham said. "The county has demonstrated many times it balances wildlife habitat on creeks and waterways as they run through the city." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>Graham has overruled McAdams' appeal, which is slated to go before an administrative law judge on April 26. Generations of Westerners have battled beavers because their dam-building clogs irrigation ditches and backs water into inconvenient places. The federal Wildlife Services, the animal-killing arm of the Department of Agriculture, kills about 22,000 beavers a year and many more nuisance beavers are relocated by states. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>For land managers and ecologists, however, beavers are miracle workers when it comes to restoring damaged landscapes, and wildlife agencies encourage property owners to accommodate the animals whenever practical. Beaver dams help control floods, slow water flows when they're high, connect water tables to floodplains and create wetlands and wildlife habitat, said conservation biologist Allison Jones. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>"You have all these ecosystem services that keep the entire stream corridor functioning as it should," said Jones, with the Wild Utah Project. "Many other municipalities across the county are starting to allow beavers back to perform this critical engineering service." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>McAdams, whose one-acre lot has s360 feet of creek frontage, agrees. Without the dams, the creek channel would narrow to about 2 feet and dry up in late summer, making it impossible for him to pump irrigation water when he needs it most. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>"They want to take this wetland and turn it into a trench," McAdams said. "I'm afraid I might end up in jail over this." On one dam he installed a flexible 10-inch pipe — a device known as a "beaver deceiver" — allowing water to pass through and help equalize levels on either side. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>The county began raising concerns about the dams two years ago and homeowners above and below McAdams and Dustin have agreed to let the county pull them out by hand, according to Graham. He hopes to remove all Big Willow dams at the same time to minimize disturbance.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sltrib.com/home/5151499-155/leave-it-to-beaver-no-way"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">There are literally tonnes of practical application we can glean by observising nature regarding Beavers, Alluvial Floodplains, the meandering pattern of water courses like rivers, streams etc. I have two links at the bottom of this post which will illustrate what many non-scientists out there have accomplished with a passion for biomimicry to prove Nature's worth at inspiration as opposed the tradition view of nature being so badly designed that scientists have the answer for fixing the imaginary flaws. The links will be provided at the end of this post at the bottom. Now let's report on the importance of slow meandering water courses as opposed to the opposite proposed by Industrial Business who claim to be backed by ecological science.</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Slow Water Movement ??? </span>vrs <span style="color: #990000;">Corporate Monopoly for the Natural Resource ???</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Coca-Cola Company</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>"</i></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">USFS Deputy Forest Supervisor Rachel Smith and Patrol Captain Alberto Ortega walk through the brush near the Big Tujunga watershed, a large cluster of the non-native, invasive plant species </span><span style="color: #990000;">(Arundo Cane) </span><span style="color: #38761d;">behind them."</span></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Back on April 22, 2017, I stumbled upon this article about Coca Cola Company's seemingly altruistic concern for </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Nature</span></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> and their plans to eradicate the evil Arundo Giant Reed or Cane which is a plague of many Southern California riparian floodplain corridors. At first glance that seemed okay, because I dislike what both non-native invasive plants, Arundo and Tamarisk, have done to take over native riparian habitats throughout the entire west. However, I then watch a </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRFF8U2dmrA"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Coca Cola Company video)</span></i></b></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> titled, "Coca Cola and the US Forest Service Tackle Invasive Plants to Replenish Water," which is supposed to be about their honorable proposal to eradicate invasive water gulping plants to allow free flowing water supply to reach Los Angeles from the San Gabriel Mountains like the photograph you see they provide on the above right. Sounds like a noble cause until you watch the video where he explains this and you realize that other giant corporate entities besides Coca Cola like Nestle and others have had ambitious water schemes for years to create a drinking water supply monopoly and sell this same water back to the public by means of bottled water. The Coachella Valley's main newspaper, The Desert Sun, carried an article exposing all these schemes back in March 2015. The article was titled:</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<i><b><a href="http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/03/05/bottling-water-california-drought/24389417/"><span style="color: blue;">Bottling water without scrutiny COMPANIES TAPPING SPRINGS AND AQUIFERS IN CALIFORNIA WITH LITTLE OVERSIGHT</span></a></b></i><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> </span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Then there was another article on the </span><span style="font-size: large;">89.3 KPCC </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">website titled: </span><a href="http://www.scpr.org/news/2016/10/17/65616/can-nestle-coca-cola-help-enviros-fight-drought/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(Can Nestlé, Coca Cola help enviros fight drought?)</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> where </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">the Center for Biological Diversity, sued the USFS over Nestlé's bottled water permit, revealing that their increasing streamflow was a self-serving goal for their company. I'm not a real fan or cheerleader for the Center for Biological Diversity (whose sole purpose is mostly about sue & settle), but I do agree with this quote from the article:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i>"If the restoration project is about actually restoring habitat, I think that's a noble thing. If it's just to have greater water flow coming down from the Station Fire area, I'm not sure that that actually heals the wounds that have occurred in that landscape."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.scpr.org/news/2016/10/17/65616/can-nestle-coca-cola-help-enviros-fight-drought/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Then there was this little tidbit of <strike>collaboration</strike> </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">collusion with a Mr. Roger C. Bales, a hydrologist tied to Industrial Agricultural irrigation business interests in the San Joaquin Valley and believe it or not The Nature Conservancy, which is another one of those environmental organizations who have caved into the corporate business interests deands which in turn has greatly increased their funding and donations. They seemed to have sided with Bales' unproven ideological worldview here with regard the stream hydrological scheme on their own properties in the unscientific assumption that logging and thinning water hogging trees will magically make more volume of water appear in streams to fill reservoirs at lower elevations. UC Merced's Roger Bales' association with Industrial Agriculture in the Central Valley and even the </span><a href="http://thegoodhuman.com/greenwash-of-the-week-the-nature-conservancy-and-corporate-donors/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Nature Conservancy</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> association with the water bottling companies who have donated money to them makes a person take pause. Either way, these unholy alliances expose the modern day environmental movement's hypocrisy for funding being masked behind a cloak of eco-green. And that's really sad because years ago I liked the work they did. But like other phony so-called ecology non-profits, I've pulled away from them. This is yet another one of those lying, "necessary evil for the greater good" justification schemes. Just so that folks know and understand something about these tree thinning/removal schemes mention by Roger Bales and the Nature Conservancy, it has been totally debunked and found to be untrue. California's four or five year drought along with the bark beetle loss of over 100 millions trees has not produced more water in streams or rivers to fill downstream reservoirs.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2016/07/breaking-news-apparently-trees-dont.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">BREAKING NEWS: Apparently Trees don't really Gulp, Guzzle & Water Hog, only Humans do that</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">Let's change the subject back to why </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">'Slow Water Movement'</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> is far more important than what Municipalities & Big Business Interests!</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Bureau of Land Management</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - acegeography.com</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Many people think of floodplains as something negative which ruins and destroys vaulable property. The reality is they have always provided an abundance of resources for many living things. Mankind as a rule has had economic interests in floodplain soils for farming which have a build up of nutrient rich soils created over thousands of years. But floods still continue tp be an annual occurence and they aren't exactly conducive to the type of neat organized plans farmers, cities and industries prefer nor can they be tolerated. So science has come up with several various technology strategies to prevent this from happening, with the most popular being dredging and straight channelizations of water courses whether a river or a creek. But even this can many times be more problematic than beneficial. In the Southern California view of things, rain</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">water is something meant to be rapidly transported on it's way towards oceans and away from human habitats and their livelihoods. And yet they'll spend million on importing water 100s to 1000s of miles away to be utilized as drinking water. This same drinking water they use for watering their landscapes. But the meandering slows the water down, doesn't prevent water from going back to the sea, but allows many things to benefit from it's presence along the way. But it's this slowness of meandering floodplains that prevents the rapid transport of water which should be replicated through biomimicry to water various city landscapes and home gardens by means of rain harvesting infrastructure. Without revealing what type of infrastructure, I'll post a couple of links I've already written on the subject which will point out where such respect for water has allowed inventive people to engineer some pretty amazing projects, which allow both water to be harvested and less destructive volumes of water ending up in creeks and rivers which can create unnatural flooding. Watch this three minute video on why rivers curve and meander.</span><br /><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This meandering part of the stream or river which looks very much like an elbow or bend in the river is known as a oxbow. In the photo of the floodplain further up, you can see older oxbows where the river once ran and changed course which allowed curved lakes to remain as part of the greater floodplain. The animation above demonstrates over time just how oxbows develop and become cut off from the main river channel. But again, industrial and urban storm drainage infrastructure could be used to slow this flooding and racing to the ocean way down and syphon much of this polluted street water from entering creeks and streams where high volumes can do the most damage. So much wasted street water like the example below of a Los Angeles street corner that floods, often with very little rainfall.</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image via Sterling Davis / Curbed LA flickr pool</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Then we have example of smart curb-side and Parkway median landscaping where rainwater harvesting is taken advantage of which is saving cities fom using their municipal drinking water for irrigating public and private homeowner landscapes. I'll provide some links below this picture below which illustrate many of the designs intelligent creative people have made.</span> </blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - State College Pennsylvania</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2017/06/rain-water-harvesting-infrastructure.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Rain Water Harvesting Infrastructure Design Concepts</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2017/06/tucson-arizona-regenerating-parks.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Tucson Arizona: Regenerating Parks & Parkways through Biomimicry of Floodplains</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #783f04;">Beavers</span><span style="color: #7f6000;"> can help battle ongoing </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">Drought</span><span style="color: #7f6000;"> in desert-like places in Elko, Nevada</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>(Photo credit: BLM, Elko District - 1980)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>(Photo by Bryce Gray)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This is an area about Beavers in which the average human being who likes nature has no clue about the incredible variety of habitats beavers can adapt to and improve. Like the documentary I linked to at the very top of this post, most films depict beavers familes living in a so-called pristine ecosystem loaded with birch, aspen, cottonwood and willows. But take this habitat above. In the west when Europeans arrived, they have attempted to raise livestock like they did previously in the wetter habitats of central or northern Europe and eastern United States. These plants do not respond the same way to herbivore disturbance the same way other plants in wetter climates do. Rather than four seasons, most lower elevation habitats in the west have only two, a wet & a dry season. So grasses and other plants do not recover quickly. Below is an article from Northwestern University which deals with climate change and how beavers can be used as an incredibly beneficial tools to improve the environment which has been ruined through human stupidity as land stewards.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;"><b>BALANCING BEAVER AND BEEF</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>The rebound of Susie Creek and Maggie Creek in the adjacent watershed began in the early 1990s, when Evans approached ranchers leasing BLM land along the waterways with a proposal to improve grazing practices and restore the riparian habitat, primarily for the health of local fisheries. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“A lot of it was done for the reintroduction of Lahontan cutthroat trout,” Evans said, referencing Nevada’s state fish, which faces an uphill battle to survive in the face of climate change. Evans said that the area is predicted be out of the species’ temperature range within the next couple decades. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Fences were put in to restrict cattle access to riparian corridors, enabling vegetation to reclaim the creek bed, trapping sediment and building a floodplain. By 1996, a number of willow saplings had taken root, and by 2003, beaver recolonized the creeks as an unintended consequence of the restoration effort. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“I didn’t know it would turn out the way it did,” said Evans, noting that throughout the BLM’s Elko District there has been a “build it and they will come” relationship between rehabilitated habitat and beaver. Although Evans does not know precise population data, beaver are now found in a number of regional streams, including an 11-mile stretch of Susie Creek and approximately 16 miles of the Maggie Creek basin. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Beaver are hardly newcomers to the area. In colonial times the species used to be nearly ubiquitous throughout North America before their pelts ignited a fashion craze that fueled exploration of the continent and eradicated them from much of their historic habitat range. Besides humans, beaver are perhaps the animal that exerts the greatest influence on the natural environment, and the wide-scale elimination of the species had a profound impact on water resources.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>From the early 19th century to the late 20th century, an estimated 48-64 million acres of American wetlands were converted to dry land, with much of that habitat loss linked to the simultaneous decline in the beaver population. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“Look at those numbers in terms of water that’s being held,” said Dr. Suzanne Fouty, an Oregon-based hydrologist who works with the U.S. Forest Service and has visited Susie and Maggie creeks. Fouty likened that water storage system to savings accounts. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“In the West, you want to make sure that when you get a windfall of water, your savings accounts are ready to take it in,” she said “Those savings accounts are essentially empty right now.” But beaver habitat can change that, she said. “Instead of (water) racing downstream and flooding, it’s slowed down and stored and you have all these areas of savings accounts being filled up.” </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>And those “savings” influence more than just surface water, as they can percolate through soil to become groundwater and recharge aquifers. At Maggie Creek, a one- to two-foot rise in the water table has been observed, even during drought years. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Evans said that beaver habitat has such tremendous water storage potential because the species essentially converts a watershed into “a slow-moving lake” progressing through a staircase of beaver ponds, instead of as a gushing torrent. She believes that’s how the area’s streams once flowed in their original state, since soil profiles still show the traces of long periods of standing water in the valley bottom. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“I’m sure the beaver were a large mechanism in that,” Evans said. “They were such an important part of the ecology of the system. You see how prevalent they can be.” But grazing, too, can change the landscape. Dan Gralian is the general manager of the 400,000-acre TS Ranch, bounded to the east by Maggie Creek. He acknowledged that generations of abusive ranching practices hurt the land where trappers left off. “If you remove the stability of the land – the plants and the root structure – that’s what holds the land together,” said Gralian.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“If you remove that, it becomes vulnerable to erosion. And that did occur over a large area of the West and this is one of those areas.” That destructive legacy is still evident from the old, dry irrigation ditches sitting 10-15 feet above the present level of Susie Creek, where beaver and cattle are attempting to coexist as unlikely neighbors. “This is the story of the West,” says Evans. “When you have poor grazing practices and beaver together, it's totally not sustainable.</i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>(Photo credit: BLM, Elko District - 2011)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Here in the photo above is that same location as the one in the 1980 of Maggie Creek that you saw of how dry and eroded the area once was, this 2011 image shows the stream’s wetter transformation. But also take close note of a freshly chewed Silver Sagebrush stump which is a sure sign of beaver activity along Susie Creek. Hardly no one would ever appreciate this from watching all those Disney type documentaries over the past several decades. Who would ever associate Beaver with such dam construction materials ? Even food sources and diets of beaver can change from riparian trees. In addition to willow and cottonwood, beavers will eat cattail roots, blackberry vines, fennel, pondweed, and various scrub plants. But cattails can often overwhelm a pond and crowd out open water, here is a video showing how beaver can even help keep that under control through summer feeding on this aquatic plant.</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This video is only about 25 seconds long, but well illustrates how well they can maintain small ponds and lakes. We already know how things go without their presence if cattails are not manually (even chemically) dealt with to maintain open water for fish and other creatures. Below here the Northwest University article continues:</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;"><b>TRANSFORMING LANDSCAPES AND LIVELIHOODS</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Whether beaver can be used on a broader scale to help the West conserve dwindling water resources remains to be seen, but the recolonization of streams in northern Nevada provides a hopeful snapshot of their climate change mitigation potential. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“Nevada is so water-limited, if beavers can transform this landscape, they can do it anywhere,” said Fouty. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Similar projects have taken root in other parts of the West. In Washington state, Forest Service officials are using reintroduced beaver to increase water resources for coho and Chinook salmon. In Colorado, “nuisance” beaver are being relocated from population centers to habitat where their ecological services will be less disruptive. And in Idaho in the 1940s, the state Department of Fish and Game launched a stranger-than-fiction campaign to parachute beavers in crates into the backcountry. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Whatever role beaver ultimately play in the future of the West, they will need their significant environmental footprint to find a balance with ranching and other land uses. But if the BLM’s Elko District is any indication, that’s certainly possible. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“We didn’t recognize that we have similar goals,” Griggs said, noting that ranchers like him have quite a bit in common with their aquatic neighbors.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“I have a lot of respect for beaver. They’re probably the hardest-working things in the animal kingdom. We just needed to figure out a way to have them work for us.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://climatechange.medill.northwestern.edu/2015/06/25/battle-born-beaver-tale/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source: Northwestern University)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Historical Photos Reveal & Illustrate Change</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iVG33K5LnMo/WbOHhJVDG_I/AAAAAAAAK-k/tqhOR4eAGRgC06Iv_haPGRwVZijZG6I5ACLcBGAs/s1600/Susie_Creek_Nevada_97031_BLM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="1024" height="133" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iVG33K5LnMo/WbOHhJVDG_I/AAAAAAAAK-k/tqhOR4eAGRgC06Iv_haPGRwVZijZG6I5ACLcBGAs/w400-h133/Susie_Creek_Nevada_97031_BLM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b> Photos: Bureau of Land Management</b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b><i>How beavers have enhanced the Susie Creek Watershed in north-central Nevada since 1991</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.resilientdesign.org/how-beavers-are-coming-to-the-rescue-in-an-age-of-climate-change"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">http://www.resilientdesign.org/how-beavers-are-coming-to-the-rescue-in-an-age-of-climate-change</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Rough and Beautiful Places in </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Nevada</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Journal of Rangeland Applications -</b></span> <b>Incredible Befores & Afters</b></blockquote>
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<a href="https://journals.lib.uidaho.edu/index.php/jra/article/view/16/62"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Practical Grazing Management to Maintain or Restore Riparian Functions and Values on Rangelands</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mlpf0fLyC1E/WbOHbrtBZ7I/AAAAAAAAK-g/xuakugqwlDEi8HHVr1jh1rCq-tMLZ-H7wCLcBGAs/s1600/Maggie%2BCreek.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="1187" height="146" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mlpf0fLyC1E/WbOHbrtBZ7I/AAAAAAAAK-g/xuakugqwlDEi8HHVr1jh1rCq-tMLZ-H7wCLcBGAs/w400-h146/Maggie%2BCreek.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">TOM WARREN & CAROL EVANS Bureau of Land Management</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://elkodaily.com/news/maggie-creek-ranch-and-the-blm/article_2f300645-517b-53c0-9901-4a3fa16fb5c2.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">http://elkodaily.com/news/maggie-creek-ranch-and-the-blm/article_2f300645-517b-53c0-9901-4a3fa16fb5c2.html</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rangemagazine.com/features/summer-16/range-su16-rough-and-beautiful.pdf"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.rangemagazine.com/features/summer-16/range-su16-rough-and-beautiful.pdf</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">I loved that read and the setting for which it was referencing. Again, it gives folks a different take on the variety of habitats that Beavers can sustainably benefit. Also interesting was the reasons for reintroducing the Beaver. While they had to convince the ranchers of improvements to the grazing habitat, the other reasons were just as important. Remember, "restore the riparian habitat, primarily for the health of local fisheries." And of course the prime subject was reintroducing the Lahotan Cutthroat Trout. This reminded me of other important fisheries which could benefit from a natural meandering floodplain being restored for the benefit of juvenile fish like the native fish of the Colorado River and Salmon of California.</span><div><font color="#783f04" size="4"><br /></font>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aj8OfTXdppc/WUu1yVUT56I/AAAAAAAAKl8/qC30gaZNNx0ZTEXLcNvL6igKsC-gh83sACLcBGAs/s1600/bypass.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="823" height="138" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aj8OfTXdppc/WUu1yVUT56I/AAAAAAAAKl8/qC30gaZNNx0ZTEXLcNvL6igKsC-gh83sACLcBGAs/w400-h138/bypass.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photos by Jacob Katz</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The top photo is from a program started to reintroduce juvenile Salmon back into floodplains of the Yolo Bypass in Northern California where much of it is farmland. With cooperation with one farmer, the fish were proven to grow faster and fatten up better than if they were forced to stay within the main river channel where there is less food and more predators. The very things they dealt with here are identical to challenges faced by native Colorado River fish like the Razorback Sucker, whose juveniles also benefit from floodplain nurseries. Anyway, both stories of the two fish were fun and interesting and highlighted the value of floodplains</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2017/06/floodplain-farmlands-benefit-juvenile.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Floodplain Farmlands Benefit Juvenile Western Native Fish</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HuKTLkAPMCo/WUvUPleh2PI/AAAAAAAAKmQ/Dy5n9UnZLUoTnOCdp8a3CjgXH1yVVYosQCLcBGAs/s1600/razorback.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HuKTLkAPMCo/WUvUPleh2PI/AAAAAAAAKmQ/Dy5n9UnZLUoTnOCdp8a3CjgXH1yVVYosQCLcBGAs/s400/razorback.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Biographic </i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This last topic below hits close to home for me because the beavers of western Riverside County in California were prospering wonderfully, until some official experts decided they weren't the original inhabitants of the landscape (this is a flat out lie) and they mandated that they be killed or moved. The other bogus story was beaver were destroying the habitat of an endangered songbird. Another rumor was that drinking water officials viewed them as fouling the water. And yet another lie.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Success and Failure in Western Riverside Californa with regards Beavers</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZO7bncxIHHY/WS1t86-lgtI/AAAAAAAAKT8/WjzLPTFNWuYc7jb5mHU5fxMrd-_WlPS3ACLcB/s1600/lake_skinner_paul_mason.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZO7bncxIHHY/WS1t86-lgtI/AAAAAAAAKT8/WjzLPTFNWuYc7jb5mHU5fxMrd-_WlPS3ACLcB/s400/lake_skinner_paul_mason.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - Pail Mason - <span style="color: blue;">Lake Skinner </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Temecula Ca</span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This first link below is to a post by Duane Nash of Ventura who has a passionate love for everything to do with Beavers and follows their historical and present locations within the state, but especially Southern California. Duane touches on the Santa Margarita River canyon southwest of the city of Temecula where Beavers have even dwelled within the city's Murrieta Creek. The second post is mine comparing human dams to Beaver dams. But I also touch on the tragety that happened to this Lake Skinner you see here in the photos above and below. The other excuse for removal was that these beavers were destroying the Least Bell's Vireo & Southwestern Willow Flycatcher habitat who need willows. This is a sham because beaver actually expand riparian habitats creating more resources for other creatures. In an ironic twist, when the beaver ponds dried out after the beaver were removed and dams destroyed, the invasive Tamarisk moved in and took the place of willows. </span>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://southlandbeaver.blogspot.se/2014/07/southern-californias-santa-margarita.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Southern California's Santa Margarita River: Undammed by Man, But Not Beaver</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2013/08/how-human-dams-destabilize-river-food.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">How human dams destabilize river food webs & Beaver Dams stabilize them</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xIrrtHQzFmQ/WS1tqINIirI/AAAAAAAAKT4/B9M0vzDBfh0wJdRn7h_B-FpMs8pB9p9gQCLcB/s1600/skinner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="620" height="258" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xIrrtHQzFmQ/WS1tqINIirI/AAAAAAAAKT4/B9M0vzDBfh0wJdRn7h_B-FpMs8pB9p9gQCLcB/s400/skinner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Aaron Claverie - The Press-Enterprise</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Further references on Lake Skinner Beavers</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17318698"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Management by assertion: beavers and songbirds at Lake Skinner (Riverside County, California)</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Lake-skinner.pdf"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">http://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Lake-skinner.pdf</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.octrackers.com/beavertrackandsign.htm"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">http://www.octrackers.com/beavertrackandsign.htm</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Practical Application for Biomimicry of both Meandering Floodplains & Beaver Dams</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2017/06/floodplain-farmlands-benefit-juvenile.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Floodplain Farmlands Benefit Juvenile Western Native Fish</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2017/06/rain-water-harvesting-infrastructure.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Rain Water Harvesting Infrastructure Design Concepts</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2017/06/tucson-arizona-regenerating-parks.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Tucson Arizona: Regenerating Parks & Parkways through Biomimicry of Floodplains</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<br /></div>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com4Kalifornien, USA36.778261 -119.4179323999999823.886426 -140.07222939999997 49.670096 -98.763635399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-34450655978496242492017-06-26T04:52:00.001-07:002022-03-15T01:02:42.273-07:00What's the real connection between Droughts & Wildfires ? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">"There are three things that are never satisfied. There are really four that never say, ‘I’ve had enough!’ These things are the cemetery, the childless mother, the land that never gets enough rain, and </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fire</span><span style="color: #7f6000;"> that never says, ‘I’ve had enough!’</span><span> </span></i></b></span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Proverbs 30:15-16 (<span style="font-size: x-small;">International Children's Bible</span>)</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jLknPpm8mm4/WHUX91K1L3I/AAAAAAAAJWU/sIAo-OUn8NYoQfaWsLTGhlJhsRv4zhtCQCLcB/s1600/JoshuaTreewildfires.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jLknPpm8mm4/WHUX91K1L3I/AAAAAAAAJWU/sIAo-OUn8NYoQfaWsLTGhlJhsRv4zhtCQCLcB/w400-h266/JoshuaTreewildfires.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">David McNew / Getty Images</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I used a children's simplified wording in the above text to help readers understand what was written centuries ago was not only true back then, but even more so today. It describes a reality of certain realities in lifes faced by human beings which are inescapable. You don't even have to accept the bible to agree with what is clearly stated. The common grave of mankind is always hungry and never satisfied for more occupants. Child barreness would be a welcome circumstance to those obsessed with scientific population control by means of eugenics. In a later text at Luke 23:29, a future time of distress is foretold, and the “barren women” it states would be happy, relieved, not having the anguish of seeing their children suffer. I suppose that would be true of our times. Today drought and lack of rain are plaguing many lands all around the globe and the problem is growing and growing as if it's never satisfied. And of course we are experiencing a time of extreme wildfire which is worse today than at any time in the past and fire's hunger (figuratively speaking) seems to never be satisfied. But focussing on the last two subjects, drought (land with no rain) & wildfire, is there really a connection ? Wow, who knew ? Earlier this year, Jennifer Balch, a wildfire ecologist at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and other researchers published findings that 84% of wildfires are now started by humans as opposed to natural causes (lightning, volcanoes, etc). But wait, it gets worse folks. They also emphatically said this:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>In California, the eastern United States, and the coastal Northwest, people are behind more than 90% of wildfires. And, by starting so many fires, humans are essentially lengthening the fire season, into times of the year when natural causes—such as lightning—don’t play a major role."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Really, the West Coast<span style="color: #b45f06;"> (California, Oregon, Washington & British Columbia)</span> is at 90% human caused<span style="color: #990000;"> wildfires</span> ??? 😕</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/09/who-starting-all-those-wildfires-we-are"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Science Magazine: "Who is starting all those wildfires? We are"</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">During these past four or five years, the world's fire ecology experts have been making connections between these furious wildfires and severe droughts which they insist are making wildfires even worse. Droughts can occur in any climate, whether it's hot or cold, dry or humid. So is that true or false ? Yup, it's true. Same thing is true of wildfires. But have you ever noticed in the literature when these two words are almost always surgically linked together by the fire ecologists, that the word <span style="color: #bf9000;">"Drought"</span> almost always preceeds the other word <span style="color: #990000;">"Wildfire"</span> ? The idea conveyed here being that the droughts are responsible for causing the extreme wildfire events we experience today. But you might be interested to know that surprisingly the words should really be in the reverse. Some of NASA's latest research finds that it is most likely the wildfires and diliberate prescribed burning that have helped to bring on the droughts. On the surface, to average folks it might seem only logical that the higher temperatures & lack of rainfall brought on by climate change are expected to increase the amount of moisture that evaporates from land, vegetation and lakes (basically sucking everything dry), which would also cause rainfall patterns to shift to more drought conditions. Hot temperatures coupled with dry conditions would also seem to increase the likelihood of more extreme wildfires. But now the reverse seems to be the cause and folks should not be surprised. Earlier this year, January 2017, some researchers from NASA provided proof that it's the <span style="color: #990000;">Wildfires</span>, especially those whose origin has a human causasation are responsible for less rainfall, hotter temperatures & Climate Change. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><i>"</i></span><i style="color: #7f6000;">A periodic temperature shift in the Atlantic Ocean, known as the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation, plays a role, as does overgrazing, which reduces vegetative cover, and therefore the ability of the soil to retain moisture. By replacing vegetative cover’s moist soil, which contributes water vapor to the atmosphere to help generate rainfall, with bare, shiny desert soil that merely reflects sunlight directly back into space, the capacity for rainfall is diminished." </i></b></blockquote>
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<b><i style="color: #7f6000;">"</i><i style="color: #7f6000;">Another human-caused culprit is biomass burning, as herders burn land to stimulate grass growth, and farmers burn the landscape to convert terrain into farming land and to get rid of unwanted biomass after the harvest season."</i></b></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now this I have found fascinating, the idea of herders burning the land to stimulate grass growth to increase grazing productivity for harvesting the animals for food. Where have we heard this before ? One of the major justifications often cited for prescribed burns is that the ecological Native Americans </span><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2013/07/dances-with-myths-indigenous-native.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(considered by many experts as the original environmentalist)</span></b></i></a><span style="font-size: large;"> burned the landscape to create better grazing for animals they made a living off of. But in view of the new information we've received from NASA, are we to believe this was still a good thing environmentally in view of the consequences referenced below as we continue reading ?</span><br />
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<i style="color: #7f6000;"><b>As with overgrazing, fires dry out the soil and stymie the convection that brings rainfall. Small particles called aerosols that are released into the air by smoke may also reduce the likelihood of rainfall. This can happen because water vapor in the atmosphere condenses on certain types and sizes of aerosols called cloud condensation nuclei to form clouds; when enough water vapor accumulates, rain droplets are formed. But have too many aerosols and the water vapor is spread out more diffusely to the point where rain droplets don’t materialize." </b></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zKWY-o4RksU/WVDKtKl2utI/AAAAAAAAKr8/W3ED7MS12cApojVj2Mav5AkAnHv9XN0hACLcBGAs/s1600/oceanspray-phytopla-200x222.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zKWY-o4RksU/WVDKtKl2utI/AAAAAAAAKr8/W3ED7MS12cApojVj2Mav5AkAnHv9XN0hACLcBGAs/s400/oceanspray-phytopla-200x222.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yup, even in the Earth's great oceans, microscopic organisms, along with other organic particles and salt, are thrown into the atmosphere every time an ocean wave breaks. Identifying the chemical composition of sea spray sheds light on how there is an ocean-cloud connection, and how ocean biology may impact how clouds form and the climate. So too with the natural volatile organic compounds given off by vegetation. Disrupt any of the natural components which enrich our atmosphere with organic compound particles which act as nuclei for water molecules to form droplets and we get less rainfall and more drought. That apparently is what too much fire does.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000;"><i><b>For example, in years that had more than average burning during the dry season, measurements of soil moisture, evaporation and vegetation greenness—all of which help to trigger rain—decreased in the following wet season. Even within dry seasons, the amount of water decreased in areas with more humid climates as the burning became more severe. </b></i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KrkqnQ3BIzk/WVDIbN-TqZI/AAAAAAAAKrw/bc_wksns4cgrqw3qzEJEOsjpyUxpj5-zACLcBGAs/s1600/VOC-clouds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="470" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KrkqnQ3BIzk/WVDIbN-TqZI/AAAAAAAAKrw/bc_wksns4cgrqw3qzEJEOsjpyUxpj5-zACLcBGAs/w308-h400/VOC-clouds.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Illustration - ScienceDirect.com</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Back during the early 1980s in the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California when we had the heavy winter rainfall seasons caused by the El Niño & Hawaian Pineapple Express moist wind jet stream, I noticed that cloud formation during the following Summer's monsoon season was exceptionally heavy and complete. The main reason was heavy moist ground sturation on the surface from winter storms which lasted for months. It was a very green period where nothing turned brown or dry. After this time with normal or drier winters, summer monsoon cloud formation was more isolated as opposed to solid formation over all land mass. The areas where cloud formation was consistent had to do with an untouched area from development and contained old growth vegetation whether it was forest trees or solid old growth chaparral shrubs. The fragrance of aerosol release was also more powerful in those areas as well. Knowing what we do about aerosol importance as a nuclei particle for droplet formation, it makes perfect sense how mechanical or wildfire removal of such natural biological mechanism would stifle cloud formation and rainfall and if large enough effect, create droughts. If enough localized and regional droughts around the globe come together, then we get climate change. But in all the ideological debates we are fed out there by Climate Change champions, almost no one mentions what the NASA folks have provided here as evidence for climate change. Such information just never seems to be mainstream, but always on the fringes. It's much more sexy talking about factories and Coal/Oil in order to score some political points against one's political enemies, than telling the truth by providing a more complete picture of the present situation.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000;"><i><b>“The removal of vegetal cover through burning would likely increase water runoff when it rains, potentially reducing their water retention capacity and invariably the soil moisture,” Ichoku said. “The resulting farming would likely deplete rather than conserve the residual moisture, and in some cases, may even require irrigation. Therefore, such land cover conversions can potentially exacerbate the drought.”</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/nasa-study-finds-a-connection-between-wildfires-and-drought"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">NASA Study Finds a Connection Between Wildfires and Drought</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9B3010RSHvU/WVDMQCg-wgI/AAAAAAAAKsI/Th7y-ND9Fs4CuLmbNaEAnRg56KrGBtMhgCLcBGAs/s1600/land-clearing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="565" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9B3010RSHvU/WVDMQCg-wgI/AAAAAAAAKsI/Th7y-ND9Fs4CuLmbNaEAnRg56KrGBtMhgCLcBGAs/w400-h400/land-clearing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Illustration - ScienceDriect.com</b></td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: large;">The illustration above has been adapted from </span><span style="font-size: large;">Luiz E. O. C. Aragão's,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> “The rainforest’s Water Pump” which teaches us that like many ecosystems where much of the rainfall over tropical forests comes from water vapour that is carried by the atmosphere from elsewhere like oceans and falls over land during the rainy season, there is also a large component of mositure which is ‘recycled’ after the rainy season has passed. During what would normally be the dry season, rainwater is pumped by trees from soil into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. This water exits the forest trees as evapotranspirated vapour infused with aerosols are pumped into the atmosphere where cloud formation is able to take place and again fall as rain in monsoonal thunderstorms. So the water sources does not necessarily have to come from oceans, but rather the land itself. The atmospheric transport of water vapour into the forest is balanced by the exit of water in the form of vapour and run-off. It has been discovered that the world's present mechanized deforestation reduces this important evapotranspiration and inhibits this water recycling. This decreases the amount of moisture carried away by the atmosphere, reducing rainfall in regions to which the moisture is transported. Decreasing evapotranspiration also leads to increase localized run-off and raises river water levels which increases water loss back to the seas.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Some of us (like me for example) generally take certain things for granted until some excellent responsible research comes along and shakes us out of our soft warm and fuzzy blanket comfort zone of ignorance. I always thought drought made fires worse and climate change makes droughts worse. But clearly (& this makes total sense) humans have brought on the very the climate disruptions and severe drought conditions through their incessant agricultural burning (not to mention the stupidity factor in causing wildfires) and irresponsible land stewardship in general that are the result of healthy old growth vegetation removal. BTW, for a long time now, many trees in the western United States have been putting most of their resources into defensive measures to just survive. Very little offensive strategy has been employed into putting available resources into the production of seeds. But that's the way it is with any organism. When times are good for food & water, then we have population explosions. When times are bad, it's all about survival. Oddly enough regions further north have been experiencing what has happened in Southern California since the 1990s. I used to collect seed and back in the late 90s, many pine nuts were hollow. In recent years researchers have noticed after most of these major fires, very little in the way of pine seedling reappearances were observed after these fires.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Colorado's wildfire-stricken forests showing limited recovery</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSOXSIySsaA/WKW-ZwhFYCI/AAAAAAAAJiI/N4YgicAN938m97zkBEZArXO2AWcF-AQrgCLcB/s1600/ponderosa_pine_seedling_at_walker_ranch_fire.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSOXSIySsaA/WKW-ZwhFYCI/AAAAAAAAJiI/N4YgicAN938m97zkBEZArXO2AWcF-AQrgCLcB/s400/ponderosa_pine_seedling_at_walker_ranch_fire.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #474747; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 12.672px;"><i>Image - University of Colorado Boulder</i></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>“It is alarming, but we were not surprised by the results given what you see when you hike through these areas,” said Rother, who earned her doctorate from CU Boulder in 2015 and works as a fire ecologist at Tall Timbers Research Station in Tallahassee, Florida. </i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>Among the most barren sites were those of the 2000 Walker Ranch fire in Boulder County and the 2000 Bobcat Gulch fire in Larimer County, where approximately 80 percent of plots surveyed contained no new young trees. </i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>“This should be a wake-up call, that under the warming trends associated with human-caused climate change, significant shifts in forest extent and vegetation types are already occurring,” said Veblen. “We are seeing the initiation of a retreat of forests to higher elevations.” </i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>Previous research has suggested that hotter, more severe fires make it harder for the forest to bounce back by killing mature trees and reducing seed stock. But the study found that even after lower-intensity fires, presumed to have had less effect on mature trees and seed stock, seedlings were still scarce. Hotter, drier areas at lower elevations or on south-facing slopes had the fewest seedlings.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.colorado.edu/today/2017/01/30/colorados-wildfire-stricken-forests-showing-limited-recovery"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FEv2RMdB40M/WNj9g-bzEUI/AAAAAAAAJ4M/Ls9Ay-Fxz4UvNlWOUx0VFG7gigoe_loqACLcB/s1600/stepsister.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FEv2RMdB40M/WNj9g-bzEUI/AAAAAAAAJ4M/Ls9Ay-Fxz4UvNlWOUx0VFG7gigoe_loqACLcB/s320/stepsister.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>animated image - gutenberg.org</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The prevailing paradigm in fire ecology within the Scientific Orthodoxy reminds me of those evil stepsisters from the story of Cinderella where they tried cutting their toes off to fit in that Prince's glass slipper. They insist their narrative version must be true despite what the data says to the contrary. As a general rule, what data they do present for their case is often theory ladened, which means that any claimed observations have been inffected by the theoretical presuppositions held by the fire ecology investigator. There's no shaking the blind faith of a determined fire ecologist who insists life evolved in such and such a way through it's Creator fire or that fire is a kind of hallowed tool used by Indians (Native Americans) who are often considered the ultimate in ecosystem conservation. Facts are Native indigenous peoples of the past and their descendents today were and still are equal in every way to the Europeans they first encountered. This includes not only the capacity for love and goodness, but also the inherited tendency towards flaws and imperfection common to every human on the planet. Yes they used fire. A few may have used it as a type of conservation tool, but they had no more control over it than we do now. There is evidence that they also misused and abused fire for war against their bitter enemies (other Natives, not white men), used fire for hunting down prey chasing 100s of them over a cliff at a time, unattended campfires etc. They also used it for agriculture on a smaller scale which brought about localized or regional droughts centuries ago which doomed some ancient empires in Central and South America (Nazca, Maya & Aztecs). Now take a look below at some satellite photos of cloud formation which clearly exists because of the presence of healthy vegetation, no matter what the plant community ecosystem it is. But seriously, note where and over what the clouds form. Trees & Shrubs!</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IO7cfpuETzQ/WU_UMij2wNI/AAAAAAAAKrM/AXHLjNXGfUYwsJfam9N2ZLMqF3D5TySygCLcBGAs/s1600/ascension1_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="405" height="263" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IO7cfpuETzQ/WU_UMij2wNI/AAAAAAAAKrM/AXHLjNXGfUYwsJfam9N2ZLMqF3D5TySygCLcBGAs/w400-h263/ascension1_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - scantours.net</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The photo above is Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. This at one time was a true desert (in the true sense) island with almost most no vegetation other than some mosses, lichens, ferns, and small annuals and/or perennials. I reprinted parts of an article about Ascension Island which came out in 2013 by journalist, Fred Pearce, from Yale Environment 360, where he wrote about how a true desert island was basically transformed by19th cebtury British Sailors who brought in plants for gardens and escaped into the wild and by a Bristish Colonial Botanist, Sir Joseph Hooker, who wanted to actually terraform the island and infuence the increase for rain which was almost zero and provided no water supply. That's all changed now as rainstorms come in and even heavy clouds of mist precipitation provide water for natural ponds and streams.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SmzqC7NPELg/WVDder_Vn9I/AAAAAAAAKsk/BpGNUbsEv_gosTMPpWjsnrQkpYsPYB-XQCLcBGAs/s1600/ascension.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="980" height="121" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SmzqC7NPELg/WVDder_Vn9I/AAAAAAAAKsk/BpGNUbsEv_gosTMPpWjsnrQkpYsPYB-XQCLcBGAs/w400-h121/ascension.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - islandholidays.co.uk</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Incredibly, not everyone has been pleased with this islands amazing transformation. The political activist environmental group, </span><a href="http://leftexposed.org/2016/10/center-biological-diversity/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Center for Biological Diversity</span></b></i></a><span style="font-size: large;">, is strongly opposed to such terraforming because the claim of invasive plants taking over and destroying the tiny native ferns and lichens would be wiped out. This has been proven false. I have kept in contact with the island's conservation officer, Stedson Stroud, who has provided photographs of these rare ferns and lichens actually doing much better by growing on the braches and trunks of this non-native vegetation. The non-native have created a healthier environment which has caused such specimens to grow bigger than they did previously on the desert island environment. People on this planet are going to start questioning who and what so-called non-profit organizations they are putting their trust and money into. Here are two links for which I have written about this remarkable island and it's turn around which has valuable climate change solution teaching lessons for us.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2013/10/climate-change-and-ascension-island.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Climate Change and Ascension Island</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2016/06/ascension-islands-green-mountain-cloud.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Ascension Island's Green Mountain Cloud Forest Created by Mist ?</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X25y4LjT3Kc/WU_PDEcmIbI/AAAAAAAAKq4/hsDW9Byy9I4VDfPHqYC7e8DSKA5g87BKwCLcBGAs/s1600/%2528NASA%2BEarth%2BObservatory%2Bimage%2Bby%2BJoshua%2BStevens%252C%2Busing%2BLandsat%2Bdata%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2BU.S.%2BGeological%2BSurvey.%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X25y4LjT3Kc/WU_PDEcmIbI/AAAAAAAAKq4/hsDW9Byy9I4VDfPHqYC7e8DSKA5g87BKwCLcBGAs/w400-h266/%2528NASA%2BEarth%2BObservatory%2Bimage%2Bby%2BJoshua%2BStevens%252C%2Busing%2BLandsat%2Bdata%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2BU.S.%2BGeological%2BSurvey.%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fmplufvU-mM/WHYgbB2dExI/AAAAAAAAJWk/6n8agerDJm02E_Zpb6VC1pMqOkl-0bj4ACLcB/s1600/trees%2Bcreate%2Bclouds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fmplufvU-mM/WHYgbB2dExI/AAAAAAAAJWk/6n8agerDJm02E_Zpb6VC1pMqOkl-0bj4ACLcB/w296-h400/trees%2Bcreate%2Bclouds.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - </span></i></b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Yann Arthus-Bertrand </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<b><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: small;">Orinoco River near the Esmeralda, <br />Amazonas region, Venezuela</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kIb7_nAonsI/WHYjwKjAg6I/AAAAAAAAJWw/1u-QYYCZ_EkFr0A5LnbLq-8Zb1pSdr-qgCLcB/s1600/Indonesia%2Bclouds.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kIb7_nAonsI/WHYjwKjAg6I/AAAAAAAAJWw/1u-QYYCZ_EkFr0A5LnbLq-8Zb1pSdr-qgCLcB/s320/Indonesia%2Bclouds.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;">The various aerial and satellite images over the past couple of years have fascinated me as to how vegetative land surfaces encourare cloud formation as opposed to bare land or even seas. The picture above shows cloud formation over forest, but not the river. The picture to the right shows cloud formation over these Indonesian islands, but not the surrounding sea. Back in the 1980's a brazilian physicist, Eneas Salati, proved that the rainfall in the Amazon had consequences that are felt across the globe. Only 20–30 % of the rainfall actually stays in the region. Mostly, it evaporates back to the air to be carried by currents to regions such as the Andes, the Atlantic, and the South Atlantic towards South-Africa through phenomena such as cloud formation. If you've followed the news over the past few years, countries bordering Brazil have lost rainfall because of the forest deforestation which has resulted in the dismantling of these cloud formation mechanisms. When large areas are deforested or the forest becomes fragmented, the system of cloud formation breaks down. Put simply, no cloud formation, no rainfall, no rainforest or any other type of vegetated ecosystem.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Some more interesting references:</i></b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213305415300254#fig0015"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Science Direct: "Anthropocene" - The significance of land-atmosphere interactions in the Earth system—iLEAPS achievements and perspectives</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.pnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=3895"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: "Born by Bubbles, Destined for Clouds"</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Then there's always that one anomalous Ponderosa Pine discovery somewhere out in Nature observed giving live birth to a Sapling that throws all those sacred <span style="color: #990000;">Fire Ecology Paradigms</span> out the window & into a tailspin</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05-t7kCFSgg/WH4Eqj3BZII/AAAAAAAAJYc/71gaJ-rTPVclFLuDbY30-Mqk77XNeWFtACLcB/s1600/pinebirth.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05-t7kCFSgg/WH4Eqj3BZII/AAAAAAAAJYc/71gaJ-rTPVclFLuDbY30-Mqk77XNeWFtACLcB/s400/pinebirth.jpg" width="391" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Jennifer DeMente</i></b><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: start;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Okay I'm only kidding </i>😆</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm not exactly keen on this obsession with celebrating fire or justifying it because the Indians (Native Americans or other non-white indigenous peoples) did it. Like modern humans today, they may have responsibly used some fire, but they also misused and abused it which makes them equal to human beings today. I was corrected by a scientist when I referenced my sadness about what has happened with all the human caused fires throughout the mountains surrounding Tucson Arizona. Her response was puzzling as she parroted the modern day secular religious paradigm of all fires being natural. This planet is clearly in trouble if the present failed leadership continues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2017/06/burn-baby-burn-fire-ecologist-celebrate.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Burn Baby Burn - Fire Ecologist Celebrate Fire Season</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Kalifornien, USA36.778261 -119.4179323999999823.886426 -140.07222939999997 49.670096 -98.763635399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-30762460595667604582017-06-23T13:24:00.003-07:002018-03-07T23:27:41.111-08:00Floodplain Farmlands Benefit Juvenile Western Native Fish<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Think of all sorts of Pacific Salmon varieties including the endangered California Steelhead Trout species. But there's more. In the deserts southwest historically there were once large six foot long native fish once called the "White Salmon" (Colorado Pikeminnow) & the recovering Razorback Sucker. What do all these native fish have in common ? They desparately need </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">meandering river floodplains</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eVVGMehHpPA/WUusEFaKj4I/AAAAAAAAKlg/0MZ22PqfZ1k-yMAjBz-4FxHl0tFICMyAACLcBGAs/s1600/Yolo-bypass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eVVGMehHpPA/WUusEFaKj4I/AAAAAAAAKlg/0MZ22PqfZ1k-yMAjBz-4FxHl0tFICMyAACLcBGAs/s640/Yolo-bypass.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Carson Jeffres</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>SierraClub.org - July 16, 2012</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Back in the 1970s, I was intrigued by an article from the Arizona Highways magazine article which told about a Native golden Apache Trout which almost went extinct were it not for the efforts of Biologists working with the Apache Indian Reservation. But they also referenced other native fish, even mentioning that some 35 different species of native fish once occupied the desert aquatic environments of Arizona. That was almost hard to believe. Like California, Arizona has dammed up it's rivers and channeled much of their watercourses to faciliate agriculture and urban sprawl. Take the river channel in photo on the right which has large tall levees on both sides to prevent the ancient floodplain from reappearing and reclaiming it's former territory. This area of Northern California is known as the Yolo By-Pass region where the floodplain is allowed to prevail once a year. Here below is a video of a very long elevated freeway section of Interstate 80 which allows the floodwaters to do their former inundation of the former wetlands landscape.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Of course there have been times (like the recent 1016/17 winter rainy season) when wetter than normal rainfall events have caused the rivers near the delta region to burst these levees in numerous places and reclaim former territories which are now towns, cities and other farmlands. This ends up in the News and the Army Corps of Engineers are called back to the reign in the power of Nature, saddle break it and force it to do what mankind wants and needs it to do. Very little of human infrastructure actually works with Nature instead of against it. Unfortunately humans are learning (too late) the correct course to take, but sometimes things in many areas are just permanently lost. There's no going back. But maybe with a few exceptions.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Yolo County Flood Control - 1993</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a prime example above of those horrific flooding events in California's Central Valley back in 1993. Traditionally, almost the entire valley f</span><span style="font-size: large;">looded in one way or another. This only happens now after long periods of rainy years where many of the reservoirs overflow their spillways and rivers run again freely with nothing to really block their former historical flow. If the flow is intense enough and more rains come, then breaches in these levees like the one above are common. Take a look at an article about a research study from U.C. Davis where solutions to Salmon decline have been found in rasing them in former floodplains.</span></blockquote>
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<b style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>The Solution to Restoring the </i></b><b style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Native Fish populations is restoring the Floodplains</i></b></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aj8OfTXdppc/WUu1yVUT56I/AAAAAAAAKl8/qC30gaZNNx0ZTEXLcNvL6igKsC-gh83sACLcBGAs/s1600/bypass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="823" height="220" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aj8OfTXdppc/WUu1yVUT56I/AAAAAAAAKl8/qC30gaZNNx0ZTEXLcNvL6igKsC-gh83sACLcBGAs/s640/bypass.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photos by Jacob Katz</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Plos.org</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Using Rice fields as floodplain Nurseries</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">“This study demonstrates that the farm fields that now occupy the floodplain can not only grow food for people during summer, but can also produce food resources and habitat for native fish like salmon in winter,” said lead author Jacob Katz of California Trout. “Our work suggests that California does not always need to choose between its farms or its fish. Both can prosper if these new practices are put into effect, mimicking natural patterns on managed lands. By reconnecting rivers to floodplainlike habitat in strategic places around the Central Valley, they have</span><span style="font-size: large;"> the potential to help recover endangered salmon and other imperiled fish populations to self-sustaining levels,” said Ted Sommer, lead scientist for the California Department of Water Resources and a co-author on the study. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Using Rice Fields as Floodplains</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Since 2012, a team of scientists has been examining how juvenile salmon use off-channel habitats, including off-season rice fields. The experiments provide evidence that rice fields managed as floodplains during winter can create “surrogate” wetland habitat for native fish. The team suggests that shallowly flooded fields function in similar ways to natural floods that once spread across the floodplain, supplying extremely dense concentrations of zooplankton — an important food for juvenile salmon. Foraging on these abundant and nutritious invertebrates, the young salmon grow extremely quickly, improving their chances of surviving their migration to sea and returning in three to five years as the large, adult fish. Take note of the succees above of the fish size after being released within the rice field for a month. Representative juvenile Chinook salmon before (top) and after (middle) rearing for six weeks on the Knaggs Ranch experimental agricultural floodplain on Yolo Bypass. Bottom picture is of a tagged Knaggs fish incidentally recaptured in a rotary screw trap in the Yolo Bypass Toe Drain 13 miles downstream of the release site four weeks after the termination of the experiment. These small fish have no real chance of </span><span style="font-size: large;"> survival in a large river channel. Too many predators in the deeper river and not enough food trsources for them as would be the case in large shallow bodies of water where the zooplankton and insects thrive in warmer shallow waters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/study-floodplain-farm-fields-benefit-juvenile-salmon"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/study-floodplain-farm-fields-benefit-juvenile-salmon</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Update (March 7th 2018)</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jacob Katz, with California Trout, says growing bugs in rice fields could be part of the solution for boosting salmon populations in rivers statewide. 😀</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Ezra David Romero/Capital Public Radio</i></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/03/07/590329976/a-floating-fillet-rice-farmers-hunt-bugs-to-replenish-california-s-salmon"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">NPR: "A 'Floating Fillet': Rice Farmers Grow Bugs To Replenish California's Salmon"</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Some other articles and references to this floodplain restoration concept to save Salmon and still allow commercial farming</i></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/05/09/a-sweet-spot-for-farms-and-fish-on-a-floodplain/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/05/09/a-sweet-spot-for-farms-and-fish-on-a-floodplain/</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0177409"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">PLOS.org: Floodplain farm fields provide novel rearing habitat for Chinook salmon</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://mavensnotebook.com/2016/08/25/farms-as-floodplains-a-summary-after-five-years-of-experimental-flooding-of-agricultural-land/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Studies show the rice-field fish are larger, healthier and more robust than those in the river at the same age</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Biographic </i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So many of the native species of Colorado River basin native fish have disappeared for the very same reasons that have troubled the Salmon. Some are making a comeback and their story is not so dissilmilar to the Salmon rebound of California. The native fish above is the Razorback Sucker, but it itself is not the top predator. That would be the Colorado Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) which ranged throughout the Colorado Drainage Basin as far south as the San Pedro River in southeastern Arizona into Mexico where old west historical accounts of six foot long fish were said to be common. In fact it could rival any large Salmon, even called at one time by the common name, White Salmon. But the deeper waters of the modern Colorado River which has been controlled by dams and channelization to keep it from flooding into former floodplains has hurt the reproduction efforts of many of the native fish which once dominated the river. Below is the story of the Razorback Sucker as seen in the picture above.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Biographic</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - Biographic</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The fingerlings here have been captured by the researchers using a seigning net along the shallows where small fingerlings would be located. While you look at this bag of small fish on the right, only four were actually Razorback Suckers. The others were Bluehard Suckers and Flannelhead Suckers. Both native and that is good thing, but their main goal was the Razorbacks. Apparently these Scientists captured both adult Razorback Suckers and larvae in the canyon, but they didn’t find any juveniles or sub-adults. Just mature adults and larvae. These adults were living in Lake Mead and moving up the canyon to spawn. But again, beyond finding the Razorback larvae, there were no larger juveniles which indicated a problem. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Biographic</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The only way to tell Razorback Sucker larvae (at the bottom) from more common cousins like Bluehead Suckers (top) and Flannelhead Suckers (middle) is through a microscope, using diagnostics like the density of back speckles and muscle fibers. So the other sucker species were doing okay, just not the razorbacks. The Glen Canyon Dam made the Colorado River simultaneously more stable, by eliminating massive spring floods, and more volatile, by instituting unnatural tide levels in the river. By tides we are basically talking about higher and lower water levels fluctuating regularly, something unnatural to this river canyon. In the Arizona morning, millions of people in Phoenix and other desert cities flick on their lights and air conditioners, then the dam managers crank up flows through Glen Canyon’s hydroelectrical turbines to meet power demand. But then at night they power back the turbines. These water level fluctuations in the river are called hydropeaking, because they cause the river to rise and fall by several feet each day. This messes with the aquatic ecosystem's biological food supply, especially for the tiny fish. More on that in a moment. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Biographic</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At several days old, larval Razorback Suckers have developed little more than digestive tracts, leading some biologists to dub them, "squiggles with eyes." Doesn't such scientific intellect speak just make your spine tingle and hairs stand up on the back of your neck ? Whatever. What they found was that the Colorado River canyon was almost completely bereft of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies, river-edge specialists whose eggs are most likely to be exposed and desiccated by this hydropeaking. Tiny blackflies, which lay eggs in open water, are relatively unfazed by tides, but they don’t compensate fish for the loss of the more nourishing prey. Scarce food, more than perhaps any other factor (like larger predator fish), is what's holding native fishes back from increasing within their native habitat.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>During our second day on the river, we pulled over to run our seines along a cobble bar. Nothing. Healy knelt to inspect the lifeless rocks. “In every other river, that cobble would be covered with caddis and mayflies and all kinds of algae,” he said glumly. “Here you don’t see anything because these huge tidal fluctuations leave it dry half the time.” </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>Even in the pre-dam era, Healy added, the Grand Canyon’s tight confines would have challenged larval razorbacks, which prefer to grow up in wide, shallow floodplains. What little habitat the canyon had once afforded, hydropeaking now erodes and dries out. “Razorbacks need warm, stable habitats full of food to get out of that larval stage,” Healy said. “They’re not getting that here.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.biographic.com/posts/sto/in-search-of-suckers"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Biographic: In Search of Suckers</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Photo: Michael Short, The Chronicle</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately other than giving honorable mention to floodplain shallows back prior to dam construction on the Colorado River and lack of shallows for pond insects and the zooplankton which would feed the little Razoeback Squiggles and other fish larvae, the Biographic article goes no further with it than that. Too bad because creating such artificial floodplain settings would probably go along way in making successful larval transition into larger juveniles and sub-adults. Like the farm/floodplain experiments which have proved quite successful in fattening up small Salmon fingerlings on zooplankton like that in the jar above right and later on aquatic insects who appear later. Below you can see the various forms of large aquatic insect life that help the California Salmon move up the food chain. The Grand Canyon Park Service quite often sings the praises with great enthusiasm about the canyon’s bizarre native fish, defending them against the complaints of the sport fish anglers who’d prefer to see the place given over to rainbow trout. And that's probably one of the biggest obstacles to recovery. The original intent of satisfying sport fishermen who were used to game fish from back east. Brian Healy, their lead fish biologist for Grand Canyon National Park, said this about the sport fisherman, “You always get that one guy who says, ‘Well, can you eat ‘em? No? Then what good are they?’” Such a typical response reveals ignorance of how an aquatic system actually works. If the average farmer has little understanding of how a natural ecosystem works in supplying plants with nutrients and in naturally maintaining checks and balances for keeping pests under control and trusts only what Industrial Ag Science tells him, then why should your average fisherman be any different ??? 😞</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>animated illustration - fcps.edu</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And that is the other issue is humans having this need to see instant gratification in the way they view something's worth or value to them. In the Pacific Northwest and in California, it's much more easy to argue for conserving the Salmon, a fish that sustains the Native peoples and keeping the multi-million dollar commercial fisheries in profit. But here in the Southwest, it is considerably harder challenge to make the case for the humpback chub and razorback sucker, two species that support no industry, provide no tangible ecosystem services from the average person's perspective (which exposes their ignorance), and are effectively invisible to the overwhelming majority of park visitors. And yet this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. The California river systems and other native fish there like the Delta Smelt, while not being a sport fish, do provide a further food source for larger sub-adult Salmon. And yet the idea of saving and preserving the Delta Smelt habitat is something controversial because of large scale industrial agricultural business interests and industrial water aqueduct construction interests.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AZ6RV66abAw/WU0yweS-ajI/AAAAAAAAKnc/Gn4zs4tELJMylyVEXETiT8m3yX5qLwfRACLcBGAs/s1600/pike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="448" height="237" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AZ6RV66abAw/WU0yweS-ajI/AAAAAAAAKnc/Gn4zs4tELJMylyVEXETiT8m3yX5qLwfRACLcBGAs/s320/pike.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Ben Kiefer/UDWR</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take special note here of a native Colorado River fish called the Colorado Pikeminnow. This one in the photo on the right was caught by Logan Johnson who is holding a Colorado Pikeminnow on the Middle Green River in Whirlpool Canyon which is a tributary river north of the Colorado River. From the historical accounts and oldest photographs in existence regarding this fish, the one Logan here is holding is a juvenile by comparison to old photographs of fishermen holding six foot long Pikeminnows from their head to the ground. Such sizes no longer exist, but this really illustrates how such a western fish could have been a large game fish which is supported by the smaller less desirable sucker species we've been discussing. Again, all of this aquatic life starts with small tributaries and floodplains. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bxoqW-3CXHg/WU0x6NYasMI/AAAAAAAAKnU/2JSD9jiS_WUmOV1B79eJdn9-6_t_gLOxgCLcBGAs/s1600/cahuilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bxoqW-3CXHg/WU0x6NYasMI/AAAAAAAAKnU/2JSD9jiS_WUmOV1B79eJdn9-6_t_gLOxgCLcBGAs/s640/cahuilla.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Tom Teske & <span style="color: blue;">Google Earth</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AGMVdYc4SXs/WU1BAX3KXLI/AAAAAAAAKnw/yVJb8dHari4M-PLSh6FWLz7tXwiRMuVnwCLcBGAs/s1600/FishTraps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1024" height="231" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AGMVdYc4SXs/WU1BAX3KXLI/AAAAAAAAKnw/yVJb8dHari4M-PLSh6FWLz7tXwiRMuVnwCLcBGAs/s320/FishTraps.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Tom Teske</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The image above is Tom Teske's of El Centro novice attempt to show the lake level near the beach. The view is toward Fish Creek Mts. But I believe he's done a very good job of illustrating the expansive shallows of the ancient Lake Cahuilla shoreline. This area would have been a prime spawning habitat area of shallow floodplains along ancient Lake Cahuilla's western shore. Incredibly, the Cahuilla Indians constructed numerous shallow fish traps, for which several bones of native Colorado River fish were present possibly by the millions. These fish traps above right are up near the city of Indio/Thermal in the southern Coachella Valley. In both traps and camps sites where the Cahuilla peoples lived, many of these fish bones have been found. I have no doubt that the larger Colorado Pikeminnow (formerly Colorado Squawfish) were in present in Lake Cahuilla in the deeper portions of the ancient lake, but the Humpback Chub and Razorback Sucker were smaller and apparently spawning along the shoreline. Clearly the Cahuilla Indians would have easily observed this shallow spawning behaviour. I've also seen this Razorback spawning habit in the sandy shallow shorelines of Lake Havasu along the California and Arizona border. So have others. Who hasn't as a kid figured out how to trap fish with cobblestone river rocks in a small stream and tried to catch them in a bucket ? We use to devise simplistic contraptions like that. The natives would have also made some type of special reed basket fishtrap for scouping up their prey like the one below I referenced from the Oakland Museum. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5BBflh8s-4k/WU1Ax7fHHEI/AAAAAAAAKns/J3GQ4XbhG0YeoSWogbjNOO-ok_2NKl8gwCLcBGAs/s1600/fistraps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1024" height="434" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5BBflh8s-4k/WU1Ax7fHHEI/AAAAAAAAKns/J3GQ4XbhG0YeoSWogbjNOO-ok_2NKl8gwCLcBGAs/s640/fistraps.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Tome Teske</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0q18gXKRveA/WU1JCK-IgsI/AAAAAAAAKoA/cACu8NY6M2ka2C1sO7EbYIZ7elqYoSRgACLcBGAs/s1600/oaklan08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="518" height="214" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0q18gXKRveA/WU1JCK-IgsI/AAAAAAAAKoA/cACu8NY6M2ka2C1sO7EbYIZ7elqYoSRgACLcBGAs/s320/oaklan08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">These traps above are some other unique fish traps on the western edge of ancient Lake Cahuilla further south in Imperial county and are radically different from those of the Indio fish traps further north. Certainly the stones are much different. Altogether they have discovered around 69 of these traps on the shallow flats. I've posted an example of a common native American fish trapping basket that may have been close to what the Cahuilla would have built and used. Interestingly they have found the bones of native the Colorado River fish down here as well. Ninety-eight percent of the fish bones found at these archaeology sites are bonytail chub and razorback sucker which we discussed above. Both of these fish thrived in the warm, productive, plankton-rich environment of Lake Cahuilla. Remember, such shallows afforded these tiny delicate babies an opportunity to fatten up and move upwards in the food chain where insects would have become part of their diet. The reeds and other tules would have offered protection from predators, though many would have become food sources for many other lifeforms like birds. Still once big enough, they would have moved out into deeper water only to become prey for the top predator, the Colorado Pikeminnow. Also something else to ponder, with open access from the outflow of lake Cahuilla south of Mexicali to the Sea of Cortez by means of an extremely expansive delta, who knows what else may have entered the lake from the sea at one time. Perhaps the endangered almost extinct Vaquita porpoise and other fish we know almost nothing about. Some fish do migrate from sea to fresh water and back again. There is so much we will never know. But floodplains play major roles if only people will utilize them again. Fortunately the present system as it stands now has no future. Only then will things heal to the point of recovery and improvement far better than they were before.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OtuPWoVoaIE/WU1sLMZ_ekI/AAAAAAAAKos/E2k37aIXkosSjrHkeEfCgFCVQVn50du3ACLcBGAs/s1600/Colorado%2BRiver%2BFish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OtuPWoVoaIE/WU1sLMZ_ekI/AAAAAAAAKos/E2k37aIXkosSjrHkeEfCgFCVQVn50du3ACLcBGAs/s400/Colorado%2BRiver%2BFish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>What was once the Colorado Delta Floodplain once was (1905) and what it is today (2017)</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - National Fish and Wildlife Foundation</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br />Important References</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.ivdesertmuseum.org/files/5214/2852/5354/Fish_Traps.pdf"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">http://www.ivdesertmuseum.org/files/5214/2852/5354/Fish_Traps.pdf</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://willamettepartnership.org/7-reasons-why-you-should-care-about-floodplains/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://willamettepartnership.org/7-reasons-why-you-should-care-about-floodplains/</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/California-drought-Ray-of-hope-in-fish-vs-farms-5336353.php"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/California-drought-Ray-of-hope-in-fish-vs-farms-5336353.php</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Kalifornien, USA36.778261 -119.4179323999999823.886426 -140.07222939999997 49.670096 -98.763635399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-13136224708316724772017-05-18T08:28:00.001-07:002018-12-24T04:21:26.013-08:00Obsession with Biodiversity is overshadowing loss of Bioabundance<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QT-i4SYaeIE/WRtf7aVoHGI/AAAAAAAAKI8/tidX7YMFrJIrlRuUNPrXobMJduiZ7cUKgCLcB/s1600/spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QT-i4SYaeIE/WRtf7aVoHGI/AAAAAAAAKI8/tidX7YMFrJIrlRuUNPrXobMJduiZ7cUKgCLcB/s200/spider.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Photo by Tibor Nagy 2014</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">"...Even predators as small as spiders can have considerable impacts on not only plant diversity, but ecosystem processes as well..." </i><span style="color: #660000;">May 7, 2017</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This little guy in the upper lefthand corner is a Pisaurina mira nursery web spider. As you know, spiders prey on insects for their food and grasshoppers are part of that diet. Given their choice of various plants for food, grasshoppers will preferentially feed on some plants more than others. These researchers found that grasshoppers prefer to eat grasses, but when these nursery web spiders are present, they will switch to another field and change their diet to other plants like </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Goldenrods</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">. The </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Goldenrod</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> often dominate an area where they grow, but in the presence of invading hungry grasshoppers who start munching on these plants, they chew holes and open up their monoculture canopy, which allows other plants an opportunity to thrive there as well. So apparently spiders do play an important role in the biodiversity of many plant ecosystems. An article on this was published by the In Defense of Plants journal below.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>"How Spiders Increase Plant Diversity"</b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d1lsq4ocC_0/WRtgB4W9IxI/AAAAAAAAKJA/IIuqYqhcC_IJMKD6VYdOZoKogpjPfhNYACLcB/s1600/perennials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d1lsq4ocC_0/WRtgB4W9IxI/AAAAAAAAKJA/IIuqYqhcC_IJMKD6VYdOZoKogpjPfhNYACLcB/s400/perennials.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - InDefenseofPlants.com</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"It's the shift in diet itself that has ramifications throughout the entire ecosystem in question. Many goldenrod species are highly competitive when left to their own devices. If left untouched, abandoned fields can quickly become a monoculture of goldenrod. That is where the spiders come in. By causing a behavioral shift in their grasshopper prey, the spiders are having indirect effects on plant diversity in these habitats. Because grasshoppers spend more time feeding on goldenrods in the presence of spiders, they knock back some of the competitive advantages of these plants. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The researchers found that when spiders were present, overall plant diversity increased. This is not because the spiders ate more grasshoppers. Instead, it's because the grasshoppers shifted to a diet of goldenrod, which knocked the goldenrod back just enough to allow other plants to establish. It's not just plant diversity that changed either. Spiders also caused an increase in both solar radiation and nitrogen reaching the soils! </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>In knocking back the goldenrod, the habitat became slightly more open and patchy as various plant species of different shapes and sizes gradually established. This allowed more light to reach the soil, thus changing the environment for new seeds to germinate. Also, because goldenrod leaves tend to break down more slowly, they can have significant influences on nutrient cycles within the soil. As a more diverse set of plants establish in these field habitats, the type of leaf litter that falls to the ground changes as well. This resulted in an overall increase in the nitrogen supply to the soil, which also influences plant diversity. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>In total, the mere presence of spiders was enough to set in motion these top-down ecosystem effects. It's not that spiders eat more grasshoppers, it's that they are changing the behavior of grasshoppers in a way that results in a more diverse plant community overall. This is a radically different narrative than what has been observed with examples such as the reintroduction of wolves to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem yet the conclusions are very much the same. Predators have innumerable ecosystem benefits that we simply can't afford to ignore."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2017/5/4/how-spiders-increase-plant-diversity"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b>=========================================</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><b>Great News for Biodiversity right ? 😍 Well not so fast! 😬</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Three days later after I read that wonderful article from the folks at </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">"In Defense of Plants," </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">who wrote about how these fascinating insect mechanism interactions which set off change reactions of events which leads to healthier biodiversity within plant community ecosystems, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">"Science Magazine,"</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> then comes out three days later with an article I had seen elsewhere about insect numbers disappearing. Now pay close attention, this was not about extinction, but population numbers dropping dramatically. This is something I've seriously wondered about with regards not only insects, but many lifeforms and even touched on this very subject once before in this post here where I noticed insect disappearances in my mother's yard where we do not used ANY harsh chemical pesticdes of any kind, including synthetic fertilizers. One outstanding strange thing that is now obvious is the total absence of the native red harvester ants in her backyard which is a third of an acre. Since I can remember as a kid since 1961, we always had 15 or 20 red harvester ant colonies for which my folks always tried to spray and eradicate with never any success. Prior to leaving the USA and moving here to Sweden in May 2006, there were only two actual colonies that I knew of. It caught my attention then and I went around and counted. Now there are none. There are also none across the street where there has always been a very wide dirt strip. Even up on Rattlesnake mountain at the end of the street I found none, only black harvester ants. But I also notived that the sow or pill bugs were very limited and even earwigs were gone. Again, we never spray with the synthetics:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2013/08/extinction-phenomena-should-we-be.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Extinction Phenomena: Should We be looking under Boards and Rocks too ?</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">There are also other loss of living lifeforms I've wondered about over the last few years like mycorrhizal fungi. Many would think the microbiological world is safely tucked away in a hidden darkness and in numbers so incomprehensible that it would make it impossible for the microbiome to be harmed. Really ??? I also wrote another piece about the disappearance of a certain specific mycorrhizal fungi truffles I use to collect in and around Anza California where I use to live. For two decades every Spring & Summer (after the first arrival of monsonnal thunderstorms) I would collect mature truffles for their spores to inoculate plants I grew on my acreage and restoration projects I involved myself with locally. Suddenly in 2001 I could no longer find them. I had also previously begun to notice pine and oak trees dying off in the same location before the fungi truffle disappearance. Now large numbers of those pines are gone except for a few and the oaks that still remain are sickly or dead, even Scrub Oaks. So I wrote about that experience as well:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i><b><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2014/07/what-happens-to-earths-mycorrhizal.html"><span style="color: blue;">What happens to Earth's Mycorrhizal Community when their Hosts fail above ground ?</span></a></b></i><span style="color: #783f04;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">The two articles below is a bit more spooky. This has happened over time, but so slowly that most people "take no note." Wow, where have we heard that before ? This scenario reminds me of the story about the frog put in a pan of water where a low fire is slowly heating up the water. By the time the frog realizes what has happened it's too late. His goose is cooked. That's about where we are now and that is what the researchers are finding in the article below. It's not so much lack of biodiversity or extinction, but a huge loss of bioabundance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Update - August 26, 2017</b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/08/26/windscreen-phenomenon-car-no-longer-covered-dead-insects/"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">‘The windscreen phenomenon’ - why your car is no longer covered in dead insects</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HNWVznwE20M/WaqrpI0xiWI/AAAAAAAAK7I/VAuYDs89KYEC5kYzcEMAxtzFYBAkyk6DgCLcBGAs/s1600/buggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="474" height="221" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HNWVznwE20M/WaqrpI0xiWI/AAAAAAAAK7I/VAuYDs89KYEC5kYzcEMAxtzFYBAkyk6DgCLcBGAs/s400/buggy.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>photo By Amanda Thomas (2005)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">In the days gone by decades ago, normal windshileds (or windscreens) would have often appeared as the photo above. It require frequent stops (when bad enough) to use the window cleaning services at the closest petrol stop.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Photo By Paul Henderson (2013)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Yoday that has all changed. This photo above is becoming more common. The update above from Canada and Britain is interesting, but they are tending to blame more cars on the roads. Folks, there is more going on than more cars on the roads as the post below informs us. But it's an interesting read anyway.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>PAUL VAN HOOF/MINDEN PICTURES</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>JEF MEUL/NIS/MINDEN Pictures/National Geographic Creative</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Fireflies, like these shown above in a forest in the Netherlands, have disappeared from some areas in North America and Europe where they were once abundant. The photograph to the right shows Hover flies, which are often mistaken for bees or wasps, are important pollinators. Their numbers have also plummeted in the nature reserves of Germany. Now take very special note here, I said Nature Reserves, not urban landscapes or rural agricultural areas where you would expect such a scenario to be the cause. Sounds like designating something a National Monument is a wasted endeavour which only serves to sugar coat and smokescreen to the public that all is well in the world when all is not well. With all the angry eco-protest marches happening everywhere, we are forced to swallow a sort of religous blind faith-based chant which goes like, </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">"There is peace, there is peace, when they is no peace."</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> The article below starts off by telling a story of the good'ol days when you drove your car and masses of bugs covered the bumper, grill and especially windscreen (shield) of your automobile. For me the worst place for buggageddon was always driving down into the Imperial Valley's industrial agricultural landscape. The insaneness of having to periodically stop at a gas station and cleaning my windscreen a couple of times before I even arrived at my ultimate destination of El Centro was annoying. But now many have noticed the lack of bugs on the windscreen and so have I the last couple of times we have gone through there. So what gives ? What's changed ? That's the whole point of this article.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Where Have All the Insects Gone ?</b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Of the scant records that do exist, many come from amateur naturalists, whether butterfly collectors or bird watchers. Now, a new set of long-term data is coming to light, this time from a dedicated group of mostly amateur entomologists who have tracked insect abundance at more than 100 nature reserves in western Europe since the 1980s. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Over that time the group, the Krefeld Entomological Society, has seen the yearly insect catches fluctuate, as expected. But in 2013 they spotted something alarming. When they returned to one of their earliest trapping sites from 1989, the total mass of their catch had fallen by nearly 80%. Perhaps it was a particularly bad year, they thought, so they set up the traps again in 2014. The numbers were just as low. Through more direct comparisons, the group—which had preserved thousands of samples over 3 decades—found dramatic declines across more than a dozen other sites.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Many losses reverberate up the food chain. "If you're an insect-eating bird living in that area, four-fifths of your food is gone in the last quarter-century, which is staggering," says Dave Goulson, an ecologist at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, who is working with the Krefeld group to analyze and publish some of the data. "One almost hopes that it's not representative—that it's some strange artifact." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>No one knows how broadly representative the data are of trends elsewhere. But the specificity of the observations offers a unique window into the state of some of the planet's less appreciated species. Germany's "Red List" of endangered insects doesn't look alarming at first glance, says Sorg, who curates the Krefeld society's extensive collection of insect specimens. Few species are listed as extinct because they are still found in one or two sites. But that obscures the fact that many have disappeared from large areas where they were once common. Across Germany, only three bumble bee species have vanished, but the Krefeld region has lost more than half the two dozen bumble bee species that society members documented early in the 20th century. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Members of the Krefeld society have been observing, recording, and collecting insects from the region—and around the world—since 1905. Some of the roughly 50 members—including teachers, telecommunication technicians, and a book publisher—have become world experts on their favorite insects. Siegfried Cymorek, for instance, who was active in the society from the 1950s through the 1980s, never completed high school. He was drafted into the army as a teenager, and after the war he worked in the wood-protection division at a local chemical plant. But because of his extensive knowledge of wood-boring beetles, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1979. Over the years, members have written more than 2000 publications on insect taxonomy, ecology, and behavior.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The society's headquarters is a former school in the center of Krefeld, an industrial town on the banks of the Rhine that was once famous for producing silk. Disused classrooms store more than a million insect specimens individually pinned and named in display cases. Most were collected nearby, but some come from more exotic locales. Among them are those from the collection of a local priest, an active member in the 1940s and 1950s, who persuaded colleagues at mission stations around the world to send him specimens. (The society's collection and archive are under historical preservation protection.)</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><b>Weighty disappearances</b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The mass of insects collected by monitoring traps in the Orbroicher Bruch nature reserve in northwest Germany dropped by 78% in 24 years.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(GRAPHIC) G. GRULLÓN/SCIENCE; (DATA) M. SORG ET AL., <br />
MITTEILUNGEN AUS DEM ENTOMOLOGISCHEN VEREIN KREFELD <br />
1, 1–5 (2013) © 2013 ENTOMOLOGISCHER VEREIN KREFELD</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Tens of millions more insects float in carefully labeled bottles of alcohol—the yield from the society's monitoring projects in nature reserves around the region. The reserves, set aside for their local ecological value, are not pristine wilderness but "seminatural" habitats, such as former hay meadows, full of wildflowers, birds, small mammals—and insects. Some even include parts of agricultural fields, which farmers are free to farm with conventional methods. Heinz Schwan, a retired chemist and longtime society member who has weighed thousands of trap samples, says the society began collecting long-term records of insect abundance partly by chance. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, local authorities asked the group for help evaluating how different strategies for managing the reserves affected insect populations and diversity. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The members monitored each site only once every few years, but they set up identical insect traps in the same place each time to ensure clean comparisons. Because commercially available traps vary in ways that affect the catch, the group makes their own. Named for the Swedish entomologist René Malaise, who developed the basic design in the 1930s, each trap resembles a floating tent. Black mesh fabric forms the base, topped by a tent of white fabric and, at the summit, a collection container—a plastic jar with an opening into another jar of alcohol. Insects trapped in the fabric fly up to the jar, where the vapors gradually inebriate them and they fall into the alcohol. The traps collect mainly species that fly a meter or so above the ground. For people who worry that the traps themselves might deplete insect populations, Sorg notes that each trap catches just a few grams per day—equivalent to the daily diet of a shrew.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Sorg says society members saved all the samples because even in the 1980s they recognized that each represented a snapshot of potentially intriguing insect populations. "We found it fascinating—despite the fact that in 1982 the term ‘biodiversity' barely existed," he says. Many </i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>samples have not yet been sorted and cataloged—a painstaking labor of love done with tweezers and a microscope. Nor have the group's full findings been published. But some of the data are emerging piecemeal in talks by society members and at a hearing at the German Bundestag, the national parliament, and they are unsettling. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Beyond the striking drop in overall insect biomass, the data point to losses in overlooked groups for which almost no one has kept records. In the Krefeld data, hover flies—important pollinators often mistaken for bees—show a particularly steep decline. In 1989, the group's traps in one reserve collected 17,291 hover flies from 143 species. In 2014, at the same locations, they found only 2737 individuals from 104 species. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Since their initial findings in 2013, the group has installed more traps each year. Working with researchers at several universities, society members are looking for correlations with weather, changes in vegetation, and other factors. No simple cause has yet emerged. Even in reserves where plant diversity and abundance have improved, Sorg says, "the insect numbers still plunged." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">A Weather Station for Biodiversity</b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Researchers in Germany hope to develop a set of automated sensors that will monitor the abundance and diversity of plants, animals, and fungi with the help of pattern recognition and DNA and chemical analysis.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">V.ALTOUNIAN/SCIENCE</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />Changes in land use surrounding the reserves are probably playing a role. "We've lost huge amounts of habitat, which has certainly contributed to all these declines," Goulson says. "If we turn all the seminatural habitats to wheat and cornfields, then there will be virtually no life in those fields." As fields expand and hedgerows disappear, the isolated islands of habitat left can support fewer species. Increased fertilizer on remaining grazing lands favors grasses over the diverse wildflowers that many insects prefer. And when development replaces countryside, streets and buildings generate light pollution that leads nocturnal insects astray and interrupts their mating. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Neonicotinoid pesticides, already implicated in the widespread crash of bee populations, are another prime suspect. Introduced in the 1980s, they are now the world's most popular insecticides, initially viewed as relatively benign because they are often applied directly to seeds rather than sprayed. But because they are water soluble, they don't stay put in the fields where they are used. Goulson and his colleagues reported in 2015 that nectar and pollen from wildflowers next to treated fields can have higher concentrations of neonicotinoids than the crop plants. Although initial safety studies showed that allowable levels of the compounds didn't kill honey bees directly, they do affect the insects' abilities to navigate and communicate, according to later research. Researchers found similar effects in wild solitary bees and bumble bees. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Less is known about how those chemicals affect other insects, but new studies of parasitoid wasps suggest those effects could be significant. Those solitary wasps play multiple roles in ecosystems—as pollinators, predators of other insects, and prey for larger animals. A team from the University of Regensburg in Germany reported in Scientific Reports in February that exposing the wasp Nasonia vitripennis to just 1 nanogram of one common neonicotinoid cut mating rates by more than half and decreased females' ability to find hosts. "It's as if the [exposed] insect is dead" from a population point of view because it can't produce offspring, says Lars Krogmann, an entomologist at the Stuttgart Natural History Museum in Germany. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>No one can prove that the pesticides are to blame for the decline, however. "There is no data on insecticide levels, especially in nature reserves," Sorg says. The group has tried to find out what kinds of pesticides are used in fields near the reserves, but that has proved difficult, he says. "We simply don't know what the drivers are" in the Krefeld data, Goulson says. "It's not an experiment. It's an observation of this massive decline. The data themselves are strong. Understanding it and knowing what to do about it is difficult." </i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>© ENTOMOLOGISCHER VEREIN KREFELD</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The factors causing trouble for the hover flies, moths, and bumble bees in Germany are probably at work elsewhere, if clean windshields are any indication. Since 1968, scientists at Rothamsted Research, an agricultural research center in Harpenden, U.K., have operated a system of suction traps—12-meter-long suction tubes pointing skyward. Set up in fields to monitor agricultural pests, the traps capture all manner of insects that happen to fly over them; they are "effectively upside-down Hoovers running 24/7, continually sampling the air for migrating insects," says James Bell, who heads the Rothamsted Insect Survey.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Between 1970 and 2002, the biomass caught in the traps in southern England did not decline significantly. Catches in southern Scotland, however, declined by more than two-thirds during the same period. Bell notes that overall numbers in Scotland were much higher at the start of the study. "It might be that much of the [insect] abundance in southern England had already been lost" by 1970, he says, after the dramatic postwar changes in agriculture and land use. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The stable catches in southern England are in part due to constant levels of pests such as aphids, which can thrive when their insect predators are removed. Such species can take advantage of a variety of environments, move large distances, and reproduce multiple times per year. Some can even benefit from pesticides because they reproduce quickly enough to develop resistance, whereas their predators decline. "So lots of insects will do great, but the insects that we love may not," Black says. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Other, more visible creatures may be feeling the effects of the insect losses. Across North America and Europe, species of birds that eat flying insects, such as larks, swallows, and swifts, are in steep decline. Habitat loss certainly plays a role, Nocera says, "but the obvious factor that ties them all together is their diet." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Some intriguing, although indirect, clues come from a rare ecological treasure: decades' worth of stratified bird droppings. Nocera and his colleagues have been probing disused chimneys across Canada in which chimney swifts have built their nests for generations. From the droppings, he and his colleagues can reconstruct the diets of the birds, which eat almost exclusively insects caught on the wing. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The layers revealed a striking change in the birds' diets in the 1940s, around the time DDT was introduced. The proportion of beetle remains dropped off, suggesting the birds were eating smaller insects—and getting fewer calories per catch. The proportion of beetle parts increased slightly again after DDT was banned in the 1970s but never reached its earlier levels. The lack of direct data on insect populations is frustrating, Nocera says. "It's all correlative. We know that insect populations could have changed to create the population decline we have now. But we don't have the data, and we never will, because we can't go back in time." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Sorg and Wägele agree. "We deeply regret that we did not set up more traps 20 or 30 years ago," Sorg says. He and other Krefeld society members are now working with Wägele's group to develop what they wish they had had earlier: a system of automated monitoring stations they hope will combine audio recordings, camera traps, pollen and spore filters, and automated insect traps into a "biodiversity weather station". Instead of tedious manual analysis, they hope to use automated sequencing and genetic barcoding to analyze the insect samples. Such data could help pinpoint what is causing the decline—and where efforts to reverse it might work best. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Paying attention to what E. O. Wilson calls "the little things that run the world" is worthwhile, Sorg says. "We won't exterminate all insects. That's nonsense. Vertebrates would die out first. But we can cause massive damage to biodiversity—damage that harms us."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/where-have-all-insects-gone"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(Source: Sciencemag.org & Gretchen Vogel)</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Update May 20, 2017: </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">Sithsoniaan Tropical Research Institute</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Credit: Chung Yun Tak</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Credit: Saskya Van Nouhuys</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">I'm interjecting this tropical research report here because it is relevant to the importance of insecting leading the way ecosystems are sustained in balance. </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Using plasticine caterpillar models like this one in the photo above and at right at the Smithsonian's ForestGEO site of Tai Po Kau in Hong Kong, researchers discovered a global pattern of higher predation at low elevations and low latitudes.</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> Clearly what we consider pest insects are those insects thaat eat plants we like in our landscapes, gardens and farms. But we should also acknowledge that there are beneficial natural components which eat such pests. First thing that comes to most people's minds are such predators as birds & anmals, but that is not what these researchers found. Insect predators are the most important abundant predators of pest insects in the wild as this study below found. So when loss of Bioabundance of predatory insects takes place, our goose is cooked and the only real winners in the perverted sense as all the Agro-Chemical & Biotech Industries. As sick & horrific as that sounds, it's nevertheless the truth.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><b>Predators are Real Lowlifes</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><i>Insects drove the trend, not mammals or birds. “As someone who has studied insect biodiversity in the tropics for most of my life, I wasn’t surprised that insects were responsible for most of the predation observed,” said Yves Basset, leader of the ForestGEO Arthropod Initiative at STRI. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><i>The team put out almost 3,000 model caterpillars for four to 18 days at 31 different sites from Australia to Greenland at different altitudes, from zero to 2,100 meters above sea level. Based on characteristic marks left by predators in the clay, they could tell whether the models were attacked by birds, mammals or insects.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.stri.si.edu/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">http://www.stri.si.edu</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This should be a wake up call, but most likely it will generally fall on deaf ears. Mere handfulls of interested ones will click "Like" on some Enviro-Facebook page, but mostly it will go unnoticed. The average human being hates bugs and buys into the industrial science marketing of </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">"An only good Bug is a dead Bug."</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> Think back on those </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">RAID</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> commercials. Synthetic Pesticides are incapable of differienting between and good and bad insect. Most don't care. They want bugs gone. Seriously, walk down any Home Depot, Lowes, Hornbach, Bau Haus or other local hardware store and the only viable healthy garden solution they offer is a science-based synthetic toxic option. No instruction or education of ever building a biodiverse system in your garden thru biomimicry. There was a reference to E.O. Wilson at the end of the article. These days everyone seems to want to worship the ground that E.O. Wilson walks on as something hallowed. The 80+ E.O. Wilson, is a Harvard professor of evolutionary biology who made his celebrity claim to fame back in the 1970s with his study of social species in two books, The Insect Societies and Sociobiology. He is internationally acknowledged as "the father of sociobiology" and is the world's leading authority on ants. Hence I can understand why Gretchen Vogel who wrote the article referenced him in the last paragraph where she quotes him as saying "we must pay attention to the little things that run the world." Sure enough in his book, Diversity of Life, E.O. Wilson stated:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>“Most life on land depends ultimately on one relationship: the mycorrhiza, the intimate and mutually dependent coexistence of fungi and the roots systems of plants.”</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">His point of course was that the importance of these beneficial fungi should not be underestimated. So okay, he has some good points on why our understanding of Nature's micro-world should be better. I totally agree. But then at other times he does an about face and turns right around and out of the other corner of his mouth tells the world that Industrial Agriculture's Biotech World is the only thing that can save Nature. In 2011 in an interview in "EarthSky Journal," E.O. Wilson said:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"And within science, this is going to be a century of biology. We are entering an age of synthesis. So many discoveries have been made in biology in the cell, at the molecular level, and on up to the development of organisms."</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"And we need all the biology and all the advances we can find in agriculture, especially. We’re going to have to switch worldwide to dry land agriculture. We don’t have enough water in enough countries to feed all those people and to restore soil to arable condition. So this means that we have to have genetically modified organisms. I’d take that as a given. Some people don’t like the idea. But that’s one of those necessities brought about by the human condition."</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Clearly the very thing Wilson here is advocating is the very thing that is killing biodiversity and bioabundance. E.O. Wilson like Bill Nye will never admit that because supporting biotech world is paramont in keeping hold of their science celebrity darling icon status. Bill Nye was once opposed to GMOs, but then one day Monsanto showed him the light. More than likely he was ushered into a back room and explained the facts of life by the good'ol boys club about what he should do to keep that status quo as a celebrity icon if he knew what was healthy for him. Both Wilson and Nye are also staunch advocates of the</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2017/03/how-dumping-argument-from-poor-design.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">"Agrument from Poor Design"</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> religious dogma. I use the term religious here because there is nothing scientific about it. It's done more harm to the natural world and held back real world sustainable eco-green technological innovation more than anything else. Both men are also part of the new secular attitude espoused earlier by Edward Abbey who believed mankind is worthless and desperately needs culling if not outright removal. Although both men do not see either of themselves as part of that problem. Nobody questions these science celebrity icons and they should. </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, E.O. Wilson's and Bill Nye’s intolerant worldview seems to be rubbing off and infecting many of today's Gen-X and Millennials (think of turmoil & uncertainty) which might explain some of the insane chaos which is a common component of today's world.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Well, getting back to insects and the two artcles. A couple years ago Germany (one of the biggest users of palm oil) expressed self-righteous indignation towards Indonesia for cutting down their country's rainforests and replacing them with palm oil plantations. The Indonesian leader also fired back exposing Germany for destroying 70% of Germany's original forests. Sure enough that is true. What forests that do exist have become industrial forestry plantations, with only those few scattered nature reserves which we spoke of earlier. This is also true of most of industrial Europe including Sweden. This may well account for the drop in not only insects, but also other wildlife. So blame cannot be put squarely on the shoulders of industrial science, but also these science celebrity icons whom they go to bed with figuratively speaking to promote their technology. For all the public shouting and fingerpointing these celebrities do at the average human being for not being eco-green, they themseves are the blind leading the blind. These icons need to be exposed for what they really are. As for the average person, follow the lead recommended by the first article from the </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #274e13;">"In Defense of Plants" </span><span style="color: #783f04;">people. Learn how nature works and biomimic that in your own landscape or garden. As far as the bigger picture, this world's leadership (irrespecitive of the ideological worldview) needs to be completely eradicated soon. If that doesn't happen, then nothing will be saved.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i style="color: #990000;">Update 2018 --->>> </i>Anyone else noticing this too ??? 😲</b></span></span> </blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/17/where-have-insects-gone-climate-change-population-decline"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">The Guardian: "Where have all our insects gone?"</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Now relax to eleven minutes of Insects and Birds in a Field on a Summer Day (Natural sound meditation)</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Tyskland51.165691 10.45152600000005840.944362 -10.202770999999942 61.387020000000007 31.105823000000058tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-9921332206174940482017-04-02T02:46:00.001-07:002017-04-07T00:39:38.964-07:00Observation, Reflection, Pondering, & Questions unveil how Nature really works<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Medical Dictionary Definition of </b></span> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Periphery</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"the outward bounds of something as distinguished from its internal regions or center"</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you've been reading this blog for very long, you know I value having an open minded peripheral view of nature as opposed to the often Tunnel Vision approach many scientific researchers take. I have two examples here of different approaches to research studies and their outcomes which were based on either broad observational viewpoint or a narrow minded tunnel vision approach. I've often had numerous discussions with defenders of the industrial science business model approach to agriculture versus a biodiverse perennial plants and mycorrhizal soil system approach. The response to the observed evidence outdoors based on the reality of how nature maintains and sustains has always been met with, "Your evidence confirming an observation is evidence that your observation is wrong." Well not is so many words, but these are the very people who are religiously hung up on "evidence-based science" and "peer-review." Pure unadulterated blind faith belief in both of these states as an only means at arriving at a truth can be easily debunked by viewing the effects on Nature. Below are the two contrasting approaches as to how science is done, with the later example being the most universally common ne practiced and the degradation of our Earth's ecosystems are evidence that the first approach should become more well funded.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Scientists follow seeds to solve ecological puzzle</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mice hammer a rare native plant by feasting on its seeds, but their spoliation is human-enabled</b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;">Credit: Molly Kuhs</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"Scientists Tiffany Knight and Eleanor Pardini in restored dune habitat at the Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, California. Plants native to the area, such as the Tidestrom's lupines that surround them, are adapted to stiff winds, dune blowouts and winter storms at sea."</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Credit: Eleanor Pardini</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Up in Marin County in northern California at the Abbotts Lagoon in Point Reyes National Seashore, there is a sand dune ecosystem where a rare low growing spreading flower called, Tidestrom's Lupine <span style="color: #bf9000;">(native)</span>, is being eaten from existence a, Deer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatus <span style="color: #bf9000;">(also native)</span>, but which also prefers the seeds of another more common larger Lupine called, Chamisso Bush Lupine <span style="color: #bf9000;">(again also native)</span>. The basic dilemma here was that there was a decline in the rare Lupine populations around these sand dunes. The situation was so dire that realistically it was thought they would go extinct. The mouse was eating both types of Lupine seeds and even preferred the larger more common Bush Lupine seeds, but the smaller low growing Lupine was still the one that was declining. But they eventually determined that Humans were in actuality the enablers of the imbalance that had taken place between various NATIVE components of the ecosystem. That was the interesting part. Incredibly, this was not one of those textbook cases of some foreign exotic plant or animal wreaking havoc on some California ecosystem. True, a European Beachgrass was utilized in an attempt to stabilize the sand dune, but they could well have chosen any native California bunch grass with the same imbalanced result. These were native organisms out of balance struggling within a familiar ecosystem for which as the researchers explained, "the spoliation was human enabled." One native California organism pitted against another. What I love most about this article were the well thought out questions that drove the researchers which the author published at the beginning:</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>What bothers a plant? Why are some plants rare while others are common? Are the rare plants simply adapted to rare habitat or are they losing the competition for habitat? Are their populations small but stable, or are they dwindling? </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>And how can scientists usefully frame these questions when there are so many possible variables?</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>One way is to compare related — or congeneric — species that have many traits in common but also differ in some ways. This clears out enough underbrush that carefully designed experiments can provide answers."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://source.wustl.edu/2017/03/scientists-follow-seeds-solve-ecological-puzzle/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Washington State University St Louis: Scientists follow seeds to solve ecological puzzle</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Credit: Eleanor Pardini</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">"The common Chamisso bush lupine holds its seed pods above the ground or hides them in the middle of its shrubbery. This lupine’s architecture makes its seeds less vulnerable to predation while they remain on the plant."</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Credit: Steve Kroiss</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This little native Deer Mouse at right was at first glance the trouble maker. In the old days the rule of thumb from the Scientific Orthodoxy would be to recommend without question a science-based synthetic pesticide to eradicate the Mouse. Problem solved! But was this little mouse really at fault ? Nature is loaded with all manner of living things which do not think, reason and scheme like humans. They are however incredibly sophisticated complex biological machines being run and directed by an informational communications network (DNA) & complex sensory system which responds to environmental cues. The researchers found that some time back a human decision was made by the Park Service to prevent dune erosion by planting a type of beachgrass. Apparently there were a combination of domino effects that went negative. It would seem the beachgrass provided safe haven for the little Deer Mouse who felt safe and embolden to venture out and eat the seeds of the rare Tidestrom's Lupine. But two years into the study the Park Service then removed the beachgrass to save another bird's (Plover) nesting site. Here is a description of what happened next:</span>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>The removal of beachgrass has already taken the pressure off the rare lupine. There are two reasons for this, Pardini said. One is that Tidestrom’s lupine is adapted to a disturbed habitat and needs wind and dune blowouts to thrive. The second is that with the beachgrass gone, mice have to take bigger risks to take lupine seeds. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>“Tidestrom’s lupine is popping up like crazy in the restored areas,” Pardini said. “The seed germination rate is very high, survival rate is extremely high, it’s reaching high densities in the restored zones, the plants are huge and they’re extremely fertile.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://source.wustl.edu/2017/03/scientists-follow-seeds-solve-ecological-puzzle/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Read the entire Article HERE)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">You can read the rest of the entire article on your own. It's loaded with lots of interesting reading. But now lets take another look at the second approach to research which at the beginning on the surface appears to be a faster way to shortcuts, but in reality holds back valuable strides forward. Especially when urgency is the motivating factor.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Fighting World Hunger: Robotics Aid in the Study of Corn and Drought Tolerance</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3l_Of4bdRXM/WN-9xc_WlqI/AAAAAAAAJ6U/OMocAWzluv0gkBqA-2fksZlnEorCkgQtgCLcB/s1600/corn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3l_Of4bdRXM/WN-9xc_WlqI/AAAAAAAAJ6U/OMocAWzluv0gkBqA-2fksZlnEorCkgQtgCLcB/s640/corn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Credit: Gui DeSouza</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Credit: Gui DeSouza</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This next study is an old one. This ongoing insistence that only biotechs can find the answers to drought resistence in preparation for future climate change. But in this case it takes an unnecessary course of direction. The attempt here is to get a little too cute with electronics. Robotics right now is a hot topic and all industries are looking at them to save time and money. The article and video they provide starts out justifying the research by the all too common cache phrase, <i style="color: #990000;">"In the fight against world hunger . . "</i> They then continue on with numbers and stats along with a dire prophetic warning of time running out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Developing drought tolerant corn that makes efficient use of available water will be vital to sustain the estimated 9 billion global population by 2050."</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMsxCg8VZII/WOAJIpQGRCI/AAAAAAAAJ60/2h3ZdCImq60MlW7_lB_UcbhFFYZI-ZyjwCEw/s1600/badrobot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMsxCg8VZII/WOAJIpQGRCI/AAAAAAAAJ60/2h3ZdCImq60MlW7_lB_UcbhFFYZI-ZyjwCEw/s1600/badrobot.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">So the message here is that developing drought resistent corn crop varieties can only be accomplished with robotics facilitated by a $20 million grant and hopefully something positive will just happen by 2050 to save the world from hunger ? By contrast most of the early mycorrhizal research decades ago was done outdoors in a natural environmental setting. Being outdoors provided Mycologists and other researchers to observe the reality of how nature really works. Scientists (Mycologists) watched, observed, pondered and formulated numerous questions not just on the fungi alone, but their interaction with every other living thing around them. What has always beens a puzzle to me is why the mycorrhizal soil management systems approach has never been as well funded as the industrial science approach to bland boring monocultures ? But that's not really what industrial science is all about. Their goals are entirely different from tradtional study and research, take a look at a quote mentioned in the video at time spot 1:08:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"We're trying to automate as much as we can. We're trying to install networking so we can do everything from the Lab -- we can remotely log into the devices, collect images, download the image and all that so that we don't have to go to the field as much."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2017/0328-fighting-world-hunger-robotics-aid-in-the-study-of-corn-and-drought-tolerance/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">University of Missouri: Fighting World Hunger: Robotics Aid in the Study of Corn and Drought Tolerance</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>Image - Mycorrhizal Applications Inc</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The industrial approach is all about what they imagine to be shortcuts provided by this robot which might mean greater returns on investment. The study on the mouse vrs the Lupine had no such monetary funding or future $$$ ambitions to motivate those researchers involved. But seriously, Robots to identify heat stress in plants ??? Question: Does the average farmer really need a robot to tell them which corn plants are stressed and which ones are doing fine ? Look at the pic above. All this continual talk of Biotech research work going into finding that right drought resistence gene has always been a complete waste of time. There has been for 1000s of countless years a tool Nature has always had available for dealing with drought resistence in plants. That would be the various varieties of mycorrhizal fungi who have a vested interest in the health and welfare of their hosts. So why the high techie robots ? Yes, in these modern times, fungi are probably not as sexy and sophisticated as modern technological advancements like robots, but their function as mutualistic partners with crop plants is far superior to anything biotech scientists or robotics engineers could ever do to problem solve quick solutions just around the corner, let alone a decade or two away. Our planet Earth doesn't have a decade or two. Pursuit of a mycorrhizal approach is in reality the real shortcut. The biggest roadblock is that a genetically modified seed comes with a lot of required aftermarket baggage ($£€) like a plethora of synthetic fertilizer inputs, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, miticides, etc which do nothing more than provide the promise of obscene profit for a handful of giant chemical corporate entites. Now to be completely fair here, I'm sure this Associate Professor, Gui DeSouza, and his intelligent engineers are conscientious people and know their electronic gadegtry stuff very well. But modern Science's biggest problem is wanting to do almost everything inside of some Laboratory. Much of today's Science left the outdoors decades ago. That's not to say that there are no scientists today who no longer practice outdoor research, because many still do. The researchers at the Dune site proved this to be true. But I highly doubt any of these industrially motivated guys have much understanding of underground soil mycorrhizal networks and their relationship with any plant let alone crop plants. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The direction the prevailing industrial Scientific Orthodoxy is to white wash the bad news</span><span style="font-size: large;"> to the public by their propagandizing which is almost identical to the words of warning by Patrick Henry who himself was quoting from a biblical text of</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+13%3A10&version=ICB"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Ezekiel 13:10)</span></i></b></a><span style="font-size: large;"> where false prophets were suckering the common people into believe the coming dire situation was really not all that bad. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Our present dire reality is that this world doesn't have until 2050 to find solutions. There's no luxury of time to piddle around, beg for funding for pet projects and problem solve for profit. Ecosystems are deteriorating faster than ever before and have been for some decades. The picture I often use above from the University of Florida and Mycorrhizal Applications Inc testing the product MycoApply with multiple blend of fungi species points a glaring spotlight on how this drought & heat stress resistence can be dealt with in one season on many corn (& other crop) varieties that they already know will grow well in hot climates. It also exposes what a real propaganda sham this biotech search for that illusive mysterious drought resistent gene really is about. If their goal really was about feeding the world & food security, the mycorrhizal approach would be snapped up instantly. What this is really all about, is Industrial Agriculture in bed with Industrial Science trying desperately to keep a status quo monopoly on agribusiness. As that is the case, they are stubbornly committed to a tunnel vision industrial answer approach and not any peripheral view of anything outside of their narrow minded small inner circle of elitest ideas. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: small;"><b><i>Speaking of Sand Dunes</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The beauty of the animal, plant & bird dilemma at the Sand Dune Project was that these researchers did spend quite a bit of time outdoors for four years. They also came up with not only great questions one after another based on observations, but also created some beautiful terminology along the way to illustrate and expose the multiple ways humans have managed to screw up the environment even without introducing any invasive exotic non-native species of plants, birds or animals. Expressions like, "subsidized native predators" & "spoliation is human enabled," which fits nicely with Martin Luther King Jr's, "sincere ignorance" & "conscientious stupidity." Take a look at their final thoughts in the Dune/Beachgrass/Mouse/Lupine research:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Final Twist</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>A final twist Ironically, the beachgrass was removed not to help the rare lupine but rather to help the endangered western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus). Just as the lupine lost germination sites to the grass, the plover lost nesting habitat. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>And both the lupine and the plover suffered from subsidized native predators.</i></span> <span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>In the case of the lupine, the predator is the deer mouse; in the case of the plover, it is the common raven (Corvus corax), </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>“Corvid populations have been exploding worldwide since the 1970s,” Pardini said. “You can see it in the Christmas birdcount data. One reason is that they feast on the refuse people provide. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>“So the emerging story about human intervention and the ravens is analogous to the one about the grass and the mice,” she added. In both cases, people are subsidizing a species that is upsetting the balance that once existed between other species: on one hand two lupines, in the other two birds.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">The summary sheds light on so many things. Humans have not only subsidized various forms of invasive species which have brought about environmental ruin to many areas of our Earth, but they've also somehow managed to pit one native organism against another unintentionally. Previously most all native things have lived in almost perfect balance for 1000s of years. Suddenly, a form of new freedom promising scientific enlightenment bulls it's way onto the world scene 150+ years ago and we find ourselves as an actual slave to it's death dealing consequences. The beauty of the Lupine/Mouse study on those Northern California sand dunes illustrates how humans can truly unmask and expose the cause and over a long period of time use the powers of observation within peripheral viewpoint of an entire environment, inspire numerous thought provoking questions and come up with a nonsynthetic pesticidal solution for creating back the natural balance again. Giant corporations are easy big targets to blame because of their extraordinary size for expossure. But what really frightens me are all those small to medium size property owners out there who still buy into the rat poison advertisement indoctrination as a first option in arriving at problem correction. Take a rural drive almost anywhere and look how the average property owning citizen lacks the understanding in taking a natural balanced approach to maintaining the ecology of their land. This is the kind of approach that should be easily taught in elementary school through high school (secondary school) long before a student gets to college. Just think of all the unnecessary baggage they wouldn't be lugging with them when they finally do go to a University ? 😵</span><br />
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<a href="https://epardini.wordpress.com/" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: start;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Dr. Eleanor Pardini's Research Blog</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com2Marin County, Kalifornien, USA38.083403 -122.7633035999999737.2833505 -124.05419709999997 38.8834555 -121.47241009999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-27116453513367681232017-03-10T09:13:00.005-08:002022-03-30T07:44:29.471-07:00Basic Fundamentals of any successful Ecosystem Restoration starts underground<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Understanding just how invasive Tamarisk trees suck the life out of native Fremont Cottonwood ecosystem, may help us in rebuilding all other various types of ecosystems successfully without relapse</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Mr Doug Fir's fake Facebook status account created with www.statusclone.com</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In almost every discussion I've ever had about ecosystem &/or habitat restoration with various people and groups, the methods &/or techniques discussed have always been (removal = mechanical & toxic chemicals) followed by (solution = selected native nursery grown plants plugged into ground vacated by exotics) and viola it's restored. But of course it's not that easy as can be testified by the fact that they have to continue with numerous follow-up restorations until they feel they have attained a measure of success. Those continued follow-ups are the exact result of almost no one considering inoculating the soil around the plants with a healthy blend of plant specific mycorrhizal inoculum. When I bring this subject up because I usually always get those who aalways insist, "Oh you don't need to do that, because all those good fungal spores are just everywhere in the air." Yeah, maybe way back when ecosystems were more untouched, but not now in our modern times. I've written previously how many of my many years of favourite truffle collection spots have ceased to produce and mainly it came a few years prior to their host's dying. Why did this happen ? I have no idea. But there are a plethora of things scientists in general do not understand despite their putting happy faces stamped on their proposed solutions.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SXBFxNchLxk/VmLztTn1LeI/AAAAAAAAG54/XaEgDLdKH5c/s1600/mushroom%2Bexploding%2Bspores.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SXBFxNchLxk/VmLztTn1LeI/AAAAAAAAG54/XaEgDLdKH5c/s1600/mushroom%2Bexploding%2Bspores.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - Roeselien Raimond</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7f6000;">"The answer my friend </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strike>is</strike></span><span style="color: #7f6000;"> isn't blowing in the wind"</span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When you look at and deeply ponder any type of weedy infestation within a former healthy native ecosystem which is almost exclusively exotic invasives, it's a pretty good probability that those beneficial fungal mycorrhizal networks most likely don't exist in that soil profile anymore. That's logical since the fungi need a viable specific host in order to actually keep alive and the annual invasive weeds (Ruderals or exotic shrubs & trees) have employed a phytochemical tool coupled with continuous human disturbance (Agriculture, Wildfire, etc), we can pretty much assume a bacterial soil profile has taken it's place. The conventional theory is, disking & blitzing the weed infested area in question with Roundup, then following up with planting a native seed blend version of "Meadow in a Can" isn't going to cut it. You have to restore the underground mycorrhizal soil profile with inoculated perennial native plants like Lupines, Poppies, etc for the restoration to succeed. Same is true with restoring native trees & shrubs. Logically, if we observe above ground failure of an entire ecosystem, it's a pretty good bet that something may not be functioning normally under the ground on a microscopic level. In my own experience with planting various pine specimens I collected for my own 3+ acres up in Anza, California, I'd often find that nearby healthy looking scrub oaks really came to life with heavier foliage and larger leaves the following year after planting my inoculated pines with Pisolithus tinctorius. The fungal system which colonized the pines moved underground, also formed a bond with the scrub oaks and truffles appeared in the Spring just outside of the oak's dripline area. What puzzled me was why this specific fungi not been already present before when large tree areas on the other side of Hamilton Canyon always had them ? Apparently we cannot count on the air being our friend. Take this picture below. A recent discussion on "California Invasive Plant's" Facebook page motivated me to address this subject and finish this post that I originally started as a draft some months back.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - R.R. Alexander in 2010</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">California Poppies</span> - Diamond Valley Reservoir south of Hemet</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_dXv4FrBCYM/WLWVRWNT7QI/AAAAAAAAJoE/PhxEpulqMxEvYtS4bNfNPXhlelwEaTGVwCLcB/s1600/yellowStarThistle01.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_dXv4FrBCYM/WLWVRWNT7QI/AAAAAAAAJoE/PhxEpulqMxEvYtS4bNfNPXhlelwEaTGVwCLcB/s200/yellowStarThistle01.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - Jeff Schalau via slco.org</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This photograph above is in western Riverside County where I lived and worked for 20+ years. In all that time I lived in western Riverside County California, especially in the early years, this area was one of the richest native California wildflower places I've ever witnessed in my lifetime. But that was then. Today these regions are almost totally gone because of development. Diamond Valley Reservoir never existed in the early days. It was originally called Dominegone Valley. This photo of the wildflowers at Diamond Valley Reservoir above caught my eye because of a couple intriguing elements. On first glance it would appear that the native wildflowers (Poppy & Lupine) have choked out and smothered the Mediterranean invasive Black Mustard (Brassica nigra) as represented by the skeletal remains of last year's annual Mustard crop. But more than likely new Mustard plants have already germinated, still very small and will over take these wildflowers in another month. This photo on the right is Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) and like the non-native Mustard is a non-mycorrhizal annual from elsewhere. Most of the other annual invasives are also non-mycorrhizal and can change the underground soil makeup from a mycorrhizal system to a bacterial system which favours ruderal weeds. Where I have observed Star Thistle in a population explosion scenario is on a landscape which has been mechanically disked or burned over multiple times killing native hosts to mycorrhizal fungi. In that instance they will form entirely pure stands of mixed non-mycorrhizal invasive annual plants. At that point the native plants will have a tougher time coming back or maybe never gaining back a foothold without human intervention. But here is where talk and planning of restoring any type of native ecosystem should always include a quality multispecies blended mycorrhizal inoculum. But this subject in discussion is almost never heard. Take this study below about suppressing Star Thistle:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.12641/abstract"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Reduced mycorrhizal responsiveness leads to increased competitive tolerance in an invasive exotic plant</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">After acknowledging and providing info on how Star Thistle grows unsuccessfully where soils are Vascular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (VAM) coupled with the presence of perennial bunchgrass Stipa pulchra, take note in the later part of this sentence in the first bullet point under the Summary:</span>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>" . . , although this remains poorly studied."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now notice this other study on how invasive Black Mustard (Brassica nigra) has been shown to change soil microbial dynamics by suppressing mycorrhizal fungi and changing the underground system to a bacterial one and take a look at this last sentence:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4593686/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">The invasive plant, Brassica nigra, degrades local mycorrhizas across a wide geographical landscape</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>There is a need for additional research for more informed agricultural decisions over large spatial scales to avoid potential negative impacts of members of the Brassicaceae on native plant communities."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here is yet another example study done on a different European invasive called Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) which has invaded North American forests suppressing mycorrhizal networks which have effect all hardwood seedlings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040140"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Invasive Plant Suppresses the Growth of Native Tree Seedlings by Disrupting Belowground Mutualisms</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>"Nevertheless, experimental data on species-level impacts of exotic plants are still limited."</i></span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Further research in these directions is needed to better understand the effects of this invader on natural ecosystems and the mechanisms involved."</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, moving away from non-mycorrhizal ruderal weeds and looking at ability of an aggressive non-native tree, Tamarisk, to change underground soil biological mechanisms, here is the research on how invasive Tamarisks suppress mycorrhizal connections for Freemont Cottonwoods along aquatic habitats. Notice some of the same wording of where little is known and more study on the subject must be researched. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/11-1247.1/abstract"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Disrupting mycorrhizal mutualisms: a potential mechanism by which exotic tamarisk outcompetes native cottonwoods</span></b></i></a></span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>" . . . yet our understanding of this mechanism's role in exotic species invasion is still in its infancy."</i></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This next link from the United Nations agricultural department get's to the heart of the matter in utilizing Endo & Ecto Mycorrhizal fungi in restoration projects regarding cottonwoods & willows with regards riparian habitats high in soil salinity, especially where massive invasive of Tamarisks have exacerbated the problem to higher salinity levels. They recommended two types of mycorrhizal fungi, Hebeloma crustuliniforme and Paxillus involutus, which have the best qualities of eliminating the negative effects of high salinity in soil. But once again, take special note of the disclaimer they have on more research needed.</span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.fao.org/forestry/16386-0388dae5f2f23b7cb8dfd227b71b917c3.pdf"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">United Nations: Forestry Department - Cottonwoods & Willows</span></b></i></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i> Although the current data are very fragmentary, they suggest that inclusion of mycorrhizal management in reclamation strategies of salinity affected land may increase the success of such measures. It is obvious that more information is needed on the interaction and possible ameliorative influence of mycorrhizae for poplar under salt stress."</i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Photo - Michael Wood & MykoWeb</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">Again, in almost every single study I've ever read and or researched, you'll notice in the concluding comments where they admit how little effort has been put forth into investigation of mycorrhizal fungal research as much as Scientists has been obsessed with putting more focussed resources into studying those negative microbial elements such as pathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum which they admit has been researched for over 100 years. But why ??? Because there is far more money in the continual fight against pathogens with science-based synthetic toxins year after year, than creating an ecological equilibrium which is perpetually sustainable. Any Tamarisk eradication project I've ever seen is mostly about mere removal. That's great, but you need to replace with natives which provide an ongoing mycorrhizal (ecto & endo) soil system. Like fungal spores, native riparian tree seeds won't magically blow in on the next wind and heal the system. The system doesn't work as it once did. The misuse and abuse of various science disciplines have reversed engineered ecosystems so badly, that many need a hands on approach when engaging in restoration work. Otherwise the Tamarisk comes back which as I've stated before is job security for some people with a vested interest in keeping the status quo. Clearly from the above links, you can see that many in the Science biz have done the research and revealed how nature really works. But unfortunately that's not the type or kind of Science that rules academia or big business. Why ??? Ever read this quote before:</span></blockquote>
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<i style="color: #bf9000;"><b>“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”</b></i></blockquote>
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<b>Upton Sinclair</b></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - Go.Nature,com</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Well, they can make the determination to do research</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> & inform mankind about how Nature really works.<br />Or yield to the demands of your Corporate employers.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Like the Hebeloma crustuliniforme mycorrhizal fungi referenced in the Cottonwood vrs Tamarisk research paper, another mycorrhizae, the Paxillus involutus, also forms ectomycorrhizal relationships with a broad range of riparian tree species and not just cottonwoods. According to that research, if there are healthy populations of these ectomycorrhizal fungi in present within Fremont Cottonwood groves, the Tamarisk apparently has a tougher time dominating. There are clearly multiple benefits from these symbiosis as the fungul partners reduces their host's intake of heavy metals, high soil salinity and actually increase their host's resistance to the pathogen fungus like Fusarium oxysporum. These and other important varieties fungi and beneficial bacteria need to be employed within the blueprints of any riparian restoration planning. </span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.invasive.org/gist/stories/ca003/ca003.PDF"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">Tamarisk Control at Coachella Valley Preserve, Southern California</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: medium;"><i>"Most areas were cut by hand, thereby selectively cutting out the tamarisk while leaving the native shrubs unharmed. Only a 7.5 acre (3 ha) section that was heavily infested (> 95%) was cleared using a bulldozer." "In the 7.5 acres (3 ha) that was bulldozed, natives established much more slowly than in the hand-cleared areas." </i></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: medium;"><i>"In the 7.5 acres (3 ha) that was bulldozed, natives established much more slowly than in the hand-cleared areas."</i></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">This quote from the article is fascinating. So areas cleared in a large scale mechanized way by bulldozers in the heavier infested area with large trees provided a clean slate upon which to rebuild and restore native vegetation, but it recovered more slowly compared to other area cleared by hand. An area cleared by hand would be more carefully methodical and surgical in it's approach to not disturb other native shrubs. This faster recovery of the later site makes sense because no matter how unseen mycorrhizal networks are to the naked human eye, they never the less do exist under the ground. This same phenomena of hand removal vrs mechanized on this project was also reported and commented upon by the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club. But beyond the acknowledgement of the outcome (mechanized removal vrs hand tool removal), not one of the Authors commented on improving techniques for restoration through biomimicry by utilizing a surgical proceedure of hand tool clearing as opposed to using big machinery and stripping eveything of the surface of the land. Clearly mechanical stripping completely destroys the mycorrhizal grid underground and it takes plants much longer to establish themselves. It was also interesting about the revitalized Spring reappearing mere hours after Tamarisk removal.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><i>"A Spring Reflows"</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>Remarkably, the spring in Thousand Palms Canyon began flowing again for the first time in years just hours after the first large tamarisk cutting effort there. Revegetation of all the cleared areas occurred quickly and inexpensively. Seeds were collected from nearby shrubs and trees and strewn onto the cleared areas after the tamarisk was removed. In the area that was bulldozed, natives established much more slowly than in the hand-cleared areas. Native inkweed, saltbush, quailbush, and alkali goldenbush are now growing in dry areas, and the desert fan palms, willows, cottonwoods, and common reed are well-established in wet areas."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://angeles.sierraclub.org/blog/2005/06/persistence_and_herbicide_eradicate_thirsty_tamarisk"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Sierra Club: Persistence and herbicide eradicate thirsty tamarisk (2005)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Some major roadblocks to </span><span style="color: #741b47;">Tamarisk </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">eradication and native Riparian plant restoration</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8luq1Wdl93U/WLZrNb3CzUI/AAAAAAAAJoU/558nYuUHmIM-1xMOzEBrTTST0do8APgYACLcB/s1600/nest_3_chicks_in_saltcedar.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8luq1Wdl93U/WLZrNb3CzUI/AAAAAAAAJoU/558nYuUHmIM-1xMOzEBrTTST0do8APgYACLcB/s200/nest_3_chicks_in_saltcedar.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Photo - U.S. Geological Survey</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There has been some controversy lately with some eco-groups who now say they don't want Tamarisk removed along the Colorado River because they insist that the trees now provide nesting habitat to the endangered Willow Flycatcher. Originally this bird was in trouble because the Tamarisk invasion crowded out their prefered nesting habitat (dense willow bosques) within riparian ecosystems, the willow & Cottonwood forests. This appears to have changed as some Flycatchers have adapted to nesting in Tamarisks. It should also be noted that these Flycatchers also will nest in other types of dense vegetation as you can google and see for yourself.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C0r0U9G9XBQ/WLbW6Uaa-bI/AAAAAAAAJpE/2xW8uWK7ZTwIYMANeuc5u6ZzaU4ClGkpACLcB/s1600/Bosque.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C0r0U9G9XBQ/WLbW6Uaa-bI/AAAAAAAAJpE/2xW8uWK7ZTwIYMANeuc5u6ZzaU4ClGkpACLcB/s400/Bosque.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Robert Browman/Albuquerque Journal (2013)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vMUBIUgyRIQ/WLbQJj5W8aI/AAAAAAAAJo0/bBsAZajln5AZiNIyvAvhv4itmNrFFpfvACLcB/s1600/oriolle.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vMUBIUgyRIQ/WLbQJj5W8aI/AAAAAAAAJo0/bBsAZajln5AZiNIyvAvhv4itmNrFFpfvACLcB/s200/oriolle.jpg" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><b>Image - Cornell Lab</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The picture above is known as a Riparian Bosque ecosystem in New Mexico which generally in the dry desertlands in the Southwest incorporate Fremont Cottonwoods, Willows and Velvet Mesquite. Bosque is Spanish for woodlands. Bosques Forests are generally a gallery of native riparian trees found along permanent water courses or where water is close to the surface even if unseen. Many Bosques have been destroyed in the early days because of the rich bottomlands they once inhabited for which agricultural business interests who coveted those nutrient rich floodplains took them over. The term 'Bosque' will mean something different for everyone. Many business leaders will view them as worthless impenetrable brush or scrub barriers to their various business schemes (sand mining, agriculture, housing or country club development, etc). Others who are more ecologically minded want them preserved in keeping that dense understory laberynthine wildness intact much like it was with the old Grizzly bear mazes in coastal riparian woodlands of times past in California that early Spanish explorers may have stumbled upon and wrote about. Bosques are structured in the deserts with willows being adjacent to the wetter areas (river banks, sand bars, etc), then huge majestic Cottonwoods, Box Elders, Arizona Ash (possibly Arizona Sycamores) and finally on the fringes away from the river an extensive Mesquite woodland and all of it mutually cooperating to manage these regions which are flood prone and holding the system together. Interestingly, riparian trees are both endo & ecto mycorrhizal and work exceptionally well as a water shunts for transporting water away from the actual river water source through the mycorrhizal network to farther ecosystem plants away from rivers and streams. Another important reason for native riparian habitats to be restored properly as opposed to simple eradication. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Za4H3vyJqNk/WLbfKfGAcFI/AAAAAAAAJpU/M8z9k6wI2CIUIdVUy9lchqbt1oNL0mQEwCLcB/s1600/newriver%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Za4H3vyJqNk/WLbfKfGAcFI/AAAAAAAAJpU/M8z9k6wI2CIUIdVUy9lchqbt1oNL0mQEwCLcB/s1600/newriver%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Jay Calderon The Desert Sun</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Back in the days of the old west, the pioneers came along and misused and abused the habitats by their various agricultural schemes in stripping the land of vegetation for wide spread farming. When the normal seasonal flooding came along it caused terrible erosion problems and/or ruined crops. Further disastrous decision making (science-based for the times) brought in the infamous Tamarisk and Arundo (type of cane bamboo) to hold together the river and stream banks which became badly eroded. Much like the photo here of the New River near Calipatria in the Imperial Valley. Later dams and reservoirs were constructed to hold back floodwaters and this too helped eliminate the Cottonwoods and willows by stopping the natural flooding cycles which are important to riparian woodlands or forests reseeding themselves. This flood elimination also facilitated the aggressive invasiveness of the Tamarisk which has taken over most all riparian woodlands in many areas of the Southwestern United States. It was then that Tamarisk invaded and created the present monopoly foothold by chemically changing the soil profile which disrupted the mycorrhizal mutualism. Restoration Projects have to deal with this change in soil profile or the time spent is wasted. Some people and organizations like the Center for Biological Diversity are getting in the way of responsible entomological biological controls, such as the introduction of the Tamarisk defoliating beetle which has had great successs in many areas. Their reasoning is that while Tamarisk originally destroyed nesting habitat for Willow Flycatchers, these birds are now using them for nesting sites. Frankly, if you google Willow flycatcher nests, you'll find the birds do nest in a variety of healthy thick vegetation. I'd much rather have they and other birds nesting in restored Fremont Cottonwoods and Willows ecosystems, than in invasive soil salt infusing Tamarisks systems.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2013/southwestern-willow-flycatcher-09-30-2013.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Lawsuit Filed to Save Endangered Southwestern Songbird From Habitat Destruction Caused by Invasive Beetles</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://summitcountyvoice.com/2010/06/20/feds-nix-bugs-for-tamarisk-control-on-colorado-river"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Feds nix bugs for tamarisk control on Colorado River</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Some references on successful restoration and other observations</i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most outstanding anomalies from removal to me was the response of the long dried up Spring at the 1000 Palms Canyon Oasis reappearing and flowing on the surface again just mere <span style="color: #990000;">hours</span> after Tamarisk removal. There has been some intellectual criticism by those wanting the Tamarisk to be left alone arguing that native riparian vegetation also creates evapotranspiration just like Tamarisk. So ??? Nobody would dispute that, but clearly the Tamarisks do suck down more water because the native vegetation which has replaced them still allows these springs to flow freely. It's a given that any riparian plant ecosystem with trees would evapotranspirate, but clearly not as bad as a massive Tamarisk infestation. In this age of dwindling fresh water supplies, why would hydrologists everywhere not be looking at this ? Remember what was observed by the 1000 Palms Oasis Tamarisk removal site ? Springs flowed again within hours of removal. The native vegetaton never suppressed the Spring and now even the various native critters can all benefit as a result of surface waterflow. Major win win all around for everyone and everything. Where have</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2017/02/heavy-winter-precipitation-in-western.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Roger C. Bales (UC Merced) & Michael Goulden (UC Irvine)</span></i></b></a><span style="font-size: large;"> been all this time when we really needed them ??? 🙄</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-07SV9yZ5VSA/WL6I8DZRW-I/AAAAAAAAJqI/VjMMcnDUj7Mz2TvEvYJfu4jmhB7_rJ6PACLcB/s1600/running%2Bwater.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-07SV9yZ5VSA/WL6I8DZRW-I/AAAAAAAAJqI/VjMMcnDUj7Mz2TvEvYJfu4jmhB7_rJ6PACLcB/s400/running%2Bwater.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image .Gifloop 2011</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i>Remarkably, the spring in Thousand Palms Canyon began flowing again for the first time in years just hours after the first large tamarisk cutting effort there."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, the photo GIF above is not the actual 1000 Palms Canyon Oasis spring referenced in those articles. I merely used it here for an illustrative purpose. Clearly however, Tamarisk do use massive amounts of water when compared to other native vegetation as evidenced by this restoration program's outcome. That's not say riparian trees don't use water, they do. But their effect is not as dramatic on the ecosystem. Below is a link to the </span><b style="color: blue;">NASA</b><span style="font-size: large;"> website's Multimedia Invasive Species page where they use various animations to illustrate this tree's aggressive ability by means of a deepermassive root infrstructure and phytochemical warefare to outcompete the natives and eventually creating an almost entirely Tamarisk monoculture. No room for left for other plant biodiversity. Apparently this goes totally unnoticed by the Center of Biological Diversity who now wish to coddle and cuddle this plant.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XoCUZRJCT4o/WL6WYs9UvdI/AAAAAAAAJqY/6uvVIbvq09UIlPZh4UDUUDjgujZocgoYwCLcB/s1600/invasive_species_photo3_lg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XoCUZRJCT4o/WL6WYs9UvdI/AAAAAAAAJqY/6uvVIbvq09UIlPZh4UDUUDjgujZocgoYwCLcB/w400-h265/invasive_species_photo3_lg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Credit . National Park Service</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>Experts estimate that one large tamarisk plant has the potential to absorb up to 200 gallons of water per day – that’s twice the amount the average person uses in the same timeframe."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Credit: <span style="color: blue;">NASA</span></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Wow, 200 gallons of water per day ? Well, let's compare that with a couple of native plants which are often heavily demonized in Texas by the Cattlemen's Association. These would be Mesquite and Ashe Juniper. Both of these shrubby trees are natives, not invasives, but labeled invasive noxious weeds by those with a vested interest in something that provides a living like grasslands. In this case grasslands are the desired plant community. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-go6tfCTCMLE/WL6bKo3QfQI/AAAAAAAAJqo/epga5btLpcc687Jomcx2Ah6nfZJfGq9pgCLcB/s1600/mesquite.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="103" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-go6tfCTCMLE/WL6bKo3QfQI/AAAAAAAAJqo/epga5btLpcc687Jomcx2Ah6nfZJfGq9pgCLcB/s200/mesquite.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Arizona Daily Independent</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>Mesquite trees, for example, have lateral root systems extending up to 50 feet from the tree, greatly increasing their ability to absorb available moisture. A mesquite trees eight- to 12-feet tall can consume 20 gallons of water per day; ten such mesquites can use as much water in one day as one Texan does."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Interesting. So compared to a Tamarisk tree, a Mesquite tree uses only 20 gallons of water per day as compared to 200 gallons per day. And apparently 10 Mesquite trees suck 200 gallons per day just like your average Texan. Here is another demonized tree, the Ashe Juniper. Like the Mesquite, it too is a native to Texas.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GT8J7Fvkh7c/WL60SwofWxI/AAAAAAAAJq4/2-By3SgUDEI_Mad49f1iRgIKFP-4hqnqgCLcB/s1600/ashe_juniper_berries_1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GT8J7Fvkh7c/WL60SwofWxI/AAAAAAAAJq4/2-By3SgUDEI_Mad49f1iRgIKFP-4hqnqgCLcB/s200/ashe_juniper_berries_1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>A large juniper can consume 40 gallons of water per day during the midsummer with moderate soil moisture. Six junipers, then, use about as much as one Texan does daily."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Interesting again, but of course this tree is said to use 40 gallons of water per day. It takes six of them to equal one Texan whom like the Tamarisk consumes 200 gallons per day. Seriously though, I would have guessed that the Juniper would be using less water than the mesquite tree. But there is an interesting reason as to why these two trees are being demonized below. Cattle Ranchers only want grasslands for their personal business interests to thrive. Take a look below from the same website where this info came from and their reasoning.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gfvR8FxpMEI/WL69Fw8XbDI/AAAAAAAAJrQ/3C-9PxJZ7oQlZ-9k33jUu3x7kzHdbwiswCLcB/s1600/cedar-clear21.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gfvR8FxpMEI/WL69Fw8XbDI/AAAAAAAAJrQ/3C-9PxJZ7oQlZ-9k33jUu3x7kzHdbwiswCLcB/s320/cedar-clear21.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>Image - Cedar Eaters of Texas</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>Junipers have a deep root structure and a dense mat of fibrous roots near the soil surface that allow them to absorb moisture from the driest of soils, to the detriment of grasses, creeks and springs. Mesquite and cedar have no ability to conserve water and will throw off what ever amounts they absorb. Other trees conserve and limit their water usage during the heat of the day, controlling their water loss or output.</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.oakwilt.com/waterconservation.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now the only thing I'm walking away with here in the reading this article is that probably both Tamarisk and Texans are what really need to be eradicated. Okay I'm kidding. Well, at least on the part about Texans😉. Again, the link above under the NASA photo of the Tamarisk tree along with it's critique on Tamarisk water usage, also provides good animation of just how aggressive the evapotranspiration of Tamarisk is when compared to a Fremont Cottonwood. There are those that will dispute the 200 gallon of water per day figure. For example the other government site, US Geological Survey site disputes the higher figure. Ultimately the scientists behind the research (one way or another) are motivated by personal bias, compensation by those funding their study and they are also prone to mistakes. The Tamarisk removal and restoration of native plants at the 1000 Palms Canyon site in Coachella Valley is a prime example of what is more likely true as a result of the resurfacing of the stream within hours when water sucking Tamarisk was removed. The key here is figuring how much was used can be easily assessed by the fact the water resurfaced within hours. Had it been many days or a week, then maybe not. This animation below illustrates what happens when the wrong vegetation exists along a river or creek bed and much further away inland from the surface waters.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X0-YBuABWPw/WL66STJsdlI/AAAAAAAAJrI/jHxTXnfnTwwvqFvTrDiVctcoevo7e_qIQCLcB/s1600/Diagrams-of-groundwater-movement-in-relation-to-streamflow-from-Alley-et-al.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X0-YBuABWPw/WL66STJsdlI/AAAAAAAAJrI/jHxTXnfnTwwvqFvTrDiVctcoevo7e_qIQCLcB/s640/Diagrams-of-groundwater-movement-in-relation-to-streamflow-from-Alley-et-al.png" width="354" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Illustrations from Alley and others, 1999)</span><br /><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;">Diagrams of groundwater movement in relation to streamflow</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you notice the top illustration we see a normal surface flow with the native Fremont Cottonwoods, Willows and Mesquite. Logically the Cottonwoods & Willows would be closest to the water course, while Mesquite would form large Bosque woodlands much further away as a result of a very high water table. No ill effects of dense Mesquite thickets would be experienced if the 20 gallon per day usage per tree were true. Also by means of the capillary action of water from the higher water table far away from the river or stream and actually moving up higher than into the banks and foothills in the floodplain. This would be further enhanced by the hydraulic lift and redistribution of deep subsoil moisture towards those higher surfaces by the native trees and shrubs. I have yet to find any similar phenomena with Tamarisk in any literature. On the other hand if the thickets were invaded by Tamarisk with a higher need for water, then the seond illustration would go into effect with a lowering of the below ground water table. At this point the surface water is not dependent so much on volume of water from the water table as it is forced to give it's reserves from the upstream intake down into the water table causing the surface flow to shrink. In the third picture the stream is totally separated from the water table and in our desert scenario it would be bone dry as the water table would be maybe 3 meters or 10' below the floodplain with river bed surface being dry in a desert scenario. To further counter the new Tamarisk love affair by researchers who now say it's not such a bad guy after all when it comes to being thirsty, here is a video below of how the huge extensive infrastructure of Tamarisk Windbreaks are maintained in the Coachella Valley along I-15 & the Railroad right-of-ways.</span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qIYMb31cwdg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qIYMb31cwdg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Why and how Windbreaks are needed and maintained with massive water flooding in the Coachella Valley</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cnB7a_b2YtI/WL7RcYI6PII/AAAAAAAAJro/d7W6oxTC-d8MHKQno93awPRNyLvTi5fBwCLcB/s1600/DSC02503-M.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cnB7a_b2YtI/WL7RcYI6PII/AAAAAAAAJro/d7W6oxTC-d8MHKQno93awPRNyLvTi5fBwCLcB/w400-h300/DSC02503-M.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - CS Trains.com</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">Tamarisk Windbreaks along ATSF track right-of-way in<br />the Coachella Valley between I-10 and Palm springs</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OOc9Hs1ZKiM/WL7RXQwwYYI/AAAAAAAAJrk/mvI7VBudepwgA7y3vOS1zVXiTNBhpzz6wCLcB/s1600/sandtrack.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OOc9Hs1ZKiM/WL7RXQwwYYI/AAAAAAAAJrk/mvI7VBudepwgA7y3vOS1zVXiTNBhpzz6wCLcB/s200/sandtrack.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">I can verify for a fact that there is a massive water wasting by the railroad in irrigating these Tamarisk windbreaks. In actual fact when I was on the ground down by those tracks in the earlt 1980s and walked the right-of-way, I saw those heavy duty irrigation pipes just pouring out water from 2" openings in between each tree. There was no drip system. I further verified this wasteful massive need for water from the Desert Water Agency's, Ronald Baetz, who said massive amounts of water were required for the Tamarisk to heal itself from the constant sand blasting it receives from high intensity winds through Windy Point. He insisted it was the only plant that could rapidly regenerate itself, but I had seen the same thing from various native dune Mesquites out there. It's true, the winds are insane and sands storms are constant here and need for permanent windbreaks can be seen from the picture of this railroad track right of way in the Namibia desert in Africa. But perhaps building a permanent large berm structure from local natural materials (sand, rock, etc) and heavily planting this structure with multiple diverse native desert trees and shrubs is the way to go. I previously wrote about this with regards UCSD's old Mesquite Dune Project.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2012/06/lessons-from-mesquite-dune-project.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Lessons From a Mesquite Dune Project</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2012/09/mesquite-dunes-practical-solution-to.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Mesquite Dunes: Practical Solution to Tamarisk Removal & Replacement</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Finally in Conclusion</i></b></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">The studies on how Tamarisk changes soil chemistry and disrupts the mycorrhizal mutualism between both endo & ecto mycorrhizae and Fremont Cottonwood (not to mention how all other non-mycorrhizal invasive plants accomplish this) illustrates how important it is for restoration groups to inoculate at time of planting. In a year's time a sterilized riparian habitat could be dense enough to crowd out and kill Tamarisk seedlings which hate shade. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5J_m9yz0A4Y/WMK_YYApSHI/AAAAAAAAJxA/Ck1md3B4V9QHLwgfWz0OMV8FRY_gp6XqgCLcB/s1600/brad2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5J_m9yz0A4Y/WMK_YYApSHI/AAAAAAAAJxA/Ck1md3B4V9QHLwgfWz0OMV8FRY_gp6XqgCLcB/w400-h233/brad2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Stillwater Sciences (2006)</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">In many extreme cases, total stripping of landscape may be necessary depending on how heavily infested a site is with multiple invasive species. Admittedly, in such cases the mycorrhizal grid will be totally destroyed. Same with heavy ruderal weed thatch needing to be mowed and possibly deep plowed under before planting perennial native wildflowers and grasses back into the landscape. Generous mycorrhizal inoculation will be necessary for the restoration to succeed. Think of the underground and take necessary steps, it'll be worth it. The site above with bare soil is also the same location in the photo below after two years with cottonwood trees. Remember, Fremont Cottonwood will do best with a couple of good species of ectomycorrhizal fungi. It's imperative to do everything right from the start, otherwise you'll most likely need more major follow ups. Weeding might be necessary the first year, but shouldn't be that bad. Heavy mulch should also be applied. Remember that a dense canopy of thick riparian trees is imperative to shade out any newer Tamarisk seedlings. You can thin out later, remember that this is what nature would naturally do with massive amounts of competition after major flooding during the rainy season.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xfam5k0iqso/WMK01WoWy3I/AAAAAAAAJwk/hnPJwBiO7l88O-GJRUq9Efsdjodd4EZCgCLcB/s1600/yearoldcottonwoods.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xfam5k0iqso/WMK01WoWy3I/AAAAAAAAJwk/hnPJwBiO7l88O-GJRUq9Efsdjodd4EZCgCLcB/w400-h300/yearoldcottonwoods.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b><a href="http://www.stillwatersci.com/case_studies.php?cid=44"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">Stillwater: Bradford Island Riparian and Wetland Restoration</span></b></i></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dp_Q4bt4sd4/WMK7dzYPhCI/AAAAAAAAJw0/6BLfxu9c1U8NXl3dFdCZA1WMPAc27YBmgCLcB/s1600/birds%2Bnest.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dp_Q4bt4sd4/WMK7dzYPhCI/AAAAAAAAJw0/6BLfxu9c1U8NXl3dFdCZA1WMPAc27YBmgCLcB/s200/birds%2Bnest.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Image - River Partners</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">The above image shows Fremont Cottonwoods at two years of age. If enough water is present, growth can be rapid. Wet year rainfall restoration would be ideal. The photo at right is a Flycatcher nest within a two year's growth of willows. Hardly a loss if Tamarisk were removed. California Sycamores should also be included. My mother's home in the photo below in the backyard shows incredible height after two years and the amazing thing is that all six trees were six inches tall at time of planting. After that watering was radically tapered off to encourage deep rooting growth. Both the Freemont Cottonwood and California Sycamore would get a huge boost headstart if very long cane poles of both trees were obtained and planted in deep bore holes. The key also is to generously inoculate with a good blend of both endo & ecto mycorrhizal fungi. Especially is it important for Fremont Cottonwoods which are both endo & ecto as are willows. Sycamore is only endomycorrhizal. But the network grid created is imperative and interconnecting species is valuable from a communications and messaging standpoint for boosting the immune system.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0phAngSJMZk/WMLDbau6CsI/AAAAAAAAJxM/43zUorDi5108fbwkvKkyk9I9ON3-wtvNACLcB/s1600/Tam%2Bdefol%2Bpyramid.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0phAngSJMZk/WMLDbau6CsI/AAAAAAAAJxM/43zUorDi5108fbwkvKkyk9I9ON3-wtvNACLcB/s200/Tam%2Bdefol%2Bpyramid.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Riparian Invasion Research Lab (RIVRLAB)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you don't do this right, the Tamarisks will get a foothold again and it will have to be done all over again. Do it correct the first time and maintain it for a few years and your restoration will take hold. Same thing with native grasslands and chaparral biomes which have been taken over by non-native noxious weedy annual ruderals (African Fountain Grass, Mustard, Cheatgrass, Wild Radish, Starthistle, etc). The Sycamores at my mum's place in El Cajon completely tower over everything now. Amazing considering they no longer get irrigated other than rainfall and groundwater availability. The other major fascinating thing for me about the incredibly healthy mycorrhizal grid at my mother's place is that California Sycamore seedlings are germinating in the drier chaparral themed beds which are not riparian. Water is transported through the fungal grid from wetter areas and sustains these seedlings. A good healthy grid will stop ruderals in their tracks, but you still will get weeds. But we call them native tree and shrub seedling weeds. 🙌</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5tTlVOjrsAI/UbCOyMdWFVI/AAAAAAAACIE/NkyokG59cJc/s640/DSCN0071-001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5tTlVOjrsAI/UbCOyMdWFVI/AAAAAAAACIE/NkyokG59cJc/w400-h300/DSCN0071-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo is mine - El Cajon 2007</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: small;">Two years old California Sycamores, planted in 2005 and all<br />six trees from one gallon containers. All were six inches high</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ever see a massive boulder strewn dry expansive floodplain in SoCal up in San Bernadino or riverside county and wonder how a giant specimen of water loving tree like California Sycamore or Fremont Cottonwood got there when they are a mile or more from a main river or creek channel ? Me too. A lot has to do with wetter rainy season patterns in facilitating establishment and root infrastructure development to the water table. Amazingly this can be replicated in restoration work and urban landscapes where water is rare, precious and expensive. That's what I did above with these six inch high California Sycamore seedings which were planted in September 2005 and photographed above in June 2007. Let's take a real quick short lesson here, shall we ??? 😁😉</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hX4n1iioBsA/W_5Bo0dHD6I/AAAAAAAANFU/V0Qs1Zu-s9Q_25Z_Clq3E6YT1kxxO5i6wCLcBGAs/s1600/Sycamore-lined%2BAlameda%2BCreek%2B%2540%2BSunol%2BRegional%2BWilderness.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="400" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hX4n1iioBsA/W_5Bo0dHD6I/AAAAAAAANFU/V0Qs1Zu-s9Q_25Z_Clq3E6YT1kxxO5i6wCLcBGAs/s400/Sycamore-lined%2BAlameda%2BCreek%2B%2540%2BSunol%2BRegional%2BWilderness.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sycamore-lined Alameda Creek @ Sunol Regional Wilderness</i></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">Most of us in dry areas of the Southwestern United States picture the water loving Sycamore in a habitat where was can be permanently seen when visited or even if streambed is dry, it's a perennial stream and Sycamores generally line it's banks. But this is not the only place you'll find the picturesque California or even Arizona Sycamore.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z2CjAaJRcvQ/WoBPbzsQB4I/AAAAAAAALxI/Qe7n8oN7wyMzmth3cOJzWzjObJy449cygCLcBGAs/s640/Cal-Sycamore.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="640" height="217" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z2CjAaJRcvQ/WoBPbzsQB4I/AAAAAAAALxI/Qe7n8oN7wyMzmth3cOJzWzjObJy449cygCLcBGAs/s400/Cal-Sycamore.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image taken from<span style="color: blue;"> Google Earth</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is a photo taken from Google Earth along the Interstate 215 freeway in Devore California. This is a normal dry hot and often times exposed windy area north of San Bernadino. The grographical habitat is an expansive alluvial floodplain with temps in summer almost always over 110+ Fahrenheit or 40 celsius. Most of the vegtation type is low growing sage scrub or chaparral and grasses with annual wildflowers. But did you notice the small sycamore right smack in the middle of all this ??? Have you ever wondered, how did such a water loving tree get here and how does it still survive now ???</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ADb5gRZcsE/W_5ArdO1lYI/AAAAAAAANFM/z7JxZcXgxcgOVTWARe7kEy7IHi5UXw6oQCLcBGAs/s1600/Sycamore-alluvial.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ADb5gRZcsE/W_5ArdO1lYI/AAAAAAAANFM/z7JxZcXgxcgOVTWARe7kEy7IHi5UXw6oQCLcBGAs/s320/Sycamore-alluvial.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - San Franciscon Estuary Institute</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Further question is how does such a sapling eventually turn into a giant multi-trunked speciment like the one here above in an alluvial woodland ??? If you figure out the how and why, you'll be able to establish anything in a restoration project or urban landscape layout. Here's what I wrote about Bajadas or Alluvial Fans (2013). </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.com/2013/06/lessons-learned-from-bajadas-alluvial.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Lessons Learned from the Bajadas (Alluvial Fans)</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Some other references regarding habitat restoration, especially riparian ecosystems</i></b></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2013/06/restoring-southern-california-riparian.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Restoring Southern California Riparian Ecosystems - Lakeside California & San Diego River</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2013/06/my-personal-ongoing-fascination-with.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">My personal ongoing fascination with anything Sycamore</span></b></i></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdf/riparian_restoration/hi_res/RipRestChap5.pdf"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">US Forest Service: Riparian Restoration Techniques</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.terrain.org/articles/27/lamberton.htm"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Terrain.org: The Thirsty Tree</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/savethecoloradoriverdelta"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Save the Colorado River Delta Facebook Page</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com2Yuma, Arizona, USA32.6926512 -114.6276915999999932.2646157 -115.2731386 33.1206867 -113.98224459999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-20272147585769309802017-02-16T10:44:00.002-08:002017-02-18T02:56:21.916-08:00Heavy Winter precipitation in the Western United States is apparently meaningless<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Is the </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">California</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> drought finally over ??? Incessant rainfall and snowfall leads to terrific flooding in the </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">Golden State</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> as thousands of homes are evacuated </span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wuuiPcuiseQ/WKVjYygYx6I/AAAAAAAAJhE/qEWoI34NuOYmkl6GOjbUYqCnZM3hJriGgCLcB/s1600/floods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wuuiPcuiseQ/WKVjYygYx6I/AAAAAAAAJhE/qEWoI34NuOYmkl6GOjbUYqCnZM3hJriGgCLcB/s640/floods.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image from The Daily Mail</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4111982/Is-California-drought-finally-Incessant-rain-snowfall-leads-terrific-flooding-Golden-State-thousands-homes-evacuated.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">But officials also warned that though the rain has eased conditions, the drought isn't completely over</span></i></b></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">The average person falls for the big Media bluff that all is well when weather conditions take an apparent turn about from the long hard drought. Especially when it's an extreme turn of events like the massive snowfalls and rain flooding events presently hitting California and other western regions. In the back of people's minds they are telling themselves things are back to the good ol'days. But now after Californian's have been praying for rain for five years, now they are praying for a break in the rainfall. Perhaps t</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">hey may believe what the UC Merced Hydrologist Roger C. Bales theorized was correct after all. Get rid of all those greedy water sucking trees and streamflows will rise. Less trees gulping water means fuller streams. Not so fast. Most of that so-called science about removal and thinning of Sierra Nevada Forest trees was more of a public relations stunt funded and backed by the giant Timber Industry and down stream Industrial Agriculture business interests which has a love affair with massive flood irrigation methodology. The imaginary myth was theorized that less forest trees gulping down water would translate more water in streams and rivers filling up reservoirs. While I looked for research on any type of documentation of millions of dead trees actually proving this reverse phenomena to be true a couple years ago, I hadn't found any until now. Apparently the research had been there a little over a year ago, but got very little success in attracting Media attention. Not as sexy as Roger Bales and Michael Goulden's theories I guess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #073763;">Recent tree die-offs have had little effect on streamflow in contrast to expected increases from hydrological studies</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Images from Nature.com<br /><br /><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Clockwise from top left the photos are Spain, Colorado, New Mexico and Argentina.</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">We've all read the stories and seen all the horrific photographs of what Mountain pine beetles have done to the western forests over the past decade due to hotter temperatures and drier summers. These bark beetles have infested and killed thousands of acres of not only western pine forests, but other forests around the globe are now also in trouble as well. Researchers like Roger C. Bales (UC Merced) and Michael L. Merced (UC Irvine) have previously predicted that as trees died or were mechanically removed by logging and thinning, streamflows would increase because fewer trees would be greedily gulping up water through their roots and transpiring it up into the atmosphere. In the imaginations of the Hydrology boys, less trees equate more water runoff for agriculture down in California's Central & San Joaquin Valleys.</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> Back in December 2015, a study by the University of Utah geology and geophysics professor Paul Brooks and his colleagues in Arizona, Colorado and Idaho, found that if too many trees die, then compensatory processes would kick in and might actually reduce water availability. This is the exact opposite of what Bales and Goulden speculated would happen. But what Brooks and others discovered is that when large areas of trees dieoff, the forest floor becomes sunnier, warmer and windier, which causes winter snow and summer rain to evaporate rather than slowly recharging groundwater. In fact in describing what happens with the snow which usually melts and slowly percolates into the ground, what actually happened was a phenomena called "sublimation." This process of sublimation is where snow and ice change into water vapor in the air without first melting into water. The opposite of sublimation would be "deposition", where water vapor changes directly into ice (such a snowflakes and frost). So what happens with much of that heavy snow we've seen in recent photos does not all melt and infiltrate into the subsoil layers, but rather a good percentage of the snow evaporates up into the drier warmer atmosphere. What is interesting is that the regions studied were much of the high elevation headwaters areas for the Colorado River which fill down stream reservoirs like Lake Powell and Lake Mead which have been experiencing rapidly falling water levels. This effects water potential for Arizona and Southern California.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Abstract:</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"Recent bark beetle epidemics have caused regional-scale tree mortality in many snowmelt-dominated headwater catchments of western North America. Initial expectations of increased streamflow have not been supported by observations, and the basin-scale response of annual streamflow is largely unknown. Here we quantified annual streamflow responses during the decade following tree die-off in eight infested catchments in the Colorado River headwaters and one nearby control catchment. We employed three alternative empirical methods: (i) double-mass comparison between impacted and control catchments, (ii) runoff ratio comparison before and after die-off, and (iii) time-trend analysis using climate-driven linear models. In contrast to streamflow increases predicted by historical paired catchment studies and recent modeling, we did not detect streamflow changes in most basins following die-off, while one basin consistently showed decreased streamflow. The three analysis methods produced generally consistent results, with time-trend analysis showing precipitation was the strongest predictor of streamflow variability (R2 = 74–96%). Time-trend analysis revealed post-die-off streamflow decreased in three catchments by 11–29%, with no change in the other five catchments. Although counter to initial expectations, these results are consistent with increased transpiration by surviving vegetation and the growing body of literature documenting increased snow sublimation and evaporation from the subcanopy following die-off in water-limited, snow-dominated forests. The observations presented here challenge the widespread expectation that streamflow will increase following beetle-induced forest die-off and highlight the need to better understand the processes driving hydrologic response to forest disturbance."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2015WR017401/full"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Tree mortality is increasing worldwide which also includes Canada</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Natural Resources Canada</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/climate-change/forest-change/17785"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Tree mortality is increasing worldwide including Canada</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"Tree mortality will likely increase in areas where extreme weather events become more frequent. Climate change projections indicate that in some parts of Canada, droughts and other extreme events are expected to become more frequent in the future. These changes could trigger increases in tree mortality and episodes of forest decline in affected areas, posing challenges for forest management and the long-term supply of forest resources and services, including carbon balance."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>So just how well are all these forests regenerating on their own without mankind's help and interference ??? Despite Environmental Activist insistence that this is the only way Nature can heal, in almost all cases the natural world is failing!</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - University of Colorado Boulder<br /><br /><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: small;">Researcher Monica Rother at the site of the 2000 Walker Ranch fire in Boulder County. <br />Eighty percent of plots surveyed there contained no new trees.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">The studies and observations by the researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder exposes the bleak reality. It makes sense though. Trees under extremely high stress from drought, pine beetle attacks and catastrophic wildfire events will dump most of what's left of their energy resources into defensesive strategies (Survival) and very little towards offensive strategies (seed production). Here are a few excerpts from the report:</span>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>“It is alarming, but we were not surprised by the results given what you see when you hike through these areas,” said Rother, who earned her doctorate from CU Boulder in 2015 and works as a fire ecologist at Tall Timbers Research Station in Tallahassee, Florida.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>Among the most barren sites were those of the 2000 Walker Ranch fire in Boulder County and the 2000 Bobcat Gulch fire in Larimer County, where approximately 80 percent of plots surveyed contained no new young trees. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>“This should be a wake-up call, that under the warming trends associated with human-caused climate change, significant shifts in forest extent and vegetation types are already occurring,” said Veblen. “We are seeing the initiation of a retreat of forests to higher elevations.” </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>Previous research has suggested that hotter, more severe fires make it harder for the forest to bounce back by killing mature trees and reducing seed stock. But the study found that even after lower-intensity fires, presumed to have had less effect on mature trees and seed stock, seedlings were still scarce. Hotter, drier areas at lower elevations or on south-facing slopes had the fewest seedlings. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>“Fire severity is definitely relevant, but climate appeared to play the greatest role,” in limiting forest recovery, said Rother. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><i>“I don’t want to present this as being entirely negative,” said Veblen. “For me, the negative aspect is what it indicates about the future.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.colorado.edu/today/2017/01/30/colorados-wildfire-stricken-forests-showing-limited-recovery"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">(Source)</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">So the main thrust of the message from this report is that it now seems that Nature is no longer able to restore itself in many areas. Humans have done so much extensive damage that it is also necessary for them to actually intervene and mechanical help Nature. The protesting and politically motivated wilderness designation or Nation Park status will never work. Unfortunately most people (& this includes Scientists) do not have the full understanding of how the natural world functions and operates. Much of our understanding and progress has been held back and stuck in neutral because of of silly ideologically driven worldview as mandated by this world's Scientific Orthodoxy which controls the prevailing scientific thought which has infected all Academia. Way too much time and energy has been spent by Academia and environmental organizations on religious concepts such as</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_poor_design"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Argument from Poor Design)</span></i></b></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> to battle against what they call religious fundies. The argument basically trashes numerous components of our planet's natural world as being flawed, imperfect and badly designed. The argument then promotes the lame idea that this is proof there is no creator because an intelligent designer would never have created or engineered things in such & such a way. Hence, instead of creating technological innovations which apply biomimicry or biomimetics (replicating natural designs when it comes to technological innovation by observing designs found in Nature), our world's intellectuals have instead pursued innovation based on flawed human reasoning and understanding. This is what has brought us much of the genetic engineering in agriculture and a plethora of dangerous toxic synthetic chemicals to deal with the imbalance in pest invasion that humans ultimately caused in the first place. Nature have never worked that way and nature has kept balance for countless 1000s of years without human interference. Suddenly now there are some Biomimicry organizations who are on board with replicating natural designs, but they have to first undo deprogram all the people who have been fed the prevailing secular koolaid and then re-educate people as to how nature really works. This is not so much a slam against the worldview obsessed as it is a wake up or shake up call for people everywhere, irrespective of your belief system, that nature no matter how one believes if origined, has never been flawed, imperfect or badly designed. This is where flawed thinking brought California the inept theory of tree removal bringing us more water. Do you see how this has now backfired ??? </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Here is another example of how Forest ecosystem failure and collapse needs human intervention from India:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>In order to restore tropical rainforests, it is not enough to simply set up protected areas and leave them to their own devices. In particular, tree species with large fruit and seeds distributed by birds will have to be actively planted. This is one of the conclusions of a large-scale study by scientists from ETH Zurich in the Western Ghats, the mountain range running along the western coast of India.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>“For rainforest restoration projects to be successful, you have to give special attention to these trees,” says Kettle. “If you want to encourage them to spread, the only option is to collect their seeds, set up tree nurseries and then actively plant out the saplings at a later stage.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2017/02/laissez-faire-is-not-good-enough-for-reforestation.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Nature is becoming less resilient and no longer able to sustain itself as it has done for countless 1000s of years. One disappointing thing about the study of dead trees not increasing stream flows was the silence on the phenomena known as "hydrological descent" in which living trees (also shrubs), even when dormant, which pump excess surface water during the rainy season down into deeper layers of the subsoil layers helping to recharge the water table aquafirs. That should have been included in this study and it wasn't. Can you imagine what low percentage of this California rainy season's (2016-2017) precipitation has actually percolated into the California landscape and how much has blown out back into the Pacific Ocean through massive flooding runoff ? After years of drought a lot of bare ground will almost fossilize to where the soils pores will close up tightly and the phenomena of capiliraary action needs time to heal properly. The state of California has no infrastructure in place to funnel massive amounts of this excess freshwater back towards the interior desert riparian habitats. Think of aquatic environments like Mono Lake, Owens Lake and further south the Salton Sea which already has a major ecological water problem. Or how about any of the other maze of dry lake beds throughout the Mojave Desert. Could such filling of these large natural basins have a moderating effect on the state's regional, if not statewide climate and weather ? Not to mention benefits to wildlife ? According to all of the above studies we just briefly touched on, humans are going to have to actually intervene now and make the necessary corrections. Instead of dumping money and manpower into ineffective angry protest and destructive civil disobedience, people need to go beyomd clicking "LIKE" on a Facebook page article about environment and physically get out doors and start restoring ecosystems based on natural design which was never ever flawed. However, how well historically has that been working out for us ??? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Can collective groups among mankind really work together to reverse these trends we've just read about ???</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">We all know how well it turned out for Humpty Dumpty. All the King's horses and all the King's men were unqualified and ill equipped to fix anything back together again. Governments, Business Leaders, Scientists & Religious leaders likewise do not have the answers nor the management skills we need for a real world viable solution either. The common people around the world are taking to the streets in a last desperate resort in protest and they too are likewise ill equipped to put anything back together again. The people protesting are often not exactly sure of what they are protesting about when interviewed by some in the media. It doesn't matter what they are protesting, or what message is on their signs because they are usually are nothing more than hollow slogans. And this is taking place most everywhere globally. Fixing and correcting things takes real cooperation and working peacefully together. That's not how this world we're all forced to live in works presently. Even today's angry environmental movements seem to have no answers other than protesting something or someone they hate. They never really offer any viable alternatives other than kicking other people off a piece of some sacred real estate and saying, "Nature will just find a way" to heal itself. In the studies above that will not happen. Each and every day, Salman Rushdie's word in that CNN interview ring true:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">"Classically, we have defined ourselves by the things we love. By the place which is our home, by our family, by our friends. But in this age we're asked to define ourselves by hate. That what defines you is what pisses you off. And if nothing pisses you off, who are you?"</span></i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #660000;">Salman Rushdie</span></i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">There really are some decent organizations out there that actually go beyond hate motivated protesting. They also demonstrate how energy is better spent educating the public in following natural design and in participating in hands on habitat restoration work. One of the main organizations that comes to my mind is the group,</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://www.backtonatives.org/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Back to Natives Restoration)</span></i></b></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> who actually provide a valuable service to local urban communities and in education work to the public. Same can be said for other native plant nurseries like</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://www.laspilitas.com/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(Las Pilitas Native Plant Nursery)</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> and </span><a href="http://californianativeplants.com/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(Tree of Life Native Plant Nursery)</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"> who offer not only healthy viable native plants, but also extensive educational programs to help enlighten their customers and general public as to how nature really works and replicating installation and care with less water and no industrially manufactured science-based synthetic (fertilizers & pesticides) chemicals. All these organizations are strictly founded and identify themselves based on something they truly love, not something they hate or what pisses them off.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>In Conclussion</i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">At the very least we know where things really stand concerning our Earth's environment when the media attempts to paint a rosy picture of things not being all that bad as we first thought. It's worse folks. We also now know for a certainty that all those Politically motivated and Industrial Business interest funded hydrological studies conducted at several California Universities were dead wrong from the start. In fact their flawed schemes were never close to the truth, but many of us already knew that.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com2Kalifornien, USA36.778261 -119.4179323999999823.886426 -140.07222939999997 49.670096 -98.763635399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-1024361084236422092017-02-01T08:30:00.002-08:002017-02-01T08:30:39.185-08:00Plants use a chemical 911 & know specifically which Emergency Service to contact<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>This is not a general message, "Calling all Predators." But rather more specific chemical signals being sent out to specialized predators depending on who or what herbivore is munching on the plant</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>image - MadisonTrees.com</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We all understand what the 911 Emergency Protocol is. When we call 911, we are usually specific about which particular emergency we are experiencing. We may need the Police, Fire Department or an Ambulence and with the right communication the correct help is on the way. Recently, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig did a study about what happens when plants are attacked by herbivores (insect, animals, etc). Apparently most plants call in emergency reinforcements. They proceed by emitting specific chemical aerosol signals. These aerosol signals attract the right specific predatory wasp that parasitizes a specific host insect pest which is attacking the plant. The wasps lay their eggs into the caterpillars, thereby killing them. This means fewer butterflies and hungry caterpillars in the next generation. An international research team tested the effects of twelve types of herbivores on a field mustard (Brassica rapa). The researchers found that the plants consistently adapt the odours they emit upon attack to the characteristics of the respective herbivore. This helped the plant to specifically attract a certain specific natural enemy that feed on the herbivores eating them. Among the twelve different herbivores that they tested, there were caterpillars, aphids and a slug. The herbivore selection included specialist and generalist, sucking and chewing, as well as exotic and native species.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Plants smell different when they are eaten by exotic herbivores</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo - Nicole Van Dam</i></b></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">Professor Nicole Van Dam sees the results as "spectacular proof" of how specifically plants respond to their environment.</span> </b></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"The plants may not have a nervous system, eyes, ears, or mouths, but they are capable of determining who is attacking them. Based on this, they can transmit reliable information to specialized parasitic wasps that can learn the odours to find their preferred host. What I find truly amazing is that they're even capable of distinguishing between a native and an exotic herbivore."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.idiv.de/en/news/news_single_view/news_article/plants-smell.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Department Molecular Interaction Ecology at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Professor for Molecular Interaction Ecology at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU)</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Trees recognize roe deer by their saliva: Smart defence mechanisms against browsing</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iuX6B_rqzec/Vkb4l-s_u4I/AAAAAAAAGsA/m5W8Pcv0jVM/s400/Deer-coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iuX6B_rqzec/Vkb4l-s_u4I/AAAAAAAAGsA/m5W8Pcv0jVM/s400/Deer-coffee.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10.8192px;"><b><i>Image: Town Mouse & Country Mouse Blog</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Mule Deer browsing foliage of native </span><br /><span style="color: #38761d;">California Coffeeberry</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Animals also can be foliage damaging herbivores to plants. The photo above is of a California Mule Deer browsing the foliage of a native chaparral plant called California Coffeeberry. While we are told fables of Native Americans setting fires to improve grasslands for grazers like deer, what they really like is browsing shrub and tree foliage. As I've previously asked on this subject is, what is it that gardeners most generally complain about when it comes to Deer ??? Is it that they graze their lawns or rather damage flower beds, shrubs and trees ??? Another question would be, Are plants also programmed with a similar chemical signalling defense mechanisms to thwart animal browsing and if so, how does this defense work ??? This was another study done along the same lines as the insect herbivory study above. Notice the photo at right here where a central leader of a Maple was cut with metal shears, but a deer's saliva was applied to the damaged area which sent a signal message to produce more chemical components like tannins which make the foliage taste bitter to the deer. Also triggered were growth hormones to encourage the plant to make up for the lost growth. The plant also can apparently tell the difference between deer browsing and wind storm damage of a branch. Very kool stuff. Here are a couple of paragraphs:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>In order to protect themselves against roe deer browsing, trees purposely put up a fight. By studying young beeches (Fagus sylvatica) and maples (Acer pseudoplatanus), biologists from the Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) have now found out that trees are able to recognise precisely whether a branch or bud has been purposefully nibbled off by a roe deer – or just randomly torn off by a storm or other mechanical disturbance. The saliva of the animals gives them the signal. If a deer feeds on a tree and leaves its saliva behind, the tree will increase its production of salicylic acid. This hormone, in turn, signals to the plant to increase the production of specific tannins. It is known for some of these substances that they influence the feeding behaviour of roe deer, with the result that the deer lose their appetite for the shoots and buds. In addition, the saplings increase their concentrations of other plant hormones, growth hormones in particular. These hormones enhance the growth of the remaining buds to compensate for the lost ones. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>“On the other hand, if a leaf or a bud snaps off without a roe deer being involved, the tree stimulates neither its production of the salicylic acid signal hormone nor the tannic substances. Instead, it predominantly produces wound hormones,” explains Bettina Ohse, lead author of the study. The scientists reached their conclusions by outsmarting the saplings: They simulated a roe deer feeding on them by cutting off buds or leaves and trickling real roe deer saliva on the cut surface from a pipette. Shortly after, they recorded the concentrations of the hormones and tannins in the saplings.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.idiv.de/news/press_releases/press_release_single_view/article//trees-recogn.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Previously, other studies have shown that plants detect predation from pests like the same cabbage caterpillar through vibrational waves from their chewing. Perhaps plants detect things in a combination of sensory ways. Clearly chemical defenses are depensed in a variety of messaging, either by being sending chemical text messages through their the root systems and continuing into the fungal network grid to warn other plants through their root systems to manufacture more bitter tannins. Or as this study revealed by means of released message specific aerosols to signal just the right predator to deal with a specific pest. We now know that plants are capable of communicating with each other via extensive and complex networks, and can warn each other of the presence of pests. In response, these plants are able to mount natural defenses against various types of infestations. This interconnectedness between soil, microbes, plants, pests, is a fascinating area of study. Unfortunately Industrial Science has lost much of what used to be common-sense farming and gardening knowledge which was based on simple observation. This was the very thing science was supposed to be about. The industrial Scientists are now forced to look back at what they once made fun of as far as age-old wisdom which reveals that nature is apparently far smarter than they were in the past willing to give it credit for. This is where biomimetics can become an important part of gardening, urban landscaping and sustainable agriculture. Science doesn't need to combat pests by inventing more and more synthetic chemical warfare. That's not the type of chemical biomimicry needed. As mentioned before, science has been influenced by irresponsible philosophical dogma brought to us by such things as </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_poor_design"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Arguments from Poor Design</span></b></i></a><span style="font-size: large;"> which has done more to hold science back from understanding how our natural world actually works more than anything else. Instead of spitting on Fundies with time wasting lame arguments, t</span><span style="font-size: large;">hey should have been busy creating sustainable ways for optimal growing conditions so that plants could have responded with their own built in programmed defenses. Instead, we've been given this ill conceived "Green Revolution" which was anything but green and there are still large corporate entities who want to keep this status quo. It's really unfortunate that this type of scientific discovery referenced in the above links are still not the science that rules our world. Many are catching on now, but are they too late to make a difference ???</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Article written about attracting predators</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2016/10/california-coffeeberry-biodiverse.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">California Coffeeberry: Biodiverse Insect Magnet for Pollinators & Predators (Think Hedgerows)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Leipzig, Tyskland51.3396955 12.37307469999996151.022287 11.72762769999996 51.657104 13.018521699999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-37166035488611375982016-12-24T07:47:00.002-08:002022-08-13T21:58:11.820-07:00Landscape Safe: Smart choices when choosing plants<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="color: #783f04;">Fours bears dead after eating </span><span style="color: #990000;">red berries</span><span style="color: #783f04;"> from </span><span style="color: #274e13;">English Yew</span><span style="color: #783f04;"> plant</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo provided by Pennsylvania Game Commission</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>CBS News</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This mother bear and her three cubs were found dead earlier this month near a church parking lot in West Wyoming, Pennsylvania. On first thought, the Conservation officers considered the deaths suspicious, but after examining two of the bears, the game commission came to the conclusion that they died from eating berries from the European yew plants. The shrubs are commonly used in landscaping as a beautiful evergreen ornamental shrub or tree. The officials explained that there is a compound in yew, called taxine, which is highly toxic to humans and animals if ingested. This is something many people never think of when choosing a landscape plant when their decision making is based purely on it's beautiful outward appearance. While some people may be aware of this plant's toxicity to humans, who would have thought there would be any consequences to the local wildlife ? The same could be said of many other plant choices from the retail Nursery. Here below is a link to the recent article:</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bears-likely-killed-from-eating-poisonous-plant-in-pennsylvania/">Family of bears likely killed from eating poisonous plant</a></i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Remember that cool lunch debate scene in the film Jurassic Park, where the argument was about whether certain scientific choices are right or wrong ? There was one specific reference from the Paleobotanist character, Ellie Sattler, who stated the obvious when it comes to humans decision making when it comes to plant choices in the landscape:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="color: #274e13;">"Well, the question is, how can you know anything about an extinct ecosystem and how could you assume you could ever control it ? You have plants here in this building that are poisonous, you pick them because they look good. But these are aggressive living things that have no idea what <strike>century</strike> country </i><span style="color: #990000;">(think European Yew)</span><i style="color: #274e13;"> they are living in and they will defend themselves, violently if necessary."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">You can find this statement below in this YouTube clip and time mark 2:36 >>></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Over here in Sweden, the landscapers use this Yew plant everywhere. What appalls me is their choice to incorporate it within family housing complexes where there are large numbers of children, often unsupervised. The plant is also chosen for it's ornamental value in Christmas decorations such are wreaths which are hung on a door in the house. The deep evergreen foliage in contrast with the bright red berries are adittedly very attractive, but they are dangerous to children, especially young toddlers who will put anything in their mouths. English Holly is another one of these attractive ornamentals used at Christmas time, but their berries are also toxic. The white berries of Mistletoe is yet another toxic plant used on this holiday. Poinsettia is another. The scary thing is the red berry is sweet to the taste, but it's the seed that is toxic. I'll provide some reference examples below at the bottom of this post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://dengarden.com/gardening/Christmas-Plants-Safe-and-Poisonous"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">https://dengarden.com/gardening/Christmas-Plants-Safe-and-Poisonous</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Beto Frota - Oct 2007</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://healthyhomegardening.com/Plant.php?pid=1517"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://healthyhomegardening.com</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Here's an example of a common Tew many grow as an ornamental in their urban landscapes. Many housing complexs and city parks with also plant them as they admittedly are a very handsome evergreen shrub or tree with contrasting red berries. But the seed or more commonly called, berry, can be deadly poison within one to two hours after ingesting them. In actual fact, the fruit is not really a berry at all. As you can see from the way it has a hole in the end like the picture at the right here. The outer covering (called aril) as it matures shrinks back exposing the seed which is the true fruit. The red outer part is technically is called an aril. A well known aril is the spice mace, which is the outer covering of a nutmeg. Pomagranites also fall into this description. Interestingly, the red flesh of this Yew berry is quite sweet, but again it's the seed inside is deadly poisonous. This doesn't matter to birds, because their quick digestive system passes the seed through unchanged, and like most berries, this is how the Yew distributes its seeds. Not that the Yew is capable of knowing that of course. But the more thorough digestive system of an animal would attack the seed's coating and poison the animal like it did to those four bears in the article above. Below is a plant profile of the Yew.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>University of Maryland - Extension</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://extension.umd.edu/learn/toxic-plant-profile-yew">Plant Profile: </a></span><a href="https://extension.umd.edu/learn/toxic-plant-profile-yew" style="font-size: x-large;">Toxic </a><a href="https://extension.umd.edu/learn/toxic-plant-profile-yew" style="font-size: x-large;">Yew</a></span></i></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Try safer Natives from local area Native Plant Nurseries </span><span style="color: #990000;">Heteromeles arbutifolia</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Bert Wilson - <span style="color: #38761d;">Las Pilitas Nursery</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Tehachapi Conservation Resource District</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">This plant is a large evergreen shrub or small tree with leathery deep green leaves which produces small white flower clusters followed by showy clusters of red berries. In the urban landscape, it will only require deep watering once a month in summer when established. In most of it's native area probably not necessary to water this plant if roots are deep enough. This deeper root infrastructure can be obtained if the gardener or landscaper is smart and patient enough to train the plant by starting out with a one gallon year old specimen. They can grow from 8' to15' feet tall and 8' feet wide. The berries are edible and not dangerous like the other ornamentals I've discussed here. If a child did happen to eat one, there is not much flavour and not really sweet at all. More importantly, they will attracts birds and other wildlife who will use them as a food source. The bottomline here is you need to use your head and think about what plants you choose as appropriate to the safety of your landscape, not only for wilslife, but especially young children.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Real life trageties from Yew berry ingestion</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-26089688"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">BBC: Ben Hines died after ingesting yew tree poison</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://nypost.com/2016/10/30/this-city-parks-deadly-berries-nearly-killed-a-2-year-old-girl/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">New York Post - October 2016: This city park’s deadly berries nearly killed a 2 year-old-girl</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/poison/yew-poisoning/overview.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/poison/yew-poisoning/overview.html</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Google is your friend. Seriously, there are pages of this stuff</span></blockquote>
<br />Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Kalifornien, USA36.778261 -119.4179323999999823.886426 -140.07222939999997 49.670096 -98.763635399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-36219079219718338562016-10-26T06:30:00.000-07:002016-10-26T06:30:27.601-07:00More designs in Nature translate into awesome Urban Landscapes thru Biomimicry<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Most of my inspiration when I designed layouts for landscaping came from natural scenarios I observed in Nature. For example, this picture below from Baja California.</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pKJy27pO2Bk/WAoibwPeibI/AAAAAAAAJCc/NzmyUTCq57UuOMmiA804XNBSduXigLGEwCLcB/s1600/baja-10-11-257-k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pKJy27pO2Bk/WAoibwPeibI/AAAAAAAAJCc/NzmyUTCq57UuOMmiA804XNBSduXigLGEwCLcB/s640/baja-10-11-257-k.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Image - Klaus Komoss</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0mJHqcseTrE/V5yVJDzRFHI/AAAAAAAAIdA/2mAIIKBIWrsPYheSyVxIwng4kyZdkIbogCLcB/s1600/IMGP5523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0mJHqcseTrE/V5yVJDzRFHI/AAAAAAAAIdA/2mAIIKBIWrsPYheSyVxIwng4kyZdkIbogCLcB/s320/IMGP5523.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">photo is mine (June 2016)</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">I've previously written about both the native Baja California and Sonora Mexico Rock Figs, Rock figs (tescalama): Ficus palmeri and Ficus petiolaris. We saw examples of Rock Figs at the Arizona-Sonoran Deset Museum which we visited this past June 2016. They make great patio trees in large pottery containers or planter focal points with boulders as a center piece. Mainly, when we create such landscape art, we are merely doing biomimicry of what already takes place in the wild. For example the massive wild Rock Fig above taken by Klaus Kommoss on one of his many winter adventure trips with his wife and friends down in Baja California. I'll post the link below to he and his wife's travel adventure blog and also my post link below of what I wrote about recreating these rock fig and boulder art images below. I also stumbled upon recently something else that has captured my attenton in the plant/rock art theme where I saw these incredible boulder plant creations where holes were drilled and hollowed out through a fire process in the huge rock and trees planted in them at the Living Holocaust Memorial at the Jewish Heritage Museum.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-txOQO_UxWV4/WAtCB0RKidI/AAAAAAAAJC8/p_NPJQ2mJNcJ2QMpYtLw_5erGN1zS0rTACLcB/s1600/goldsworthy_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-txOQO_UxWV4/WAtCB0RKidI/AAAAAAAAJC8/p_NPJQ2mJNcJ2QMpYtLw_5erGN1zS0rTACLcB/s640/goldsworthy_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Cornell Plantations</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><i>"Boulders harvested for Andy Goldsworthy's Garden of Stones, Permanent installation, The Museum of Jewish Heritage A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, New York, New York These granite boulders and chestnut oak trees supplement the permanent installation in New York. They were installed at Cornell Plantations in 2004, and dedicated in 2005."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.cornellplantations.org/our-gardens/arboretum/goldsworthy"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">http://www.cornellplantations.org</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pvZSpxYLhzs/WAtJdsAS3zI/AAAAAAAAJDY/s46juUqBupItrnuV5DJG5LCZF6vgrcSwgCLcB/s1600/Goldsworthyinstallation1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pvZSpxYLhzs/WAtJdsAS3zI/AAAAAAAAJDY/s46juUqBupItrnuV5DJG5LCZF6vgrcSwgCLcB/s400/Goldsworthyinstallation1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Cornell Plantations</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">The first time I saw this planting design technique from the layout at the "Garden of Stones" display at the Living Memorial to the Holocaust, it made me think of potential for not only Desert Rock Figs, but also the major contribution potential of selected plants that the California Chaparral community could provide. California Oaks would be ideal like the example above, especially smaller scrub oaks. Manzanita would also be ideal. Can you just imagine. Really we've already seen such examples in the form of Bonsai plants created by rocky shallow soils of a California mountainside on a south facing slope. Boulders strewn hillsides themselves have already provided such blueprints for creative imaginations.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V-BJcmLpfIQ/WAtI6NS7rjI/AAAAAAAAJDU/jDgAJfv97j8RQCtz1Rtoz024ERLv8aRRACLcB/s1600/oak%2Brock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V-BJcmLpfIQ/WAtI6NS7rjI/AAAAAAAAJDU/jDgAJfv97j8RQCtz1Rtoz024ERLv8aRRACLcB/s640/oak%2Brock.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Cornell Plantations</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG2-0_b16_M/WA8umjYFwpI/AAAAAAAAJDw/zbSjI_Ev8yA93SsLd1M7MLz4fsUKsCnZwCLcB/s1600/rareplanthero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG2-0_b16_M/WA8umjYFwpI/AAAAAAAAJDw/zbSjI_Ev8yA93SsLd1M7MLz4fsUKsCnZwCLcB/s320/rareplanthero.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Laura Allen in <span style="color: #b45f06;">Modern Farmer</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Many examples of chaparral bonsai exist in the mountains and foothills of San Diego County especially those rich in giant granite boulders. Mount Woodson near Ramona comes to minds as does the mountain passes along Interstate 8 in eastern San Diego county between Boulevard and Jacumba. Further north and east in Arizona in the Sedona red rock country, there are plenty of examples as evidenced by this photo on the right. Even further north up into the state of Utah and the Canyonlands would provide another excellent library for imaginative blueprints to any talented landscape designer. The point is, while we can admire the creativity of those who laid out the theme for the Holocaust Memorial, it must be acknowledged that such amazing designs are in fact existing somewhere out in Nature first. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfkjzhUXk2c/WAtEngeNhAI/AAAAAAAAJDI/5zFhcDUrJdsDY1LaMy5F1I5CxcF0sW7RwCLcB/s1600/gardens-of-stone_jewish-heritage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfkjzhUXk2c/WAtEngeNhAI/AAAAAAAAJDI/5zFhcDUrJdsDY1LaMy5F1I5CxcF0sW7RwCLcB/s640/gardens-of-stone_jewish-heritage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>image from Goldsworthy "Garden of Stones"</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">So exactly how do these </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Landscape </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">architects and construction planners do this ?</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">I'll provide a link to a gallery of photographs here below which will explain far more than I could even hope to do in text. But there are a few points where I will interject some personal thoughts and/or quotes from the "About the Process" page. Further on down I'll provide a couple of links on how the process works, but here are some planting examples. Interestingly their favourite plant specimens are dwarf type oaks like </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Quercus prinoides</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">. For me I would choose both </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Emory Oak (Quercus emoryii) </span><span style="color: #7f6000;">and/or </span><span style="color: #45818e;">Engelmann Oak (Quercus engelmannii)</span><span style="color: #7f6000;">. I love the overall sillhouette and branching form of both species of oak. The leaf patterns and the fact that both are a tough survivor species of oak. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ut-X6SkDS4A/WA9e6Kp5QQI/AAAAAAAAJEU/XlvJ7T1Y_ZkxV1-s_BRDVpI8XwdPCgxfQCLcB/s1600/goldsworthy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ut-X6SkDS4A/WA9e6Kp5QQI/AAAAAAAAJEU/XlvJ7T1Y_ZkxV1-s_BRDVpI8XwdPCgxfQCLcB/s400/goldsworthy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Cornell Plantation</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DVB4xppEjZI/WA9e1CIKKeI/AAAAAAAAJEQ/Mj6vWt92iE4aCJCtGUYGG-4tF5GtC2SiQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DVB4xppEjZI/WA9e1CIKKeI/AAAAAAAAJEQ/Mj6vWt92iE4aCJCtGUYGG-4tF5GtC2SiQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2984.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Goldsworthy</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">The Oak saplings were grown at Cornell under the guidance of Professor Tom Whitlow from the Department of Horticulture. His tree species recommendation was the dwarf Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinoides) and he advised on the optimum conditions needed for growth and nourishment. The Oak & other saplings were nurtured at Cornell by both faculty and students. Often the actual planting was done by holocaust survivors themselves, their children or even grandchildren. The point of all this of course is that humans can move away from the formal structural traditions of the English Garden design, etc and develop purely naturalistic scenes within their personal urban or commercial landscapes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">How the actual </span><span style="color: #660000;">Stone Hollowing Process</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> works</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.mjhnyc.org/garden/process.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Andy Goldsworthy's Stone Hollowing Process</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>About the Company and Artists who created these landscape boulder planters</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hCGHhXdfKe4/WA9C7z2zRpI/AAAAAAAAJEA/7rP_penVNFI_TvNy70IlEtJScHnzklgXwCLcB/s1600/about-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hCGHhXdfKe4/WA9C7z2zRpI/AAAAAAAAJEA/7rP_penVNFI_TvNy70IlEtJScHnzklgXwCLcB/s400/about-banner.jpg" width="391" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Richard Avedon</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Edward Monti and artist Andy Goldsworthy are pictured with one of the granite sculptures (in its early stages) that make up the Garden of Stones installation at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.montistonesculpture.com/about/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">ABOUT EDWARD MONTI The History of Edward Monti Stone Sculpture</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>About the couple who took the photograph at the top of this post and their Adventures in Baja California</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GWFyMGP_FV0/WAoxnfTXJ1I/AAAAAAAAJCs/4wh-DPtbpGg05dwMGVaxvcptQu735UJjwCLcB/s1600/wir-auf-motorrad-alt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GWFyMGP_FV0/WAoxnfTXJ1I/AAAAAAAAJCs/4wh-DPtbpGg05dwMGVaxvcptQu735UJjwCLcB/s200/wir-auf-motorrad-alt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">The photo on the right and at the top of this post was taken by Klaus Kommoss with his wife, Parvin, on one of their adventures every Winter to Baja California. I'll post their blog link down below at the bottom of this paragraph. Klaus was from Germany and his wife Parvin was from Iran. They lived in the state of Wshington in the Pacific Northwest. An unfortunate accident took place in 2012 where Klaus died in a freak accident when the SUV he was working on fell off the scissor jacks. I stumbled by accident upon their blog back in August while looking up information on Rock Figs of Baja California. Read and loved his blog, but then later found out the sad news. Still, they had some great adventures to places most of us only imagine seeing one day. I think you'll enjoy reading their blog adventures from the link below.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Photographs & Adventure Blog References</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://kommoss.wordpress.com/2011/03/06/last-canyon/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">https://kommoss.wordpress.com/2011/03/06/last-canyon</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://archive.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120807/NEWS/308079993"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Man crushed to death by SUV was inventor, adventurer</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://timeless-environments.blogspot.se/2016/08/creating-little-desert-trees-as.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Creating Little Desert Trees as Ornamentals for Indoors & Patios</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Now for a fun tutorial on how Phenotypic Plasticity works on all biological organisms, but especially here with our subject of </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">PLANTS</span></span></b></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dRg72dEjaM/WBB8tw48ImI/AAAAAAAAJFY/qzs-JzQzhrox2W4GuFHnn3vQdtgKi0tyACLcB/s1600/genotypeandphenotype_121296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dRg72dEjaM/WBB8tw48ImI/AAAAAAAAJFY/qzs-JzQzhrox2W4GuFHnn3vQdtgKi0tyACLcB/s400/genotypeandphenotype_121296.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://study.com/academy/lesson/genotype-environment-interaction-and-phenotypic-plasticity.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Genotype-Environment Interaction and Phenotypic Plasticity</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tlp37z4pi3E/WBCkDB7R7fI/AAAAAAAAJFo/irxEafws9ogF7UEXxJHIZxKoAtseNrB9gCLcB/s1600/basso-coffee8516c.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tlp37z4pi3E/WBCkDB7R7fI/AAAAAAAAJFo/irxEafws9ogF7UEXxJHIZxKoAtseNrB9gCLcB/s1600/basso-coffee8516c.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Here is an awesome video explaining things in simple terms and with illustrations from familiar situations that teach. So can you understand and graps the concept of biomimicry in developing plants within an urban landscape to replication patterns and forms found in </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Nature </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">??? The video is from </span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">Study.com</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"> and is about </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">7:00</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"> minutes long. But as you watch this, please think about how you can experiment and tinker with various physical environmental factors and recreate natural designs in your backyard or where ever. Keep in mind that this video deals with the science of both genotypic and phenotypic change, and this can be repeatable if we can set up just the right artifical environmental factors in our landscape. And still somewhere there is the role of something called </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: bold;">epigenetics</i><span style="color: #7f6000;"> in shaping the patterns of your plant subjects. But that's another subject.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Real Life </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">"Garden's of Stone" </span><span style="color: #7f6000;">you can visit out in </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Nature</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.pbase.com/image/154436200"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">Photographer - Phil Douglis - Apache Stronghold</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - <a href="http://www.globetrottingcouple.com/">globetrottingcouple.com</a></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">This place is Apache Stronghold, otherwise known as Chiricahua National Monument. When you visit, you can understand how tough it was for the US Cavalry to evict the resilient Chiricahua Apache. I've been to this place and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made as far as an adventure. Believe it or </span>not it was the unique plant and animal (Parrot & Koatimundi) life that brought me here in the beginning, apart from the outstanding ancient volcanic geological formations. This is one of those classic Arizona "Sky Islands" as you can see from the top photo which looks down at the lower surrounding elevation. But the main draw for me was the Arizona Madrone, Chiricahua & Apache Pines, Alligator Juniper and some of the most humungous examples of Arizona Cypress I've ever seen. Again, it's the various features of rock (niches, slots, etc) which provide a phenotypic paradise for unique plant form and natural design.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J2NN4w1HytY/WBBqpIWSwnI/AAAAAAAAJEw/BYXb2-iN0s8uFyfc42N0ExndACPJCiyaACLcB/s1600/wolgan-valley-hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J2NN4w1HytY/WBBqpIWSwnI/AAAAAAAAJEw/BYXb2-iN0s8uFyfc42N0ExndACPJCiyaACLcB/s640/wolgan-valley-hero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>Image - NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/Gardens-of-Stone-National-Park"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Gardens-of-Stone-National-Park-Australia</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.carstenpeter.com/index_en.php"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">http://www.carstenpeter.com</span></b></i></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">This is Gardens of Stone National Park in Australia. The landscape here is a labyrinth of pagoda rocks with beehive-shaped formations sculpted by erosion along sandstone scarpments. This type of geological landscape not only presents a treacherous and challenging obstacle of slot canyons for both hikers and expert canyoneer exploreers, but it also provides an outdoor educational lab for those who choose to view this as a learning journey into how the environments (all of it's components) sculpts biological life (in this case plant life) into various beautiful and intriguing forms. All of which can and should be replicated into the modern urban landscape.</span></div>
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Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Baja California, Mexiko30.8406338 -115.2837584999999823.837105299999997 -125.61090699999997 37.8441623 -104.95660999999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-49177533339556178622016-10-19T05:14:00.002-07:002016-10-20T05:29:10.666-07:00“Nature is not competitive. It is ruthlessly collaborative” - Spencer Smith<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>How can responsible land stewards teach people how much more complex and sophisticated the designs found in Nature are compared to our own ?</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Kew Royal Bontanic Gardens - </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">Rhizotron </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Tree Museum</span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>(Project grade 11)</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, it's tough teaching new things to adults who have already been through an educational system where the green revolution industrial complex as mandated by the State has indoctrinated & moulded them into obedient little Soylent cracker eaters. Let's be honest, as you watch adults worldwide, they are having a tough time with the idea of "Multiculturalism" [even from it's supporters] let along understanding the true concept of biodiversity in Nature. You have to start with youth, who surprisingly grasp far more than adults give them credit for. I mean seriously, look how expert almost every child is using a computer as compared to adults ? Who are best at hacking these days ? Indeed, one of the biggest obstacles may well come from detaching kids from their electronic gadgets. But Children do love and thrive off challenges. So approaching things from a technological innovation viewpoint should help them visualize just how biological mechanisms found in the natural world actually work. Hopefully instead of hacking computer code, they won't try a hand at</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/01/22/plant-hacking-takes-off-genetic-engineering-becomes-easier-cheaper/" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">cracking the genetic code</span></i></b></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"> to find out what kind of mutated critters they can come up with. I can almost visualize the next #1 popular gift showing up under Christmas trees being a Bio-Rad GMO Starter kit. Ah yes, but I'm sure it'll be something that'll be fun for the whole family.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_XnXUvVjTo8/V_-cHB6KP8I/AAAAAAAAI7I/Tfjp47yPRSUK079Aoo-3FdlduD7gxw3uQCLcB/s1600/lsr_gmo_investigator_kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_XnXUvVjTo8/V_-cHB6KP8I/AAAAAAAAI7I/Tfjp47yPRSUK079Aoo-3FdlduD7gxw3uQCLcB/s200/lsr_gmo_investigator_kit.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Bio-Rad</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">If we look at things from a agricultural standpoint with older generation farmers, they are old school and the saying which goes, "cannot teach an old Dog new tricks" is certainly accurate for the most part. Not too many older farmers around like Joel Salatin or Gabe Brown who actually get to change later in life and become successful. Something else came out recently about how imperative it is to pursue biodiversity with regards to agriculture as compared to monoculture. Both the University of Californa Davis and Michigan State University came out yesterday with research on how crops grown as a monoculture attract a plethora of all kinds of pests. More pests mean more synthetic inputs into the farm field system. The only winners in that are Agro-Chemical companies. But I truly believe kids would all grasp the concepts of ecology and biodiversity if exposed to the right kind of education at a young age. Now both articles were extremely interesting and informative, aside from being logical. But how do parents and teachers communicate these important grownup things to kids ? Aside from dumping the usual intellect speak, use illustrations from familar situations common in every day life that can teach. Also, absolutely use Animation and videos</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIgaGdMir5E/WACWld8DOkI/AAAAAAAAI7Y/lokQFxjTDIckE_KaOQzBjDOVEtyhbPhLACLcB/s1600/Braconid%2BWasp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIgaGdMir5E/WACWld8DOkI/AAAAAAAAI7Y/lokQFxjTDIckE_KaOQzBjDOVEtyhbPhLACLcB/s400/Braconid%2BWasp.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Animation - Mother Earth News<br /><br /><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Braconid Wasp </span><span style="font-size: large;">-- <span style="color: #38761d;">Caterpillar</span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qFPkhlZDbcA/WACiZrAkAmI/AAAAAAAAI7o/vZ8gvt-BQIcSlatT6bMV0c_2stI6aD4zACLcB/s1600/masonwasp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qFPkhlZDbcA/WACiZrAkAmI/AAAAAAAAI7o/vZ8gvt-BQIcSlatT6bMV0c_2stI6aD4zACLcB/s200/masonwasp.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - Julie Johnsen</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Most of what nature does goes unseen to most people. Not just kids, but adults too. Take this Braconid Wasp in the animation above. These are not the common every day better known larger wasps we see building those paper or mud nests in the rafters of our cover porches or eaves of our homes. No, these wasp are so tiny, many of them would barely would fit on a U.S. dime. This tiny wasp at left is a Mason or Potter Wasp. Most of the beneficial work they do also goes unseen. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Mason wasps are a predatory insect whose young feed on the larva of other pest insects and build nest with mud but at times will dwell in holes of wood for nesting purposes. They may capture and paralyze as many at 15+ caterpillars just to feed their egg or larva before they seal the chamber inside the wooden post or tree snag. They probably use preexisting holes for their nests, but they are not particularly harmful. Teach kids that they are beneficial as they prey on critters like tent caterpillars/army worms, and other problematic larva on your garden plants. Teach your kids how important it is for you to plant a variety of flowering plants to feed these tiny wasps. Explain that though the adults capture and sting other insects, they do not eat these as food, only their babies do that. Teach the kids that adult wasps need pollen or nectar from flowers to feed upon and benefit from a good diversity of wildflowers or flowering shrubs. Here is an excellent example by insct photographer, Marc Kummel, who photographed a mating pair of beneficial parasitic wasps on a </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">California Fuschia (Epilobium canum aka Zauschneria californica)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nrhSc_NNd14/WAi1ilK5WiI/AAAAAAAAJB8/JCwilPWbX9Q3SWbK46LO77mYvfIyGeNogCLcB/s1600/mating%2Bparasitic%2Bwasps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nrhSc_NNd14/WAi1ilK5WiI/AAAAAAAAJB8/JCwilPWbX9Q3SWbK46LO77mYvfIyGeNogCLcB/s400/mating%2Bparasitic%2Bwasps.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel (San Marcos Pass - Oct 2016)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Here is a mating pair of tiny "parasitic wasps" (Hymenoptera) on a new<br />flower of California Fuschia (Epilobium canum aka Zauschneria californica)<br />in the Onagraceae plant family.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Chaparral hedgerows are ideal in attracting all sorts of beneficial insect pollinators & predators. Replacing disturbed invasive non-native weedy fields with the original chaparral plant community will increase predators and decrease habitat for pests who thrive on weedy areas. Now let's focus on one particular chaparral shrub, California Coffeeberry, which is plant number one at beneficial insect attraction.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XSWyvSp62_c/WAC-_bLFgwI/AAAAAAAAI8k/q_mPu6X8BvMJuys4ETMNNk0gpbrJ-8frACLcB/s1600/1f9cce8c150ea3b36512be50022f1151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XSWyvSp62_c/WAC-_bLFgwI/AAAAAAAAI8k/q_mPu6X8BvMJuys4ETMNNk0gpbrJ-8frACLcB/s400/1f9cce8c150ea3b36512be50022f1151.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Pete Veilleux (2008)</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">One of my native favourites for attracting beneficial insects is California Coffeeberry (Rhamnus [or Frangula - whatever] californica). Favourite cultivars are "eve Case" or "Mound San Bruno." In my personal experience, from a shrub satandpoint, this is the earliest bloomer of all the native california shrubs and mostly it goes unnoticed. Why ? Well, look below.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2XK1Difg7oM/WAC3frsEJWI/AAAAAAAAI8U/n_PvvKnav-8h5WZiSMqpwwW5lkaCzSqeQCLcB/s1600/fcalifornica01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2XK1Difg7oM/WAC3frsEJWI/AAAAAAAAI8U/n_PvvKnav-8h5WZiSMqpwwW5lkaCzSqeQCLcB/s400/fcalifornica01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Greg a. Monroe</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Flowers of California Coffeeberry are admittedly not the most showy as compared to other well known popular garden variety flowers. So how does a parent or teacher instill appreciation for something considered, perhaps, even ugly (by flawed human standards) ? I've never considered these flowers ugly, just sort of neutral from an outward appearance standpoint. Humans by nature judge almost entirely by outward appearances first. They do this to each other starting as kids in school. But the teacher and parent has to counter this by demonstrating the Coffeeberry flower's main virtues. Unseen to us, these flowers manufacture a potent powerful cologne or perfume that only insects can sense. It's a pity that back in the late 1980s, I didn't document this more with photography.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ykf7Ud1aDA/VKUkke11TnI/AAAAAAAAE_o/xXQRnwUi1Co/s1600/Insect-Photographer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ykf7Ud1aDA/VKUkke11TnI/AAAAAAAAE_o/xXQRnwUi1Co/s1600/Insect-Photographer.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #38761d;">image - Brian Marlow</span></span><br /><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: small;"> Insect Paparazzi</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Of course, there were no digital cameras back then, everything was expernsive and old school compared to now. But gardeners planting and documenting this most beautiful feature of Coffeeberry's usefulness in Nature could be a fun thing when it comes to gardening photos. Planting a chaparral hedgerow, then documenting just how effective these coffeeberry flowers are at attracting mostly beneficial pollinators/predators into your landscape would not only be fun, but also provide something that even the researchers have yet to provide us with. Seriously, do a google and most references to this Coffeeberry insect relationship come from Master Gardener blogs or other private individuals. They do mention the chaparral plant's importance to wildlife & domestic animal browsing, but the importance of it as a pest control component is referenced only by a few. Usage in farm field hedgerows for pest control is being more researched, but it's not the kind of good science getting as much publicity as genetic engineering or other industrial versions of agro-chemical advances in science.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iuX6B_rqzec/Vkb4l-s_u4I/AAAAAAAAGsA/m5W8Pcv0jVM/s1600/Deer-coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iuX6B_rqzec/Vkb4l-s_u4I/AAAAAAAAGsA/m5W8Pcv0jVM/s1600/Deer-coffee.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image- Town Mouse & Country Mouse</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2016/10/california-coffeeberry-biodiverse.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">California Coffeeberry: Biodiverse Insect Magnet for Pollinators & Predators (Think Hedgerows)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">I've created this link above to an article I finished yesterday which further illuminates California Coffeeberry's insect magnet attracting abilities.. I've taken time to research as many beneficial insect photographs as possible linked to California Coffeeberry. I've also included some research being done by researchers from California State Berkerley's Kremen Lab Group on the potential for pest control by beneficial insects on a commercial farming scale by the creation of California Chaparral Hedgerows along all farm fields. Much like the one in the photo below.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kyC2qc88RPk/WATEvsH3y2I/AAAAAAAAI-c/VBBXqFJ1EeUfCtQBNtTg5eowRjt9NaqTgCLcB/s1600/Fong%2BFarms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kyC2qc88RPk/WATEvsH3y2I/AAAAAAAAI-c/VBBXqFJ1EeUfCtQBNtTg5eowRjt9NaqTgCLcB/s640/Fong%2BFarms.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Image - University of California - <span style="color: #bf9000;">Agricultural Division & Natural Resources</span></i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This post and information above should go along well with the latest research news below on using biodiversity as an insect pest control. Children and all youth in general need to understand just how successful Nature has been for 10s of 1000s of years prior to humans coming along. Biomimicry should be considered a normal scientific pursuit. The articifical industrial conventional way of practicing agriculture with it's chemicals and genetic engineering should be the view as it truly is, abnormal. None of this junk was ever needed in the first place. Kids need to understand that and will with parent's and teacher's guidance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>BioDiversity as a Natural Pesticide</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>“Farm fields can create monocultures where pests may find the perfect nutrition to be healthy and reproduce,” said Wetzel, who conducted the research during his doctoral work at the University of California, Davis. “Planting fields with higher plant nutrient variability could contribute to sustainable pest control.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rather than my further elaborating on this subject at length, these two links below should be enough to get you started. Then in your mind's eye, simplfy the language to a point where a child would understand the biodiversity concept. It may be a challenge for you as most adults globally are often unaware themselves. If the majority were aware, our planet would look totally different.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2016/plant-diversity-could-provide-natural-repellent-for-crop-pests/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Michigan State University: Plant Diversity could provide natural repellent for crop pests</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/diversity-natural-pesticide/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">UC Davis: Why Insect Pests Love Monocultures, and How Plant Diversity Could Change That</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Teaching kids these days is always easiest with video animation. Seriously, since I was a kid in the 1960s, cartoons and animated films shown at elementary school always captured my attention. So such animated video instructive technology can and should be used when teaching kids about the importance of biodiversity over the ecologically failed choice mankind's failed leadership has been mandating for over the past 50 years. Take a look below.</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c80oLYvr9ck/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c80oLYvr9ck?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">Actually photographs are yet another venue to provide good teaching points and should also be used. I've written about these Chaparral Hedgerow and Biodiverse pollinator/predator strategies previously in these three posts below. This first one deals with the reasons why planting a biodiverse flower presence is so important to honey bee health. All plants create different types of pollen with unique chemical properties. These differing pollens are used by specialized nurse bees in the hive who apparently have a built sense of what pollen medicine to feed the sick worker bees with specific illnesses. Can kids really comprehend such scientific findings ? Absolutely, if you make the right real world illustrative comparisons that we humans can relate to:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2015/01/diversity-of-flowering-plants.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Diversity of Flowering Plants Imperative to Pollinator & Predator Health</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">This next link deals with actual planning, designs and construction of Chaparral Hedgerows along California's agricultural fields to provide habitat living quarters and variety of important food sources for pollinators/predators which would act an an important insurance policy against crop pests. The potential here is for greatly reduced or total elimination of synthetic (or so-called Organic) chemical pesticides. Could kids really grasp this reality ? Absolutely, especially with the beautiful colour photographs provided by the Xerces Society:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9V8ncuj_cuM/VN4ckDy4r-I/AAAAAAAAFOo/r7QBAi0Joi4/s1600/xerces-soceity47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9V8ncuj_cuM/VN4ckDy4r-I/AAAAAAAAFOo/r7QBAi0Joi4/s400/xerces-soceity47.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Xerces Society</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2015/02/how-to-construct-best-insurance-policy.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">How to construct the best Insurance Policy for your Agricultural Business Venture</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">This final link deals with strategies in attracting good pollinators/predators to the landscape and commercial farming and how such strategies are not only a good business model, but also a good insurance policy. Can kids graps this concept of bugs being something good ? Absolutely, but then need adult attitudes to change and lead by example. Again the photos from the Xerces Society are very helpful in this learning process:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TWbY8jyDh4E/VNywzId2zUI/AAAAAAAAFME/1wA_njpd6sM/s1600/xerces-soceity11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TWbY8jyDh4E/VNywzId2zUI/AAAAAAAAFME/1wA_njpd6sM/s1600/xerces-soceity11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image - Xerces Society</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2015/02/attracting-wild-bees-wasps-to.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Attracting Wild Bees & Wasps to Landscapes & Farms is the best Insurance Policy</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i style="color: #783f04;">Aside from planting a diverse variety of native shrubs & wildflowers, here is a project parents or teachers can do with kids.</i></b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">(This kind of stuff gets burned into young memories)</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DaQs9PJ6zs8/WACvY74r-LI/AAAAAAAAI8E/uRcNr6L4cdgLWSKR06yokJR11bnmhFSYwCLcB/s1600/Mason-Wasp-Symmorphus-cristatus-nest-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DaQs9PJ6zs8/WACvY74r-LI/AAAAAAAAI8E/uRcNr6L4cdgLWSKR06yokJR11bnmhFSYwCLcB/s640/Mason-Wasp-Symmorphus-cristatus-nest-.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>photo credit - Donald C. Drife (2016)</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i>June 20-26, 2016 has been designated National Pollinator Week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Our yard is pollinator friendly. We use no insecticides. We provide plants that produce pollen and attract pollinators to our vegetable garden. </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i>This year, we put up a bee hotel now called the “Buzz Inn.” Our plans came from a helpful guide, Managing Alternative Pollinators: A Handbook for Beekeepers, Growers and Conservationists, SARE Handbook 11, NRAES-186 by Eric Mader, Marla Spivak, and Elaine Evans.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><i>Donald C. Drife</i></b></span></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-am5xP29CM9A/WACsVik8kHI/AAAAAAAAI74/q2rdN9sRAvAbLmZK-xuqjO8M8PBGLhYRACLcB/s1600/Mason-Wasp-Symmorphus-cristatus2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-am5xP29CM9A/WACsVik8kHI/AAAAAAAAI74/q2rdN9sRAvAbLmZK-xuqjO8M8PBGLhYRACLcB/s640/Mason-Wasp-Symmorphus-cristatus2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.michigannatureguy.com/blog/2016/06/20/national-pollinator-week/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Michigan Nature Guy's Blog: National Pollinator Week</span></i></b></a></span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">"No one will protect what they don't care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced."</span></i></blockquote>
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<b>David Attenborough, conservationist </b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">One final teaching point from your friendly neighbourhood </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Home Depot</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFtXb7xAjtc/WAdXnuYsUiI/AAAAAAAAJBs/PngTU5qs8kE2ZkgBnUDv_XHd-_u98RKnACLcB/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFtXb7xAjtc/WAdXnuYsUiI/AAAAAAAAJBs/PngTU5qs8kE2ZkgBnUDv_XHd-_u98RKnACLcB/s400/th.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Susan Harris of <span style="color: #990000;"> Garden Rant</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: small;">Home Depot </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">front door display as you enter Garden Center</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you aren't teaching and illustrating at a hands on level with your children, then someone else will. The photograph above was take by Master Gardener author, Susan Harris, from the journal Garden Rant. The visual teaching going on here is their marketing strategy for indoctrinating their customers that for a beautiful successful garden, you need synthetic Chemical weed and insect killers to eliminate Nature's flaws. Here is what Susan Harris wrote about <span style="color: #b45f06;">Home Depot's</span> front entrance killer chemical display:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"The other day I walked into the Home Depot near me and noticed this enticement to enter the gardening part of the store – Kill, kill, kill those plants and bugs! Not a plant in sight but plenty of plant-killers. And this photo hardly conveys the impressive array of killing products extending as far as the eye could see."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://gardenrant.com/2010/06/home-depots-welcome-to-gardening.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source - Garden Rant)</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pollinators </span>- <span style="color: #bf9000;">Beneficial Insects </span>- <span style="color: #38761d;">Native Plants</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="http://nativeplants.msu.edu/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Michigan State University: Native Plants and Ecosystem Services</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/natural-pest-control-beneficial-insects-zm0z12amzhir"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Mother Earth News: Enlist Beneficial Insects for Natural Pest Control</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/scholars-team-show-forest-biodiversity-green-more-ways-one"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">University of Minnesota: Scholars team up to show forest biodiversity is green in more ways than one</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.google.se/search?q=Braconid+wasp+size&biw=1242&bih=580&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwifuoHZ8dnPAhVCOJoKHWMkDhAQ_AUIBigB"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">See Google Images of Mason & Potter Wasps</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="http://bugoftheweek.com/blog/2014/7/14/mason-wasps-imonobiai-and-ipseudodynerusi"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">http://bugoftheweek.com/mason-wasps-imonobiai-and-ipseudodynerusi</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<br />Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, USA40.705695 -73.82720289999997540.6816215 -73.867543399999974 40.7297685 -73.786862399999976tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-72568120441038625462016-10-18T13:43:00.001-07:002020-03-18T04:48:00.478-07:00California Coffeeberry: Biodiverse Insect Magnet for Pollinators & Predators (Think Hedgerows)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UJ7OYG-Wj2w/WAShOCTBtLI/AAAAAAAAI9I/tP-vDZeJjBYP1lK7hD1MKVDwDnQwLF4YgCLcB/s1600/coffeeberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UJ7OYG-Wj2w/WAShOCTBtLI/AAAAAAAAI9I/tP-vDZeJjBYP1lK7hD1MKVDwDnQwLF4YgCLcB/s320/coffeeberries.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Susan Leahy (Oct 2013)</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">I've been waiting for an opportunity to highlight the pollinator/predator attracting abilities of California Coffeeberry for a very long time. I have a sense of photographer's remorse for not documenting my own California Coffeeberry ("Eve Case" & "San Bruno") shrubs all those years in Anza California for their pollinator/predator attracting abilities. As reported previously, these plants do not have anything close to a showy display when it comes to flowering. Yet, it was always as if my California Coffeeberries had a sort of potent pheromone infused nectar for which every winged insect couldn't resist. There is almost nothing in the scientific literature about this important ability of Coffeeberry. As we understand with most of the science stories out there on many flowers, it's always the showy display, colour, fragrance etc that has some evolutionary advantage. The problem with their description is that the storytelling is done from a human perspective on what a human thinks, sees or smells. Do insects and other critters really think and feel about something as we do ? What about all those night pollinators ? Surely colour and looks don't come into play. California Coffeeberry breaks all the rules here. From a human perspective, there is nobody would ever plant a California Coffeeberry for it's showy beautiful fragrant flowers. Because from a human viewpoint, none of those good qualities exist. In the photo above and below, take a real close look at those flower clusters.</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XCyAJghNt1Q/WATcQVARNmI/AAAAAAAAI_Y/RSq9k2efppoIXulLb1j_-9Q2EBhVbXmHgCLcB/s1600/foliage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XCyAJghNt1Q/WATcQVARNmI/AAAAAAAAI_Y/RSq9k2efppoIXulLb1j_-9Q2EBhVbXmHgCLcB/s400/foliage.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mother Nature's Backyard</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Clearly we cannot simply judge which shrubs would be ideal for attracting beneficial insects to take control of pests based on mere outward appearance of flowers. The California Coffeeberry, while having gorgeous foliage and variability in fruit colour throughout the year, is definitely not high on anyone's list for it's flowering beauty contest awards. Judging by mere outward appearance would be a mistaken viewpoint with regards this plant and one based on ignorance of just what it's true potential really is and why. I'm not the only one to have noticed Coffeeberry's subtle unseen ability to cause a plethora of insects to go insane when it blooms. Actually, at my old place up in the San Jacinto Mountains, I would often see insects huddling around even immature flower clusters long before they opened. Two quotes below prove what I've been saying all this time. The first one is from a San Diego artist, photographer & garden enthusiast, James Soe Nyun. The second one comes from the University of California's Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources' author, Harold McDonald, avid native plant gardener. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"The coffeeberry’s flowers are much more nondescript to humans. On the recent garden tour I spoke to a homeowner who was wishing that she hadn’t planted her coffeeberries so close to paths because the bugs seem to go crazy over its blooms, more so than just about any other native plant. Here we have the humble blooms of Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ‘Eve Case.’ "</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://lostinthelandscape.com/tag/may/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><i>"Coffeeberry is like some of the best kind of people: not particularly flashy, but always handsome, dependable and low maintenance. We appreciate the green it provides throughout the year. All manner of flies and bees appreciate the tiny white flowers (I hear a quiet roar each time I pass the ones by my back steps), and the berries all seem to disappear, so I assume the birds are enjoying them surreptitiously!"</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=17788"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>My own personal experience with California Coffeeberry in Anza California</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96l0CdTQXGE/T2pI8lo7lnI/AAAAAAAAABg/KxnfYDfPb_U/s1600/IMGP0597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96l0CdTQXGE/T2pI8lo7lnI/AAAAAAAAABg/KxnfYDfPb_U/s1600/IMGP0597.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image Mine (May 2013)<br /><br /><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">In the foreground below the Jeffrey Pine which was transplanted<br />from Garner Valley back in 1986, this Coffeeberry cultivator is<br />"Mound San Bruno" which was planted back in 1994. </span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztlVTc_GapU/XnIGNI4RwXI/AAAAAAAAN8I/9GmzsCtkR3IFo_iKRSDdP3Rdk8b5r9kAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/san-bruno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="499" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztlVTc_GapU/XnIGNI4RwXI/AAAAAAAAN8I/9GmzsCtkR3IFo_iKRSDdP3Rdk8b5r9kAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/san-bruno.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image Mine - 'San Bruno'</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">My own personal experience with the Coffeeberry's pollinator qualities came quite by accident. I selected California Coffeeberry for it's bright green foliage and multicoloured berries. I never gave a thought about the flowers. In the photograph above is a "Mound San Bruno" which is a lower growing small cultivator under that Jeffrey Pine. Up on the hill behind the Jeffrey is a California Holly (or Toyon) and behind that is my "Eve Case" cultivator of California Coffeeberry. That was the larger shrub and from it volunteers spread by means of Scrub Jays planting seeds were a common occurrence. But what caught my attention one day while I walked past the shrub in bloom (always the first shrub to bloom), was a fairly load humming or roaring sound as Harold McDonald made mention of in the second paragraph above. And as James Soe Nyun mention in his story, the </span><strike style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-large;">bugs</strike><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"> insects go crazy over the blooms. I had never seen so many diversified groups of insects scampering over each other for a fix of whatever it was making everyone high.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Bees, Wasps, Flies, Mosquitoes & Gnats, oh my</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Of course the obvious critters that come to mind when you mention bees and wasps are Honey Bees and Yellow Jackets. But there are 100s or maybe 1000s of these types of creatures, the majority of which we've probably never seen, or if we do, we've never given a second thought other than, well it's just some other little bug. But these are the type of beneficial predators we want to attract. While the large ones will also often hunt prey and provide pollinator services, it's those smaller ones that really attack and kill the herbivore pest bugs which eat our garden and farm crops. This is where the plant's true purpose shine through.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vKPzYXxnYCQ/WATOFMxWy-I/AAAAAAAAI_E/HhwwVnoibLkuE9oT3Q93HdHbDPNZ_k70wCLcB/s1600/Coffeeberry-Rhamnus-californica-California-native-and-bumblebees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vKPzYXxnYCQ/WATOFMxWy-I/AAAAAAAAI_E/HhwwVnoibLkuE9oT3Q93HdHbDPNZ_k70wCLcB/s400/Coffeeberry-Rhamnus-californica-California-native-and-bumblebees.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo: Megan O’Donald<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Honey Bees on California Coffeeberry<br /> (Frangula californica/Rhamnus californica)</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zOS1kQVWCxA/WATKG2vPVVI/AAAAAAAAI-4/21HUSjHtaecAMpU1Z3EM1HsragkLU7XuQCLcB/s1600/Tachinid%2Bfly_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zOS1kQVWCxA/WATKG2vPVVI/AAAAAAAAI-4/21HUSjHtaecAMpU1Z3EM1HsragkLU7XuQCLcB/s400/Tachinid%2Bfly_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel (Oct 2013)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Tachinid Fly (Cylindromyia, Tachinidae, Diptera) <br />on native Coyote Bush (Baccharis pilularis, Asteraceae)</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Kx9f2K3qMc/WATHT-m2zZI/AAAAAAAAI-s/Ab_jSWv1oVIZOuXo0h9Q9mkRjkq6gdqHgCLcB/s1600/tachinid%2Bfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Kx9f2K3qMc/WATHT-m2zZI/AAAAAAAAI-s/Ab_jSWv1oVIZOuXo0h9Q9mkRjkq6gdqHgCLcB/s400/tachinid%2Bfly.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel (July 2015)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Small bristly Tachinid Fly (Tachinidae, Diptera)<br />ovipositing on Coffeeberry</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Adult Tachinid Flies visit flowers, but their larvae are parasitic on other insects out in the wilds like Scorpions, Centipedes many spiders and especially herbivore insects like caterpillars and help control them. They are beneficial insects - except for the insects they parasitize! Here is a good resource for Techinid Flies:</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.nadsdiptera.org/Tach/AboutTachs/TachOverview.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Overview of the Tachinidae (Diptera)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cyDREjKaSc0/WATC82JRjoI/AAAAAAAAI-Q/yYgVByUstBYsyUWM-NdNdUlRGaNX10mEACLcB/s1600/bee%2Bfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cyDREjKaSc0/WATC82JRjoI/AAAAAAAAI-Q/yYgVByUstBYsyUWM-NdNdUlRGaNX10mEACLcB/s400/bee%2Bfly.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b><i>Image Marc Kummel (June 2015)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Bee Fly (Thevenetimyia, Bombyliidae, Diptera)</span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: small;"> on a flower of native Coffeeberry</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iy2EjbySE7I/WAS22iuJK9I/AAAAAAAAI-A/RQbQREOTdtsX0xjStsnS1R2B51P7r-5FgCLcB/s1600/cranefly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iy2EjbySE7I/WAS22iuJK9I/AAAAAAAAI-A/RQbQREOTdtsX0xjStsnS1R2B51P7r-5FgCLcB/s400/cranefly.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel (April 2015)<br /><br /><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">Crane Fly (Tipulidae, Diptera) </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: small;"> California Coffeeberry (Frangula californica, Rhamnaceae)</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">Butterflies </span>& <span style="color: #38761d;">California Coffeeberry</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">The next group that were always obsessedly attracted to my California Coffeeberry shrubs were members of the butterfly family (Both Butterlies & Moths). Mostly they hovered and rarely landed. You could always tell that they wanted to though, but were intimidated by the mass of tiny flies, wasps, bees, mosquitoes, gnats and other things crawling all over each other on these flower clusters. Pale yellow Swallowtails were also a big draw to Coffeeberry, but they too didn't like the party animal house gang who showed up at the Flower Festival.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S8lp5oQdwPs/WASxF9DZdQI/AAAAAAAAI9w/SlW4mLJDgKYOuIAKi5NRJ8jZSUNlrMXsACLcB/s1600/butterflies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S8lp5oQdwPs/WASxF9DZdQI/AAAAAAAAI9w/SlW4mLJDgKYOuIAKi5NRJ8jZSUNlrMXsACLcB/s400/butterflies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel (May 2015)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">American Lady and Lorquin's Admiral butterflies</span><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"> on Coffeeberry flowers</span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a68FRVAEK_0/WASvyw1sGTI/AAAAAAAAI9o/AgydGO_L3BMew1he01gHDE9s-JEvSRskACLcB/s1600/bluestreak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a68FRVAEK_0/WASvyw1sGTI/AAAAAAAAI9o/AgydGO_L3BMew1he01gHDE9s-JEvSRskACLcB/s400/bluestreak.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel (May 2013)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) </span><span style="color: #38761d;">butterfly on native</span><br /><span style="color: #38761d;">Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica, Rhamnaceae)</span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iH3BbtCSo94/WASqSWA6SZI/AAAAAAAAI9Y/Hdrr6xjdl7UOIiTG2_zsYssEcdE6jhXOQCLcB/s1600/hairstreak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iH3BbtCSo94/WASqSWA6SZI/AAAAAAAAI9Y/Hdrr6xjdl7UOIiTG2_zsYssEcdE6jhXOQCLcB/s400/hairstreak.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel (May 2014)</i></b><br />
<b style="font-size: 12.8px;"><i><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="font-size: 12.8px;"><i><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: small;">Gold-</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Hunter's Hairstreak (Satyrium auretorum) </span><span style="color: #38761d;">butterfly</span><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"> on Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica, Frangula californica)</span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #741b47;">Other Critters who visit </span><span style="color: #38761d;">California Coffeeberry</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUqRuJraJzU/XnIG2kqXlNI/AAAAAAAAN8Q/PUIj5EwE6oIXVwPAOkNgNPcvGKBfWc9LQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/coffeeberry-velvetAnt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUqRuJraJzU/XnIG2kqXlNI/AAAAAAAAN8Q/PUIj5EwE6oIXVwPAOkNgNPcvGKBfWc9LQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/coffeeberry-velvetAnt.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mark Kummel 2017</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is ant looks like the common Velvety tree ant (Liometopum occidentale) which is common to the San Diego backcountry, especially under Coast Live Oaks.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-23QAPkFmA14/WAT2WeB7-XI/AAAAAAAAI_8/ura7zfi6vDsqQO_g7PuY9ajFDHEw4K5VgCLcB/s1600/antaphid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-23QAPkFmA14/WAT2WeB7-XI/AAAAAAAAI_8/ura7zfi6vDsqQO_g7PuY9ajFDHEw4K5VgCLcB/s400/antaphid.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image Marc Kummel (July 2014)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Ants (Formicidae) tending aphids (Aphididae) on<br /> Coffeeberry (Frangula californica, Rhamnaceae)</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">One comment to note here on Aphids. I also had some Aphids and Ants on the Coffeeberry, but mainly on the tips of new leaf buds. But never fear, Coffeeberry nectar grabs the attention of Ladybugs too. 😉 </span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlT21poG3uM/XnIJtiVACCI/AAAAAAAAN8c/PfNhDIgqhGstV8dCxs_Y1uPq5JUsRbpqACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/coffeeberry-ladybug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlT21poG3uM/XnIJtiVACCI/AAAAAAAAN8c/PfNhDIgqhGstV8dCxs_Y1uPq5JUsRbpqACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/coffeeberry-ladybug.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel - 2017</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Interestingly, my Coffeeberry "Eve Case," always had it's entire leaf canopy loaded with so many droplets of sticky honeydew that the leaves looked glossy wet. They were very sticky and many of the insects were as much attracted to the leaves as flowers. My smaller "Mound San Bruno" variety didn't have as much of a sticky leaf problem, but they still loved the blooms. In all those 20+ years of gardening, not once did I ever employ the use of synthetic science-based pesticides on my 3+ acres. Between all my chaparral hedges (Coffeeberry, Ceanothus, California Holly & Flannel Bush or Fremontodrendron), the insect pest control balanced the rest of the property. Oddly, numerous different kinds of beetles also climbed into the mixed orgy of insects climbing over one another on the flower clusters. </span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wC2gra8DcKw/WATzl5ScvxI/AAAAAAAAI_s/DW2yjft1gjo1T2vNVVBkRwWHA3hhEUPxwCLcB/s1600/beetles_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wC2gra8DcKw/WATzl5ScvxI/AAAAAAAAI_s/DW2yjft1gjo1T2vNVVBkRwWHA3hhEUPxwCLcB/s400/beetles_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel (May 2015)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Lots of beautiful beetle butts on this native <br />Coffeeberry (Frangula californica, Rhamnaceae)</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rwQ-2vcOmT0/WATyqmITrnI/AAAAAAAAI_o/T3SuWQm1cpo1hx4z3Rb-XpW1XnDUa1DDwCLcB/s1600/beetleb_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rwQ-2vcOmT0/WATyqmITrnI/AAAAAAAAI_o/T3SuWQm1cpo1hx4z3Rb-XpW1XnDUa1DDwCLcB/s400/beetleb_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Marc Kummel (June 2015)</i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: small;">Metallic Wood Boring Beetle (Acmaeodera, Buprestidae, Coleoptera)<br /> on native California Coffeeberry<span style="background-color: #f3f5f6; color: #212124; font-family: "proxima nova" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"></span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>“Nature is not competitive. It is ruthlessly collaborative” - Spencer Smith (rancher)</i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">It's sad when you realize that it's mostly the common people who actually work & reside outside of mainstream Academia & the Scientific community who are the ones who have to pushed for a more biomimetic approach to caring for this planet. Spencer Smith is one of those as are Joel Salatin and Gabe Brown. But there are also many well known institutions who have taken the bold step of rejecting mainstream science-based methodologies with regards the usage of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Unfortunately for all of us, their's is not the science that rules our world. At times many of these people who have chosen to pursue a course of holistic biomimicry have been criticized for their supposedly pseudoscientific course of action by the Scientific Orthodoxy of Academics who have prior industrial commitments. Nothing about biomimicry is anti-science, rather the so-called <span style="color: #38761d;">"Green Revolution"</span> we have all been force fed since Elementary School is just plain bad science which is based on ignorance of how nature really works. </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">But not all Academics and Scientific Researchers have bought into the conventional line of thought. One group I have followed is the Entomology Department at UC Berkeley along with the Kremen Lab Group. For me personally, I have a strong interest in California's Chaparral Plant Community and the potential for beneficial usage of such plants in attracting beneficial insects for pest control by means of hedgerows. I've written about this before with info from the Xerces Society. This group has achieved excellent results through real world plantings of chaparral hedgerows adjacent to agricultural farm fields in California's Central Valley. Yet very little discussion is found in mainstream Media journals. The group has also selected predetermined chaparral species which been proven to be the most effective in attracting the beneficial predators, along with providing the proper nesting habitat for their young. Consider this chart below which provides a list of the best chaparral species they have used along with the times of year they are most effective bloomers. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E6A3oSoAqEk/WAYYY7cbtyI/AAAAAAAAJAM/uIfbJKRU70Mx8K_jUqAzVFCvbV-JhqPuQCLcB/s1600/chaparral%2Bflowering%2Bchart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E6A3oSoAqEk/WAYYY7cbtyI/AAAAAAAAJAM/uIfbJKRU70Mx8K_jUqAzVFCvbV-JhqPuQCLcB/s640/chaparral%2Bflowering%2Bchart.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Well, those are some of the most popular and I must say easiest shrubs to maintain. Many of the sites I have visited on this subject are recommending drip irrigation, but for me in the short term & long haul, it's initially expensive, needs maintenance of the head fittings because of poor water quality or insects invading looking for water and then wildlife in general (Coyotes, Rabbits, Ground Squirrels, etc) will chew into the soft pipe looking for water. So rather than wasting money on an expensive drip system which will need various replacements parts from damage and wear (not to mention keeping the shrubs on life-support forever, instead of maturing), I would recommend establishing the chaparral hedgerow by means of the <span style="color: #0b5394;">Groasis Waterboxx Technology</span> planting system which directs water downwards, encourages root growth straight down into subsoil layers and mycorrhizal blended mix within the soil at time of planting the seedlings. This has already been successfully done in numerous desert areas for windbreaks around the globe.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WOcoDFrIQ_c/WAZkhBfMpWI/AAAAAAAAJBM/gMbDEtd0NPA6jCLhOQd57jO_qhqtPi7MwCLcB/s1600/Groasis-Waterboxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WOcoDFrIQ_c/WAZkhBfMpWI/AAAAAAAAJBM/gMbDEtd0NPA6jCLhOQd57jO_qhqtPi7MwCLcB/s640/Groasis-Waterboxx.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i>Image - designrevolution.org</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wZhQbxqfvCA/WAZqlBzyilI/AAAAAAAAJBc/yw_xhEFKqts-OLS_WiZF2m0yXgcsFw0JACLcB/s1600/ESPA%25C3%2591A14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wZhQbxqfvCA/WAZqlBzyilI/AAAAAAAAJBc/yw_xhEFKqts-OLS_WiZF2m0yXgcsFw0JACLcB/s320/ESPA%25C3%2591A14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - <span style="color: #0b5394;">groasis.com</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Take note of the photo on the right. Every 5 minutes a giant truck from Minera Cupa, Spain passes loaded with rocks that are replanted with biodegradable waterboxxes. These waterboxxes are being used all over the world for mine site reclamation projects and vegetative programs to green deserts around the Earth. This is where water savings comes into play, plus these boxes can be used over and over if they are not the biodegradable type. Mexico has purchase one million of these planting boxes with 80,000 going to desert restoration projects in Baja California. This would be the cheapest and most inefficient way of establishing chaparral hedgerows. Prior to planting however, farmers could install an underground out of sight simple deep pipe irrigation system infrastructure to be used maybe once or twice a year, perhaps not at all if rainfall totals ever normalize or chaparral root systems reached valley floor water tables. But it would always be available as a back up system.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kyC2qc88RPk/WATEvsH3y2I/AAAAAAAAI-c/VBBXqFJ1EeUfCtQBNtTg5eowRjt9NaqTgCLcB/s1600/Fong%2BFarms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kyC2qc88RPk/WATEvsH3y2I/AAAAAAAAI-c/VBBXqFJ1EeUfCtQBNtTg5eowRjt9NaqTgCLcB/s640/Fong%2BFarms.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: small;"><b><i>Image - University California Davis</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Can you identify some of the chaparral plants being used in the hedgerow above ? Mexican Elderberry, California Holly or Toyon, California Coffeeberry, Coyote Brush, California Buckwheat and California lilac or Ceanothus. Even a few native bunch grasses. Their purpose in the hedgerow as in the wild is to provide not only valuable food sources, but also a habitat for all beneficial pollinators and predators. Much like the larvae of this adult syrphid fly on the right, called hover fly, which will feed on aphids. The other important factor is maintaining a good soil and gravel mix which will provide good ground nesting habitat for many of these critters who dig burrows, capture and paralyze pest prey and stuff them down the hole for their young to feed on until they hatch.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;"><b><i>Image - University California Davis</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jx1c7WpR3GI/WAYsQ1vfWBI/AAAAAAAAJAc/aoHmWm9gqskNaUA0q5a08ljXyzekhEHYwCLcB/s1600/stinkbugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jx1c7WpR3GI/WAYsQ1vfWBI/AAAAAAAAJAc/aoHmWm9gqskNaUA0q5a08ljXyzekhEHYwCLcB/s320/stinkbugs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">One of the more interesting facts I found in their research was that not just any plants will do for attracting those good pollinator/predator insects. In fact the wrong plants will be a magnet for the pest insects. Farm fields with weedy margins loaded with non-native annuals or ruderals are a haven for the bad bugs. This makes sense to me as most of those types of ruderal plants have no real defense mechanisms. Most of their resources go into offensive strategies. Like putting all energies into seed production to make more of themselves. Ever notice that many of these weeds are quite often loaded with pests ? They have no defenses. These Stinkbugs in the photo here on the right are some of the major pests that damage crops. Take a look at the weedy field margin above. Notice any familiar plants ? Black Mustard, Malva or Cheeseweed, Sow Thistle & Wild Radish all host plants to not only Stinkbugs, but also cucumber beetle, Lygus and Flea Beetles. Clearly another reason to plant chaparral hedgerows (which create mycorrhizal soil systems which outcompete weeds for nutrients) and removal of weedy margins. </span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Other Hedgerow Components of Note: </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Baja Fairy Dusters</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">, </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Gold Finches </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">& other predator birds</span></span></i></b></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Image - Horticulture Limited<br /><br /><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Baja Fairy Duster (</span></b></i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b><i>Calliandra californica)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">One important plant of note for many of the agricultural areas in the southwest's desert areas where much of the agriculture is performed. Baja Fairy Duster is an excellent pollinator and predator attractant shrub. Being a desert plant with deeper root systems and it's tolerance for high heat, it should make an excellent addition to a Hedgerow in desert environments. My mum's place in El Cajon California where I planted one in her front yard has a continuous 3 or 4 months long period of blooming during the hottest times of the year and attracts almost as many beneficial insects as California Coffeeberry. The other side benefits are all the predatory birds like finches and sparrows, etc. Don't forget many Hedgerow folks have also placed Owl & Kestrel nesting boxes on posts in Hedgerows. These birds are predators to rodents which are also crop pests. Pest birds on field crops were found to do the same amount of damage irrespective of type of plant communities or none at all. Hedgerows do not increase bird pests. I've provided a link below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Chaparral Hedgerow establishment, Maintenace, & </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">Irrigation</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2016/06/groasis-waterboxx-desert-greening-root.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Hedgerow Establishment with Groasis Waterboxx</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2012/10/deep-irrigation-methods-for-training.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Maintaining Hedgerows with Deep Pipe Irrigation</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=8614"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Hedgerows enhance bird abundance and diversity on farms</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Chaparral Hedgerows for </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Commercial Agriculture</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://calag.ucanr.edu/Archive/?article=ca.v065n04p197"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">California Agriculture: Hedgerows enhance beneficial insects on farms in California's Central Valley</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://nativebeeresearch.wordpress.com/page/2/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">https://nativebeeresearch.wordpress.com</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.hedgerowfarms.com/"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">http://www.hedgerowfarms.com</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://caff.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Hedgerow_manual.pdf"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Hedgerows for California Agriculture</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/organic-farming-for-bees-xerces-society.pdf"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Xerces Society: Conservation of Native Plant Pollinators in Organic Farm Systems</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.wildfarmalliance.org/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.wildfarmalliance.org</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://blog.nature.org/science/2016/06/03/nature-doesnt-hurt-farmers-it-helps/"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">NATURE: Nature Doesn’t Hurt Farmers, It Helps</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Further Reading & Photography References</i></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/treebeard/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Marc Kummel's (Treebeard) Flickr Photostream</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com4Anza, CA 92539, USA33.5552692 -116.6741822000000233.4494347 -116.83554370000002 33.6611037 -116.51282070000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-4040150177999317392016-10-01T04:42:00.001-07:002020-04-21T06:39:21.314-07:00Tardigrades: pioneers in creating a new Earth ?<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I've always thought that if ever I got hold of some land again for home & plant ecosystem development, I'd choose a blank canvas one!</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;"> images and content © by Shuwen Lisa Wu</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><br /><a href="http://www.shuwenwu.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.shuwenwu.com - Borrego Badlands - San Diego County</span></a></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The view above is a photograph taken by Shuwen Lisa Wu who has a passion for taking beautiful photograph landscapes. Her husband Alexander Kunz is likewise a very talented landscape photographer. I really like this one because it's a scene I've admired from many angles most of my adult life when exploring Anza Borrego. The view is from the Borrego Badlands towards what looks to be the Fish Creek Mountains with Whale Peak to the right. This is also where the Plaster City Gypsum Mine is located along the canyon bottom of Fish Creek (which no longer has fish). Beyond here is Imperial Valley farmland with Salton Sea on the left hand side in the distance. Then just in the distance on the lower horizon before the farmland are the low rise of sandy mesquite dunes of Superstition hills if you know here to look. Still, this landscape looks to be a challenge not only for humans, but even for nature to reclaim and rebuild with regards whole plant ecosystems. What intrigues me about this area is that much of the signage and literature describing the origins of these corrugated hills is that the material is not native soil from the Mountains that tower over them from the west, nor coastal California, but rather material scoured from the Grand Canyon itself. Even the tops of these mountains north of the town of Ococtillo have a plethora of different sea shell. Thiis is clearly something that ancient freshwater Lake Cahuilla never put there. But that's for another story. I mainly posted the photo for the challenge it would take to encourage and create a combination native desert-subtropical landscape which could transform such a bare geological pattern into something all other life could thrive in. But then suddenly the other day, I saw this article in the online journal VOX in the news feed about a cute little microscopic critter called the <span style="color: #b45f06;">Tadigrade</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/1/12/10755204/tardigrades-waterbears-explained"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">VOX: Tardigrades — the microscopic, oddly cute toughest animals on Earth — explained</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Credit: Eye of Science/SPL)<br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">A tardigrade (Macrobiotus sapiens)</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They are also known by a common name of Water Bears. Here are some of the main points (there are six main points), which I'll list, but mostly expand on point <span style="color: #990000;">#3</span>. Here is the first one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">1)</span><span style="color: #274e13;"> First things first: Tardigrades are uncannily cute</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My comment, 'Yes they are' now lets move on. You can read the further details from the link above.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">2)</span><span style="color: #274e13;"> Tardigrades can transform into tuns — allowing them to survive just about anywhere</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Definitely an interesting section. Found absolutely everywhere through the Earth in every ecosystem. Tough buggers to kill, but that's a good thing as they are important to our planet's health. They have been burned, frozen, drowned, starved, subjected to lack of water and even nuked in outspace and they still survived.</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">animation - wallippo.com</span></b></i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: small;"><b>Yes, tough buggers to Nuke even in Outerspace</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">#3)</span><i style="color: #274e13;"> Tardigrades </i></b></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>are often the first to pioneer new ecosystems</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/1/12/10755204/tardigrades-waterbears-explained"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Source VOX: Tardigrades — the microscopic, oddly cute toughest animals on Earth</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="color: #741b47;">"</i></span><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Byron Adams, a Brigham Young University biologist, explains that tardigrades often are the first to colonize new, harsh environments. They act as the founding links in food chains.</i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="color: #741b47;">" </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">An example:<i style="color: #741b47;"> "When a volcano erupts, and molten lava pours over everything in the ecosystem, everything in that ecosystem is dead," he writes in an email. "Tardigrades are among the very first multicellular animals to colonize. The tardigrades feed on the microbes that live in this environment. The tardigrades, in turn, accumulate the essential elements for life — such as nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus -- that then allowplants and other life forms to move in." </i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">And that's always fascinated me. How does life moved back into areas which have been totally obliterated ? I think it's safe to say that after a massive volcanic eruption, pretty much all life including microbes are toast. And yet life moves back in stages. But which comes first ? The last thing I ever thought of were Tadigrades or Water Bears. Yet from the VOX article's description they can withstand almost everything. Even a sanitized landscape created by volcanoes.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>image - expedia.com<br /><br /><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: small;"><i>Hawaii Volcanoes National Park</i></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>Adams has conducted fieldwork in Antarctica, studying how melting permafrost will impact the microscopic ecosystem there. Because tardigrades are ubiquitous, they're likely to play a role in how the Antarctic continent changes with a warming climate." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"They set the stage for other organisms," Adams tells me on a static-filled phone call from Antarctica. "They created the niches in which other more complex organisms . . "</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes they sure do set the stage for other life forms to move in. Even harsh desert climates like the one below in northern Sonora Mexico and Southwestern Arizona east of Yuma. Funny, I'm now picturing these guys laying dormant within the desert's biological soil crusts, just waiting for the right moment to do their job. But biological soil crusts are another one of those ecosystems which get no respect.</span><i style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: blue;"></span></b></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-13OKZpnn-ro/V-ux3g0jj4I/AAAAAAAAIyo/MWC1HD0-V9EmAVdC7MVfRGzdMJSjt9BKQCLcB/s1600/SAM_1540-800x5301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-13OKZpnn-ro/V-ux3g0jj4I/AAAAAAAAIyo/MWC1HD0-V9EmAVdC7MVfRGzdMJSjt9BKQCLcB/s400/SAM_1540-800x5301.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>(Foto por Leonora Torres)<br /><br /><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: small;">El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve - Sonora, Mexico</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not long ago I wrote an article about this area above called El Pinacate which is located southeast of Yuma Arizona and just across the border in Sonora, Mexico. The region is a National Park or Reserve in Mexico. It is a former explosive volcanic field where at one time the landscape was remolded into a sterile sanitized state. But things came back and do live here and more abundant things thrived here back in history as evidenced from Packrat middens found here. Things like Pinyon and Juniper trees. They are extinct from here today. But then there was a climate change and the Water Bears just have to wait. Here was that post that dealt with how Saguaros also benefit from Volcanic explosions which originate from clear around the other side of the globe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2016/08/distant-volcano-eruptions-help-saguaro.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Distant Volcano eruptions help Saguaro Nursery baby booms ?</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>image - greenme.it<br /><br /><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: small;">What's left of Krakatoa Volcano whoch blew it's top in 1883</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most spectacular displays of destruction and obliteration of all life came in 1883 on the larger island of Krakatoa in Indonesia. The island had the appearance of true sterility and yet life came back. No doubt Tadigrades or Water Bears went to work immediately in the restoration process before the obvious physical appearance of plants into the new ecosystem.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">4)</span><span style="color: #274e13;"> Tardigrades may be "stealing" survival secrets from other bacteria</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Interesting quote here from the article in Vox. This goes a long way in explaining how these creatures engineer themselves to adapt into any environmental circumstances. This is hardly dumb luck based on copying errors, but rather brilliant programming:</span>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>One of the most tantalizing possibilities is that tardigrades may take DNA from bacteria and other organisms — perhaps even acquiring new abilities in the process." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"When tardigrades go into tun mode, Bartels explains, a bit of their DNA gets damaged. When they wake up, that DNA is stitched back together. What biologists are now investigating is whether foreign DNA from bacteria or other organisms can hitch along as the tardigrade DNA gets repaired." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"If so, this may explain how tardigrades developed their remarkable survival skills —they essentially steal them from bacteria."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Again, this stuff is fascinating. (epigenetics) Viewing Nature from a engineered biological perspective makes it far easier the replicate as opposed to dumb luck and happenstance. Much of the present day technological innovation and land management practices have been based on grossly erroneous dogmatic beliefs such as "Survival of the Fittest." If this were untrue, our planet would not look the way it does presently. Science now knows (possibly too late) that various components (plants, animals, birds, fish, microbes, etc) are in reality mutualistic in survival cooperation with each other. Man's inhumanity to fellow man centuries prior to this discipline called "Science" actually coloured how the natural world was viewed 100+ years ago. I really don't think most people understand how degenerative flawed human thinking and conduct was when creating the institution of Science and Academia. Over a century of this so-called enlightenment and look where our planet is today. Can you imagine the different turn out of events if real biomimicry was undertaken back before the industrial revolution ? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">4)</span><span style="color: #274e13;"> Just about anyone can discover new tardigrade species</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, apparently anyone can do this. Their common habitat is mosses and lichens. Hmmm, this makes me think of Desert Biological Soil Crusts and dormant Tadigrades just waiting to go to work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2012/06/biological-soil-crusts-what-are-they.html" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(See: Biological Soil Crusts: What Are They and Why Should I Care ?)</span></b></i></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Carleton College</b></span> has a handy field guide to help greenhorns find tardigrades. Just six easy steps!</span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1. Collect a clump of moss or lichen (dry or wet) and place in a shallow dish, such as a Petri dish. </b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2. Soak in water (preferably rainwater or distilled water) for 3-24 hours. </b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3. Remove and discard excess water from the dish. </b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>4. Shake or squeeze the moss/lichen clumps over another transparent dish to collect trapped water. </b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>5. Starting on a low objective lens, examine the water using a stereo microscope. </b></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>6. Use a micropipette to transfer tardigrades to a slide, which can be observed with a higher power under a compound microscope.</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/tardigrade/index.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source & Very Kool Link)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">6)</span><span style="color: #274e13;"> Did we mention they're oddly cute?</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yes you did. Now let's move along.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b>=========================================</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Some concluding reflection & various other Comments</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>photo by Terry Weiner - <span style="color: #bf9000;">Desert Protective Council</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: small;"> Slot Canyons in Calcite Mine Area of the Desert Cahuilla Area</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">See this photo above ? I once made a comment under the post on the Desert Protective Council's Facebook page about creating a green living desert landscape in such places which are usually nothing more than sand rock & mud. I got hammered by the Admin of that page and her followers who took offense to what they believed was my attempt at interfering with Nature. That was never my point at all. On most social media sites, people don't often read another person's entire response or even ask you to clarify what you meant. Sometimes I think people on social media are looking for an excuse to display self-righteous indignation or some sort of emotional outrage. But seriously, below here is the exact conversation which took place in 2012 and you can google it on the Desert Protective Council Facebook page. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"Some people see a wasteland. I see potential . . "</i></span></blockquote>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Admin Response:</span></b></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Timeless, we should talk off-line! TW"</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><b>Other member response:</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Timeless, that attitude worries me. Raw nature doesn't need 'improvement'. They ARE wildlife paradises for the organisms that live there."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Once again, I did attempt to give a further explanation of what I actually meant. I assumed they thought I was talking human development. I wasn't. Unfortunately the explanation was ignored as there were no further comments. This is a common attitude and behaviour these days with many in the environmental movement who view being eccentric and easily offended as a badge of honor. I seriously don't get this behaviour. Being overly sensitive over every little thing said and taking offense over trivial viewponts are the new abnormal in our world now. This narrow minded tunnel vision reminds me of something Paul Newman's character, "Butch Cassidy," said to Robert Redford's character, "Sundance Kid." Remember this line & the scene where they were riding back to their hide out, "Hole in the Wall" ???:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That always was an awesome line. If you recall, Newman's character Butch wasn’t exactly the toughest guy in the 'Hole in the Wall Gang" [think Logan], and he wasn't even the fastest gun either [think Sundance], but like Robert Redford (Sundance) responded, “You just keep thinkin’, Butch. That’s what you’re good at.” And he was right, Butch always seemed to manage to out-think almost everyone else around him, and that was what gave him the edge in his keeping his leadership. Frankly, I'm not an owner of a much coveted credentialed title before my name, nor do I have alphabet soup initials (PhD, BS, MS, etc) after my name on some business card. Nope, I'm not credentialed and I'm proud of that. But I've been intrigued most of my life since the early 1960s on how nature really works and what biological mechanisms make nature succeed against sseemingly impossible odds. That's my answer to the conventional science promoting critics. My response to critics is similar to how Butch took care of Logan by outsmarting him by not playing on his level. Well, figuratively speaking of course..</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #474747; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 12.672px;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: xx-small;"><i>image: Arizona Geologist, Wayne Ranne</i></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The photograph above was taken in India by Northern Arizona Geologist, Wayne Ranne. The trees are many species of Acacia and one species of native Mesquite tree from India. I even referenced this Sand Dune Acacia woodland in my post on my biomimicry concept of replacing non-native and invasive Tamarisk Windbreaks with real world right in front of you (bite you if it were a rattlesnake) natural barriers commonly found in the Imperial County deserts. The post was about</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2012/06/lessons-from-mesquite-dune-project.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Mesquite Dune Project)</span></i></b></a><span style="font-size: large;"> in which physical soil and rock structures could be built and planted with countless varieties of southwestern native desert trees like Palo Verde, Desert Ironwood, Mesquite, pockets of California Fan Palms here and there. Can you imagine the mile after mile windbreak baarriers comprised of living native desert whole plant ecosystems not only helping keep nature intact, but acting as real world physical barriers which prevent agricultural field desiccation on a massive scale which would save water ? Not to mention these deeply rooted (meters deep) native desert trees would never need irrigation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Update March 26, 2017 </span>TED Ed</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Can you imagine if I were to suggest rebuilding desert plant ecosystems on the backs of the eastern Imperial Valley, Algodone Dunes ? The Desert Protective Council would hold a public hanging in Glamis. Okay, just kidding! The only thing I could figure was that they were thinking I wanted to develop something like the Palm Springs type of construction setting below. Puleeeze, that would be the last thing I'd want or ever do. There's way too much of that now.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Image - </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Conestoga Golf Club </span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But the dream of having a landscape as a blank canvas is still so appealing to me. The idea of starting from scratch and building slowly along with just enough knowledge and information on various step by step biological mechanisms and just enough tweaking here and there to reasonably speed things along responsibly. I've never pointed this out before, but the theme of this blog, "Earth's Internet," is not exactly the internet address I chose. Notice what the address bar says up above here ? "Creating a New Earth" followed by blogspot.com. That is taken from a biblical text at Isaiah 65:17 which I always found refreshing:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7f6000;"><i>"</i></span></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>I’m creating new heavens and a new earth. All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Most people who claim to be Christian do not even believe in the above text. From talking to many, they believe their creator of the Earth is going to destroy it in a firey apocalypse. Apparently their hope is some other deminsion of space and time called Heaven. I've never really had a desire to go to such a place. No offesnse. I've always loved the Earth and the natural things in it. The idea of living on such a wonderful planet [minus all the insaneness of human leadership and social unrrest at present], has always appealed to me far more. Now on an interesting nore, there are many other famous well known biblical texts which are not respected either by those who claim to believe in the Bible's content. Take another example from Isaiah 2:4. Seriously, how many of you reading here actually knew that this very well known text is on a monument wall outside the United Nations building under a very famous statue:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7f6000;"><i>"</i></span></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>Then they will beat their swords into iron plows and their spears into pruning tools. Nation will not take up sword against nation; they will no longer learn how to make war."</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Lotus Edtions</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image - un.org</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You should know that this, "</span><span style="font-size: large;">Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares" statue was sculpted by Yevgeny Vuchetich. It was donated to the UN by of all ideologies, the USSR in 1959. The sculpture stands in the garden of the UN headquarters. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Now, you all know I'm right on this. Can anyone reading actually name one single country on Earth that does follow this biblical admonition ? Not only are there no religious countries who do, but also not one single secular atheistic country who practices this other than the proverbial lip service. Seriously folks, don't tell me about how both Switzerland or Sweden have always been on the neutral sidelines. Nobody historically has ever been truly neutral. Now let's fast forward to the present. Does anybody really want to actually remember and embrace the year 2016, let alone the coming year 2017 ??? In all my 60 years of life I've never seen such an insane crazy year as this on every conceivable level. Socially, politically, religiously, economically, and environmentally things are headed towards ruin by human beings from every single culture, not God.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>FreakingNews.com</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So has anybody seen one single mighty nation take even one of their Aircraft Carriers and turn it into a Golf Course ??? Yeah, me neither. In 1982 I moved from the San Diego area to a high mountain valley called Anza which is just north of this Borrego Badlands area. I loved this rugged area of beauty. It use to be more beautiful. Not only from a standpoint of my research of historical first hand accounts written in journals 100s of years ago, but even in my own lifetime experience. Over time I've particularly watch entire whole plant ecosystems completely disappear from Borrego. I suppose the other appeal was the lack of other humans in such areas. Can you imagine what Juan Bautista de Anza and Fray Pedro Font would say if they could eyewitness the dramatic changes of today in contrast to the pristine wild landscape they both described back in 1775-76 ?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>image by Arno Gourdol (Dec 22, 2008)</i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Borrego badlands from Font's Point</span><span style="background-color: #f3f5f6; color: #212124; font-family: "proxima nova" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"></span></b></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yeah, I still want my blank Canvas. <span style="color: #b45f06;">Tardigrades</span> are clearly just another piece of the puzzle in accomplishing an earthwide rebuild. But I think I'll take my time in making changes ever so gradually. After all, that's what makes the idea and promise of living forever so appealing. I will admit one additional construct on my blank canvas. Remember the Faux Van Damme house in that Alfred Hitchcock film "North By Northwest" ? I'd somehow incorporate that into my landscaped setting. Seriously, I've always loved that house's design even though the place was never real and only part of a movie set. Maybe Frank Lloyd Wright would help me when he comes back ? *smile*</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7eR7c70Jto/V_PUNQsKlkI/AAAAAAAAI3U/0vvX5vNmZuE-0iWaCQCXoFzygFVVuc2wgCLcB/s1600/NbNw2_thehouse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7eR7c70Jto/V_PUNQsKlkI/AAAAAAAAI3U/0vvX5vNmZuE-0iWaCQCXoFzygFVVuc2wgCLcB/s400/NbNw2_thehouse.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - hookedonhouses.net</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Further reference reading on <span style="color: #7f6000;">Tadigrades</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/1/12/10755204/tardigrades-waterbears-explained"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">VOX: Tardigrades — the microscopic, oddly cute toughest animals on Earth — explained</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://tardigrade.weebly.com/facts.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://tardigrade.weebly.com/facts.html</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Articles I've written on the area above called </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">San Felipe Creek </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">which has slowly crept towards balnds status</span></i></b></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2013/08/anyone-really-into-using-google-earth.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Anyone Really into Using Google Earth ? San Felipe Creek (2013)</span></i></b></a> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2014/07/scissors-crossing-san-felipe-creek.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Scissors Crossing & San Felipe Creek Revisited (2014)</span></i></b></a></span></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>List of posts about the Spanish Expedition as authored by Juan Bautista de Anza & Fray Pedro Font</i></b></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;">I'll ponder posting these. But for now there is plenty of material to read</span> </span></blockquote>
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</span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com2Borrego Springs, CA 92004, USA33.2558717 -116.3750119999999733.0434182 -116.69773549999996 33.4683252 -116.05228849999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-44042773937024689392016-08-05T09:47:00.006-07:002022-03-03T23:41:45.659-08:00Biomimicry: Streamlining Innovation for Environmentally Sustainable Products<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Bio-mimicry found @ Polyface Farms Innovations</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"In this interview with Joel Salatin, Joel talks about how the regeneration of his family farm utilized the patterns discovered from observing natural grazing and migration of wild animals in native plant communities. This discussion unlocks the secrets of Nature to create a system of pasture based agriculture that actually builds soil, diversity and interdependent relationships between farming and God. In respecting the natural process of Nature, Joel and his family have built a thriving farm business, while restoring ecological integrity to the land. This method of farm management creates community amongst its workers and consumers and provides a spiritual connection to the land and its inhabitants." </i></span></blockquote>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">By Karen Rybold-Chin</span></b></blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Here are a couple other video links from the Mother Earth News fair, West Bend, Wisconsin and videos featuring Joel Salatin who continues on about biomimicry of Nature as opposed to working against Nature. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP4Af2TkZuU"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Joel Salatin, Sacrifice and Sacredness of food</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4V6u-fkcd8"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Joel Salatin: Synergy between Nature, Science and Technology</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">More examples of biomimicry of nature regarding agriculture. Industrial agriculture's worldview is about feeding crop plants with unnatural synthetic fertilizers. Natures way of feeding the plant is rather feeding the microbiome which in turn feeds the plant. There is no money in this for the Industrial Agricultural business model, hence their vicious resistence. Will Harris, owner of White Oak Pastures down in Georgia, tells us about his movement away from industrial agriculture to regenerative farmer. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/170413226"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">VIMEO: One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Nice video interviews and stories on Biomimicry with Will Harris, owner of White Oak Pastures and Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms in Swoop, Virginia which was released yesterday and this comes off the heals of a newly released research paper published entitled:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08956308.2016.1185342"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;">Industrial Research Institute: Biomimicry: Streamlining the Front End of Innovation for Environmentally Sustainable Products</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<b>Overview: </b><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"><i>"Biomimicry, defined as innovation through the emulation of biological forms, processes, patterns, and systems, is particularly valuable for its focus on solution discovery, as opposed to solution validation. GOJO Industries, Inc., used biomimicry to drive environmentally sustainable product innovation. The approach proved both efficient and effective: in comparison to a historical new product development project with a similar objective and scope, the biomimicry-driven project produced double the intellectual property and, based on a preliminary assessment of lead product concepts, at least double the energy savings for just one-sixth the resource commitment. Biomimicry also showed potential to increase the overall speed of front-end innovation. This case study suggests that biomimicry may be a highly promising approach for driving innovation, and particularly environmentally sustainable innovation, but further investigation is needed to validate the conclusions of this single case study. The authors will discuss their study in more detail at an IRI-sponsored webinar, October 7, 2016, 12–1 pm EST. For more information, visit;</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.iriweb.org/events/brown-bag-biomimicry-streamlining-front-end-innovation-environmentally-sustainable-products"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Brown Bag - Biomimicry: Streamlining the Front End of Innovation for Environmentally Sustainable Products</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: small;"><b>Heart-inspired double-acting bladder pump</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Other Designs in Nature for Inspirations in Technological Innovation</i></b></span></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8Z2HtgxX8lJS_3lrE8OpFu21OWt0YDddWDkt0e53ayMvkwQNIE5WsGJLAxXgAGcgjqJ54auiuYyZjGp0JTTHBaVT8XCl6HSRIogs0-tTwBcY-Pcs0OKfF4SRdDaCs-jEUiillcM1HtZ0vj4i33ysKmbDQgObswhLpcJ0gI3Jp0ejNZMs5rD1QQFaeRQ=s2668" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1501" data-original-width="2668" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8Z2HtgxX8lJS_3lrE8OpFu21OWt0YDddWDkt0e53ayMvkwQNIE5WsGJLAxXgAGcgjqJ54auiuYyZjGp0JTTHBaVT8XCl6HSRIogs0-tTwBcY-Pcs0OKfF4SRdDaCs-jEUiillcM1HtZ0vj4i33ysKmbDQgObswhLpcJ0gI3Jp0ejNZMs5rD1QQFaeRQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Photo by Gregory Smith via a Creative Commons license</b><br /><br /><b>The California Condor is North America’s largest bird. Their <br />broad wings and massive bodies give them a powerful presence in the air.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaP-nbIWgbDxiu-PGMN50LNRYUZQtTnvbH_F0FpARUlHW5n68Kdkjb2Q7VTzU5HPvuSKUSxhtFsQc1ZflsYCHsGadEkcsDi1Ec5jdxntJgkaMYi1k4f9bXxoRHhVjCvo5ARe9Q-hxUSkF7WvlgfwVHPmO-j2uom_AYLUfv5v3HpWGaHcEyznui_ZlPzw=s612" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaP-nbIWgbDxiu-PGMN50LNRYUZQtTnvbH_F0FpARUlHW5n68Kdkjb2Q7VTzU5HPvuSKUSxhtFsQc1ZflsYCHsGadEkcsDi1Ec5jdxntJgkaMYi1k4f9bXxoRHhVjCvo5ARe9Q-hxUSkF7WvlgfwVHPmO-j2uom_AYLUfv5v3HpWGaHcEyznui_ZlPzw=s612" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaP-nbIWgbDxiu-PGMN50LNRYUZQtTnvbH_F0FpARUlHW5n68Kdkjb2Q7VTzU5HPvuSKUSxhtFsQc1ZflsYCHsGadEkcsDi1Ec5jdxntJgkaMYi1k4f9bXxoRHhVjCvo5ARe9Q-hxUSkF7WvlgfwVHPmO-j2uom_AYLUfv5v3HpWGaHcEyznui_ZlPzw=s612" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="408" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaP-nbIWgbDxiu-PGMN50LNRYUZQtTnvbH_F0FpARUlHW5n68Kdkjb2Q7VTzU5HPvuSKUSxhtFsQc1ZflsYCHsGadEkcsDi1Ec5jdxntJgkaMYi1k4f9bXxoRHhVjCvo5ARe9Q-hxUSkF7WvlgfwVHPmO-j2uom_AYLUfv5v3HpWGaHcEyznui_ZlPzw=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Take the design feature of the Californnia Condor. Giant wingspan and at the tips of wings something we call winglets. So what are they for ??? When human genius designed the first airplanes they imagined kool looking designs which appeared more streamlined and assumed to have less interference and resistance in flight. Much of this inovation came during a time of World War II. But in the era of big airline jets, price wars and cuttings costs, something had to be done about airline efficiency. But what ??? How appropriate we look at the wing and wingtip winglet of the German Lufthansa airline who actually uses the Condor as their company's logo. Human physics and the reality of physics found in nature are often two different thing. Only after painful experiences will humans acknowledge mistakes and look for change. In a nutshell this winglet design pattern after a reality found in nature with regards large soaring birds like Condors and Eagles, it was found that such a designed created more stability and airplanes encounter far less turbulance. But another wonderfull thing is that as a result of such efficiency in design, the airline industry as a whole saved billions of dollars in fuel costs every year. This is one of those, "Did it Evolve or Was it Designed ???" moments</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> 😄</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T-jLuOCxJYg" width="320" youtube-src-id="T-jLuOCxJYg"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Nature-Inspired </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">Biomimicry from the </span><span style="color: blue;">Sea!</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GoFgmpasRdM/V6SpQKC_q1I/AAAAAAAAIkQ/-hZKHZ4bllwef_J8InT97aONHo7TFxbiQCLcB/s1600/pufferfish.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GoFgmpasRdM/V6SpQKC_q1I/AAAAAAAAIkQ/-hZKHZ4bllwef_J8InT97aONHo7TFxbiQCLcB/w333-h400/pufferfish.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>image - Treehugger</i></b></span><br />
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Mercedes-Benz looked towards the boxfish for their bionic car concept. Noting the aerodynamics and efficiency of the boxfish's shape, the engineers decided to apply the characteristics of the fish to a car. The result is a very streamlined vehicle with a 65% lower drag coefficient than other compact cars out at the time (2005). </span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">How to Biomimic Desert Plants to stay </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">COOL!</span></i></b> </blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.asknature.org/strategy/0aaa42953466bee0b1f530ac73a28312"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">Saguaro Cactus stays cool by having ribs that provide shade and enhance heat radiation</span></i></b></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"The same applies to the intricate structural designs of cacti, which are exposed to a great deal of heat pressure in the desert. Their heat-reflecting capacity is low, since their surface is greatly reduced so as to cut down on evaporation. Nature has solved the problem by equipping many cacti with cooling ribs. These shade the cactus's surface against the scorching sun and simultaneously improve heat radiation. The alternating planes of light and shade of the vertical cooling ribs of the torch thistle produce rising and falling air currents, which improve heat radiation. And when the sun reaches its highest position, it hits the torch thistle from above, where it presents its smallest surface. A botanist discovered that torch thistles perish of burns when they are placed horizontally in the sun."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">Kingfisher - </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bullet Trains </span>& Tunnel Speed</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - 500 Series Shinkansen / Sam Doshi</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist</span> </i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Excerpt: "[W]e had another challenge that we pursued to the test run phase. Half of the entire Sanyo Shinkansen Line (from Osaka to Hakata) is made up of tunnel sections. When a train rushes into a narrow tunnel at high speed, this generates atmospheric pressure waves that gradually grow into waves like tidal waves. These reach the tunnel exit at the speed of sound, generating low-frequency waves that produce a large boom and aerodynamic vibration so intense that residents 400 meters away have registered complaints. For this reason, we gave up doing test runs at over 350 km/h.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">"Then, one of our young engineers told me that when the train rushes into a tunnel, he felt as if the train had shrunk. This must be due to a sudden change in air resistance, I thought. The question the occurred to me - is there some living thing that manages sudden changes in air resistance as a part of daily life?"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">"Yes, there is, the kingfisher. To catch its prey, a kingfisher dives from the air, which has low resistance, into high-resistance water, and moreover does this without splashing. I wondered if this is possible because of the keen edge and streamlined shape of its beak. </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">The beak of kingfishers allows splashless entry into water due to the wedge shape it makes with the head that is round in cross section. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">"So we conducted tests to measure pressure waves arising from shooting bullets of various shapes into a pipe and a thorough series of simulation tests of running the trains in tunnels, using a space research super-computer system. Data analysis showed that the ideal shape for this Shinkansen is almost identical to a kingfisher's beak. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">"I was once again experiencing what it is to learn from Nature, seeing first hand that a solution obtained through large-scale tests and analysis by a state-of-the-art super-computer turned out to be very similar to a shape developed by a living creature in the natural world. The nose of our new 500-Series Shinkansens has a streamline shape that is 15m in length and almost round in cross section.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.asknature.org/strategy/4c3d00f23cae38c1d23517b6378859ee"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">AskNature.org - Beak Provides Streamlining: Common Kingfisher</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://issuu.com/eggermont/docs/zq_issue_02final/15?e=15278665/11095381"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Read more about the bioinspiration behind the Shinkansen Train in Zygote Quarterly</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Animated Illustration - Artist: Emily Harrington</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Take about 15 minutes here and watch Janine Benyus talk about biomimicry of designs found out in Nature. It's a 17 minute TED Talk where Janine Benyus provides a message for inventors. When solving a design problem, look to nature first. There you'll find inspired designs for making things waterproof, aerodynamic, solar-powered and more. Here she reveals dozens of new products that take their cue from nature with spectacular results.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action?language=en#t-62549"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">TEDGlobal 2009: Janine Benyus: Biomimicry in action</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">This video above is great as far as an explanation of why we should copy designs found out in Nature first. For exampe, one presenter named Janine Benyus who I commend for her work and efforts, makes an excellent point. She reference the idea that medicines from the Rain Forests and she clarifies this by saying it's not so much identifying some molecule for a cure, but rather an 'idea' for the cure. But the problem here is, ideas as we know them only come from an intelligent Mind, not blind unguided forces without purpose or goals. With that in mind there's a caveat or warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations that come with such a statement. What Janine Benyus is saying is in direct conflict with the Theory of Evolution proponents who have for decades pushed the "Argument from Poor Design" strategy to pimp a worldview. The problem is that it's Nature who's been given the shaft, not the rightwinger fundies they are attempting they are targeting in debates. I appreciate many ToE followers here won't like this, but this biased religious outlook goes back all the way to Darwin and his writings which are loaded with metaphysical religious assumptions and asserted that, "If their were a God he never would have created things in such and such a way</span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">." Take note, I find this viewpoint question to be a legitimate one to ask, but it has nothing to do with Science. Science cannot answer what an intelligent entity it's believers say doesn't exist in the first place would or wouldn't do in any given situation. I mean seriously, what repeatable experiment have they offered thus far ? None! This doesn't mean that we can't practice biomimicry, because we can. But irrespective of how anybody on this planet thinks or believes how life's origins came about, the harmonious way life in all ecosystems operates is in no way flawed or badly designed as this world's elites have shoved down people's throats and coerced them to believe. What has resulted is the degraded natureal world we all live in now. Climate Change ? It's easy to blame humans as many scientists do, but maybe they should start pointing fingers first at their fellow bought and paid for corporate scientist brothers who have developed irresponsible technology which has brought natural systems to it's knees. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>Scientific American</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Ponder for a moment how much eco-friendly sustainable technological innovation has been held back because a Scientific Orthodoxy [every bit the mirror image of Christendom's Ecclesiastical Hierachical Structure when they ran Academia] with power and authority has controlled for 100+ years how mankind should view our natural world ? Take these present Biotechnology and Agro-Chemical Companies. Their worldview of Nature is that it's flawed, inept, inefficient and badly designed and the only way the world will be saved is through the superior genius of their guiding hand. Did you know, most of their geneticists generally have no clue as to how whole plant systems work in cooperation with other plants within any ecosystem outside the Lab ? Their belief about the informational content of DNA is that it's not information as we know it at all, but rather nothing more than copying errors, random meaningless patterns, most of which they insist is nothing more than Junk. But the latest scientific research is now proving otherwise. Take the findings of ENCODE. And there have always been other science disciplines which have revealed the truth, but they haven't always had the powerful backing and financial resources to move forward against the tidal wave of Industrial Science.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Responsible Scientific researchers have shown that Mycorrhizal Fungi and Beneficial Bacteria and a host of other critters living in the soil have been perfectly maintaining the natural world's soils for possibly countless milleniums of time. We really don't know for how long, other than the usual blind faith speculations of deep time thrown in for eye candy in a research paper. Those in power and authority and with a financial stake in keeping the status quo are bent on keeping things as they are. But their actions are in direct conflict with Science disciplines like mycology, ecology, entomology, soil science, etc, etc, etc. This creates conflict of loyalties for many environmental activists who are immersed in this culture of science, but fear to criticize industrial science because of being labeled an Anti-Science Luddite. At least biomimicry or biomimetics separates and defines itself. Take this graphic below. The historical pattern timeline shows us when the well known Biotechnology companies and Agro-Chemical corporations actually took power and control over food production in the early 1990s when they manipulated politicians and directly wrote the book on regulations of their genetically modifying organisms to work in conjunction with industrially produced synthetics which work directly against ecosystem designs found out in Nature. Now take a look at how far the superweed problem has become as a result of increased pesticide usage. This is wasn't supposed to have happened given all the public relations and damage control propaganda they spewed into the Media and it's all worldview driven folks.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: small;">Graph from <span style="color: #bf9000;">Iowa State University</span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">People are going to have to start making responsible personal decisions soon. Who's side on the issue of universal soverignty are you going to choose ? Science claims that life on Earth has been around for over 100 millions years and that's fine. But an article dealing with important research on the stability of all earthwide ecosystems showed that during all those millions of years life the natural systems were always stable. But it references human beings creating agriculture 6,000 years ago and from that point on as people spread out across the planet taking thier agriculture with them, they have been making bad decisions ever since and all life has been greatly effected in a negative way. And horrifically, it has been the past 100+ years of this imaginary enlightenment and free thought that has brought our world climate change, various forms of pollution and species extinction to the point of where many experts say it is irreversible. Unfortunately most of those "Culture of Science" people don't want to admit this flaw in the past few decades of Scientific thinking and practice. Keep watch, the latest phrase in many science journals being used more often now is "Beyond the Point of no Return." Take a look at the graph here below. This isn't my made up invention or research, this came from Scientists who are being forced to admit the flaw of a 20th century which has championed free thought and critical thinking. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">Graphic from Smithsonian Magazine</span></b></i><br />
<a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v529/n7584/full/nature16447.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">http://www.nature.com</span></b></i></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3363879/Humans-harming-Earth-6-000-years-Spread-farming-caused-tipping-point-irreversibly-changed-world.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">Smithsonian Magazine: Humans Caused a Major Shift in Earth's Ecosystems 6,000 Years Ago</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">None of the clearly negative effects of human leadership and present consequences should prevent any reader here from practicng biomimicry within their own personal sphere of endeavours with regards to habitat restoration, agriculture, urban landscaping and home gardening. Everybody has a choice. The main problem is everyone on the planet has to do this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>References & Links on Biomimetics</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://germinature.com/"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">https://germinature.com</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.asknature.org/"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">http://www.asknature.org</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mqn5snRvlQc/V6Si8GYHQ6I/AAAAAAAAIj0/_yJ6-mXNTtg5qyYWx0-nzQbTAwqVv7RbwCLcB/s1600/quote-those-who-are-inspired-by-a-model-other-than-nature-labor-in-vain-leonardo-da-vinci-86-80-78.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mqn5snRvlQc/V6Si8GYHQ6I/AAAAAAAAIj0/_yJ6-mXNTtg5qyYWx0-nzQbTAwqVv7RbwCLcB/w400-h188/quote-those-who-are-inspired-by-a-model-other-than-nature-labor-in-vain-leonardo-da-vinci-86-80-78.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Clarification on the differences between Science and Corporations in creating intellectual property in the form of patented products for obscene profit.</i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Very little of what is being discussed with regards to the biotechnology industry is actually "Sciences" or even "one of the sciences". What we're really talking about isn't any of the sciences at all, but rather technology or to be more specific using their own words, engineering. Most all true sciences are about studying things out in the natural world and figuring out how they work. The "scientific method" deals with how we successively refine our understanding of natural phenomena. It does not say anything about how this knowledge can, could, or should be applied. The sciences are essentially analytic in nature.</span><div><span style="color: #7f6000;"><br /></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">It's our world's corporations who along with their lawyers have created this idea of intellectual property based on the scientific work of others. Their research engineers were more interested in creating products to be patented. Yet their work was all based on the information provided by researchers funded by Academia. Their researchers may even use scientific methods in obtaining their goals, but they are not so much interested in the discovery of knowledge and the wisdom in using that knowledge as they are in focussing attention on creating something for profit.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">In the process of misusing abd abusing ´this scientific knowledge, our natural world has been introduce to genetically modified organisms, , Nuclear Weapons, BPA in drinking water. We now have climate change, destruction of the Ozone, melting Arctic & Antarctic glaciers, Chernobyl, Thalidomide, Fukashima, plastic pollution in the oceans and dead zones, etc. All of these symptoms and negative consequences are the result of various irresponsible technological innovation brought to us by modern industrial engineering. Yes, they used information obtained from science, but they cannot lay the fault at the feet of science which was always about discovery and wonder. Science simply enabled these efforts by providing the basic knowledge needed, but the downside from what they created has produced unforeseen and unintended consequences in their various attempts to use that knowledge to satify this economic thing called consumerism. Biomimicry is really not all that expensive. In many cases it's a matter of changing one's practices and management without purchasing products and that is what nakes biomimetics unattractive to corporations.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Remember the movie Jurassic Park and that lunch room debate scene where actor Jeff Goldblum plays this highly articulate four-eyed genius (Dr Ian Malcolm) who tries to warn everyone about the dangers of playing God ? Of all the scenes in that movie, this one sticks with me the most because it is so accurate in it's content and reflective of today's reality. The Jurassic Park Technicians did not actually research all the science behind the genetics, but they did they misuse and abuse the discoveries of others for creating intellectual property and patented products (Dinosaurs). Biotechs are the same, they engineer product for profit. If they actually cared about feeding mankind and becoming proper custodians of the Earth, they would have pursued more of a mirror of how Nature accomplishes this through biomimicry. Instead, they are infected with the ideological doctrine that Nature is flawed, imperfect and poorly designed. Only they can fix it and anyone who tries to get in their way is an Anti-Science Luddite. It matters not that these people in opposition to their business model are indeed interested in other responsible sciences like Mycology, Soil Biology, etc, etc, etc. Here's the story line below. See if you recognize it better now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Dr Ian Malcolm: <i style="color: #38761d;">"Don't you see the danger, John, inherent in what you're doing here? Genetic power is the most awesome force the planet's ever seen, but you wield it like a kid that's found his dad's gun."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">The Jurassic Park Lawyer, Donald Gennaro: <i style="color: #cc0000;"> "It's hardly appropriate to start hurling generalizations..."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Dr Ian Malcolm:</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i> "If I may... Um, I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here, it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now you're selling it, you wanna sell it."</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Jurassic Park Owner/CEO, John Hammond: </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>"I don't think you're giving us our due credit. Our scientists have done things which nobody's ever done before . . "</i></span><i style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;"> </i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Dr Ian Malcolm:</span><i style="color: #38761d;"> "Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Pausing here for a moment to fast forward. After trying to justify his technology by saying he could bring back California Condors and hearing Dr Ian Malcolm's continued resistence to the Jurassic Park's genetic modification technology, CEO John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), uses the same identical cowardly strategy often employed by most biotech apologists against the opponents of their technology. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">CEO John Hammond: </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">"I simply don't understand this </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Luddite attitude</span><span style="color: #b45f06;">, especially from a scientist. I mean, how can we stand in the light of discovery, and not act?"</span></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Dr Ian Malcolm: <span style="color: #38761d;"><i>"What's so great about discovery? It's a violent penetrating act that scars what it explores. What you call discovery, I call the rape of the natural world."</i></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nz8YrCC9X8" style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(Jurassic Park Lunch Debate - 3:55 minutes)</span></b></i></a></blockquote><div>
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<b>Image - <span style="color: #bf9000;"><i>Oregon State University</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;">I read one article recently by a major GMO apologist, Henry L. Miller, who was championing GM technology for Climate Change and creating drought resistant crops. Hence the need to genetically manipulate crop plant genomes to better withstand heat and drought. Monsanto for example has already done this with their Drought Guard patented crop seeds. This is not biomimicry. Biomimicry would be utilizing Nature's toolkit which has existed for 1000s of years. Mycorrhizal fungi act as an extension of a plant's root system and increase water and nutrient uptake anywhere from 200% to 800%. And it costs far less, often if managed properly after the initial soil inoculation, it's free. And ultimately that is the major reason for the major stumbling block and why the Biotechs and Agrochemical Corporations refuse to go down that road. Opportunities for biomimicry are all around everyone in the natural world. The problem is that they are not opportunities for most of this world's giant corporations and the governments that support them. Their geneticists know very little about how whole plant systems work outside their Lab. There is still very little these biotechs and their engineers know about the very organism, Agrobacterium, they have in the past used to infect target crop genomes with the transgenes. There have been some concerns with their use of the Agrobacterium which is a naturally occcuring soil organism. In fact take note of what one research paper said about our scientific understanding of Agrobacterium:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><i>"Many of the blockbuster discoveries on Agrobacterium-plant interaction have been cited briefly in this narrative. However, much remains to be learned. The chemical signaling between Agrobacterium and plants in the natural environment of the plant’s rhizosphere has yet to be fully explored. In addition, the trafficking of the T-strand from the inception of the transfer process to the plant cell nucleus provides an area of fruitful research opportunities for interdisciplinary investigations. The full potential of using Agrobacterium as a mutagen and a transfer system for genes into an ever expanding number of eukaryotic cells has yet to be realized. After 100 years, the tale of Agrobacterium is not yet finished."</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.apsnet.org/publications/apsnetfeatures/Pages/Agrobacterium.aspx"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Agrobacterium: The Natural Genetic Engineer 100 Years Later</span></b></i></a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;">So apparently after all this time, there is still so much they do not know about this organism, but they're using it anyway. But wait, this version of the technology has to be regulated and it's really imperfect because they really have no clue where the information of the transgene will end up within the genome. In other words, in what context of other genes does this gene end up working with ? No problem they say, CRISPR will save the day.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><blockquote><span><i>"</i></span><i>It won't be long before CRISPR allows us to bend nature to our will in the way that humans have dreamed of since prehistory. When that will is directed toward something constructive, the results could be fantastic—but they might also have unintentional or even calamitous consequences.</i><i>"</i></blockquote><blockquote><p>Jennifer Doudna - Co-Inventor of CRISPR</p></blockquote></span></div><div style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Seriously, "Bending Nature to our Will" ??? It's being promoted as more precise and accurate and because the biotechs will only be editing and deleting genes instead of introducing foreign genes by means of a viral facilitator, they've now convinced the government it has no need of regulation. This ignorant worldview of the meaninglessness of informational content within DNA even extends here as well. Take the issue of deleting the gene which causes browning in the common white button mushrooms. Read the warning on this potentially irresponsible act by Mycologist Paul Stamets on how this fungi will be effected by not having this anti-viral gene and the consequences if this specific genome gets out into the wild.</span></span></div>
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<div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4pYgxryPI8QmQtpp6odWgFXtVAHITanF-oyHCwBh-4Bb2HJZhazWhW2-iijiqsDlijUwCqMfERAOhRFsp282YwxaNuwhmUkiKAVhqnT24omp3snEdUEQG4I2Gxs-3FolzhgpcgtixbkbYuqNnLNnUOahe0O0VReie7EcyXXU7qucgBV2N4D9CNbUwOg=s250" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4pYgxryPI8QmQtpp6odWgFXtVAHITanF-oyHCwBh-4Bb2HJZhazWhW2-iijiqsDlijUwCqMfERAOhRFsp282YwxaNuwhmUkiKAVhqnT24omp3snEdUEQG4I2Gxs-3FolzhgpcgtixbkbYuqNnLNnUOahe0O0VReie7EcyXXU7qucgBV2N4D9CNbUwOg=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div><div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.fungi.net/blog/crispr-gene-edit"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">http://www.fungi.net/blog/crispr-gene-edit</span></b></i></a></span></span></blockquote></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Supporters of giant corporate entites need to stop pretending that Biotechs are all about Science, when their true objective is mainly politics, economics and promoting a worldview after their own image. Their hands are dirty in political advocacy. Their writings only have value if they are discussing observable, repeatable, testable facts about natural phenomena. That's how real science is defined. Even then, you have to watch closely the materials and methods being used here, and see if the conclusions logically follow from the data. A true scientist ceases to be a scientist when he leaves off the original ideals that science was built upon. The understanding of the cause-and-effect structure of the natural world according to testable hypotheses. Biomimicry on the other hand is the practice of science that takes rigor, integrity, and humility. It views nature as having great vakue in it's designs which in turn should be replicated, rather than being put out there for promoting a profit. They have always had a problem with bioethics. They actually work very hard towards preventing people from having the ability to know the truth about our natural world and food we eat and that ultimately is the true Anti-Science.</span></span></div>
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</span></div>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Swoope, VA 24479, USA38.1581851 -79.20642229999998634.9608716 -84.369996299999983 41.3554986 -74.042848299999989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-19512310863811697742016-08-03T05:08:00.003-07:002020-06-02T22:48:14.830-07:00Distant Volcano eruptions help Saguaro Nursery baby booms ?<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>The Ideal Baby Saguaro Cacti Tree Nursery</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Image - Kathleen Ferris - City of Phoenix, Arizona</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">John & Heidi @ StatusGo</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The prime nursery habitat for growth and development of a baby Saguaro is supposed to be under a Palo Verde or Mesquite tree. Although as you can see here in the photo at right, a small saguaro can be found nestled under a bursage nursery plant. This one here is supposed to be 25 years old, though it's certainly small for that age. There appears to be a number of ecological & climatic variables which can either help or hinder in the development of a baby Saguaro. I miss the deserts southwest and yes, I still freak people out here in Scandinavia when I mention missing deserts. Their opinion of deserts is that nothing if anything good lives there, it's hot & hostile with a plethora of things which will stick you, stab you and bite you. Nurse Tree facilitation is an important ecological process whereby these woody plant </span><span style="font-size: large;">protégé species</span><span style="font-size: large;"> (mentors like Palo Verde & Mesquite) enhance the growth and survival of their understory apprentice species. Without this relationship, the Saguaros would almost never exist on their own in many areas. But then this is true of most life on Earth which thrives by means of mutualism. And yet there appear to be acceptions to this rule as a new study references volcanes with extremely huge eruption events which can trigger a temporary global cooling trend coupled with heavier than normal rainfall years. More on that later. First let's understand how those baby Saguaros [which at germination look like helpless miniature succulents] make a go of it under harsh desert conditions. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine (June 2016)</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine (June 2016)</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My wife and I visited the <span style="color: #b45f06;">Tucson-Sonora Desert Museum</span> this past June 2016. We were fortunate enough to see all of the Saguaros in most of Arizona actually in bloom. Not only still blooming, but also ripening fruits which were split open and being fed upon by Doves, Cactus Wrens, Sparrows, etc. Even Arizona Cardinals. Now after all that dining and given the usual rapid digestion birds have, it is clear they would be flying from shrub to shrub and desert tree to desert tree and as they do, they'd take a poop. That poop would contain all the Saguaro seeds which would hit the ground and later be triggered to germinate once the first monsoonal thunderstorms move in north from Mexico. 100s, maybe 1000s of seed germinate with only a handful of them being able to survive. Take note below of the many different bird species which love the Saguaro Cacti fruits. Also take note that many of them also love the Saguaro flowers as did many insects we saw at the Museum. Apparently it's not only the Mexican Fruit Bat that pollenize them. Another etched in stone paradigm regarding insistence of how some plants replicate and spread themselves bites the dust. The scientific consensus as approved by the prevailing Orthodoxy won't like this.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Margarethe Brummermann (June 2014)<br /><br /><a href="http://arizonabeetlesbugsbirdsandmore.blogspot.se/2014/06/mid-summer-sustenance.html"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">http://arizonabeetlesbugsbirdsandmore.blogspot.se</span></a></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The obvious result would be years later a few of the Saguaros seedlings would be successful enough to make it on their own, eventually to outlive the mother tree Blue Palo Verde which may only live 50 or 60 years. Easy for a 150+ year old Saguaro to outlast.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Saguaro National Park</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - James Brooks</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course the obvious conclusion here is that not long after all manner of desert birds dine on the juicy ripe and luscious Saguaro fruits, they need to go poop later. They generally do so within a tree or shrub's canopy. As is evident from the Palo Verde Nurse tree example above, a couple decades back some bird or birds used this tree as a roost and did their business. The immediate result was these little tiny ice plant looking things popped up by the 100s all over the place and then it was a simple numbers game for survival after that. Incredibly, it takes only a couple of days for germination to occur. I have also found this to be the same thing with regards other desert trees of the pea family like Palo Verde, Mesquite, Ironwood etc which often germinate during the wet monsoon season and develop rapidly thereafter. This is important that their genetic programming has such instructions for rapid development because in their preferred harsh environment there is only a small window of time before conditions change to one in which they could otherwise become toast. Below is a link to Southwest Cactus LLC live feed of a Cactus shade house nursery where various cacti seed are germinated.</span><div><font size="4"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/HomeOfTheDreamDesertscapeDesign/videos/247746623154354/" target="_blank"><blockquote><i><b>https://www.facebook.com/HomeOfTheDreamDesertscapeDesign/videos/247746623154354/</b></i></blockquote></a></font><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Animation by KanyonKris</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Facilitation or Competition - Which ?</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - <span style="color: #b45f06;">Gila Bend </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">Shell Station</span></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've used this same animated illustration above many time before to illustrates the play of <span style="color: #0b5394;">Hydraulic Lift & Redistribution</span>. So it's logical that given desert trees like Mesquite, Paloverde & Ironwood perform the task of hydraulic life and redistribution of deep underground water to shallower rooted shrubs and perennial plants, it would be easy to assert the same benefit would apply to these young newly emerged Saguaro seedlings. This same pattern would also clearly help many to establish themselves over a period of years. Like one of my latest posts on Biomimicry on replication of companion planting found in nature, these trees are programmed to mutually cooperate for each other's success. Ignorance of this behavior or phenomena has done major harm in land management over the past 100+ years. The package at right I picked up at a Gila Bend Shell Truck Stop to plant back home here in Sweden. I'll keep things up to date on that. I've used this same long time Souvenir gift pack brand before and their seeds germinate extremely well in the vermiculite mix provided. But on the fact about shaded light, when I first planted some of these back in the late 1980s, they looked identical to the seedling emergence you see a couple photo up on the right. After a month I thought that perhaps desert plants instead of being in the shade and protection of my livingroom, just might enjoy life on the porch railing for about an hour in sunshine. It was morning and not at all hot. After an hour I brought them back inside and the next day I saw they had all been fried. Lost every single one of them. So I understood the Nurse plant protection thingy concept, but not out in far western Arizona where I saw Saguaros along Interstate 8 growing straight up out of bare desert varnish rock and lava fields. No mother trees or nurse plants, just barren high intense heat environment. So how does that work ? Take a look at the gallery landscape below of what I'm talking about.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - World Heritage Commitee - NordEnergi</i></b><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: small;"><b><i>The 37th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee made the decision to make the El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve in Mexico the latest site to achieve World Heritage Status.</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Feargus Cooney</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">See, I can understand and relate to <span style="color: #38761d;">Nurse Plants</span> or <span style="color: #38761d;">Mother Trees</span>. Aside from the obvious shade factor provided for such a tender delicate <span style="color: #274e13;">Nursery </span>for baby <span style="color: #38761d;">Saguaros</span> from intense Summer heat, there is also the mechanisms of <span style="color: #0b5394;">"Hydraulic Lift and Redistribution" </span>which provides valuable moisture brought up from subterranean sources, redistributes it through lateral roots further connected to an elaborate mycorrhial grid network no doubt plugged into the lateral root systems of young <span style="color: #38761d;">Saguaros</span>. But in clearly moonscaped surface environments like the Pinacate Volcanic Lava fields which mostly lack pronounced <span style="color: #38761d;">Nurse Trees/Shrubs</span>, how does establishment take place here ? I get the fact that seed germination happens anywhere under good monsoonal rainfall events, germination is a matter of two days. But it's that critical three years of good luck and beyond that is the puzzle. This far western Arizona landscape is not the vibrant green living desert of of Tucson which is also strategically located right smack in the middle of the Monsoonal moisture superhighway. Look below at a few other examples of large Saguaro Cacti in areas far removed from the ideal Tucson Mesquite and Palo Verde forests and see that they actually thrive there. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo by Leonora Torres<br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: small;">Saguaros </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: small;">in Lava fields of the </span></i></b><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: small;"><b><i>Gila-Pinacate Biosphere Reserve</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Taly Drezner<br /><br /><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: small;">Kofa National Wildlife Refuge - </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: small;">Yuma county, Arizona</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Saguaro cacti are the tallest things standing at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, near Yuma, Arizona. The cultural icon is a keystone species of the Sonoran Desert, serving as perch, nesting site, shelter, thermal refuge, and food for the birds and other animals in the desert ecosystem. So how do they establish themselves beyond the germination period ?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image by Geologist Dan Lynch<br /><br /><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Tecolote Volcano - Pinacate Volcanic Field</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>How <span style="color: #38761d;">Saguaro</span> seed germination and establishment take place in areas where very little <span style="color: #7f6000;">Nurse Trees</span> & <span style="color: #7f6000;">Shrubs</span> are found and in a landscape that is basically volcanic fields with <span style="color: #660000;">Desert Varnish.</span> Remember, they start out life as an <span style="color: #6aa84f;">Iceplant </span>mimic!</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0uJo5KUgW0/V6CYLGfXmiI/AAAAAAAAIgo/tDe4pqttJocRCyyZzRoVjLFZIGWsdODwQCLcB/s1600/Home%2BPage%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0uJo5KUgW0/V6CYLGfXmiI/AAAAAAAAIgo/tDe4pqttJocRCyyZzRoVjLFZIGWsdODwQCLcB/s640/Home%2BPage%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b><a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/kofa/"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">US Fish & Wildlife Serivce - Kofa National Wildlife Refuge</span></i></b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is a paragraph from the research done by Taly Drezner about the perfect location for the study of Saguaro seed germination and establishment within the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. It was the perfect place to study Saguaro survival under extreme conditions.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><i>"To investigate her hunch, Drezner went to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge near Yuma, Arizona, where limited water pushes the physiological limits of the saguaro, to sample the age structure of the local cacti. Rainfall at Kofa is a third of other locations in the Sonoran. Cacti do not have rings, like trees, that make age simple to gauge. Drezner estimated the ages of 250 cacti based on meticulous calculations of local growth rates using a model she pioneered. She added data from 30 locations in the Northern Sonoran Desert and compared the generational cohorts of the cacti to climate datasets for the region and the annual Weighted Historical Dust Veil Index, an indicator of volcanism."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">So the idea here is that volcanic events, like the eruption of the Mexican volcano, El Chichón in 1982, have a major impact on global climate cooling. Hences delicate Saguaro seedling survival in hotter areas without nurse plants or trees like western Arizona's Kofa Wildlife Refuge require something uniquely different as far as climatic circumstances. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>===========================</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Now think in terms of large historical Volcanic eruption events ?</i></b></span> </blockquote>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C3NUO-2xHPk/V5tfQGCq8EI/AAAAAAAAIbk/pvHFpN2h6NcsV7zvtzVusWFUGCUl7kw2gCLcB/s1600/DSC_2242_crop_autocorrect.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C3NUO-2xHPk/V5tfQGCq8EI/AAAAAAAAIbk/pvHFpN2h6NcsV7zvtzVusWFUGCUl7kw2gCLcB/s640/DSC_2242_crop_autocorrect.jpg" width="558" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H5Ezg8JEpkg/V6B6clN9tRI/AAAAAAAAIgI/UkIT2g5B2hEyfOUzEQramX-vd_-G72LIgCLcB/s1600/taly-drezner-small-saguaro-with-nurses-SagNP-W-fourth-low-right-of-middle-452x300.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H5Ezg8JEpkg/V6B6clN9tRI/AAAAAAAAIgI/UkIT2g5B2hEyfOUzEQramX-vd_-G72LIgCLcB/s320/taly-drezner-small-saguaro-with-nurses-SagNP-W-fourth-low-right-of-middle-452x300.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo by </i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So these volcanic eruption events tie in to Saguaro establishment successes ? Remember the 1982 eruption of El Chichón, the largest volcanic disaster in modern Mexican history. ? That powerful 1982 explosive eruption of high-sulfur and other particulates high into the upper atmosphere effected the global climate. The total volume of material from the El Chichón eruption was much smaller than the other infamous eruption of Pinatubo of the Philippines in 1991. That powerful eruption pumped enormous volumes of ash injecting significant quantities of aerosols and dust into the stratosphere. Sulfur dioxide oxidized in the atmosphere to produce a haze of sulfuric acid droplets, which gradually spread throughout the stratosphere over the year following the eruption. I remember how you could see these high atmospheric ring anomalies around both the sun and moon for two or three years. The effect was a cooling trend, hence references today by global leaders on geo-engineering projects to replicate what these volcanoes did to climate past, instead of actually stopping what cause the climate change. The Mexican Volcanic eruption coincided with an El Nino weather pattern we had in the early 1980s in the southwest which gave massive amounts of rainfall and flooding. I also remember the monsoonal thunderstorm events where stronger and more completely widespread as opposed to the usual isolated incidents common with Southwestern monsoons in Summer. So it's not under the realm of possibility that Saguaro establishment success was positive during a two or three year window period. Too bad this info was not available back then to research those years in the Kofa Mountain area. Here is what Taly Drezner further says on the subject:</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>In the year after Krakatoa, summer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere fell 1.2⁰C below average. The eruption violently disgorged tons of ash and sulfur dioxide gas into the stratosphere. Dust particles and sulfuric acid droplets rode winds through the upper atmosphere, conspiring in a haze that reflected sunshine and lowered global temperatures. Though not as disruptive as the “year without a summer” that followed the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, Krakatoa’s influence was seen and felt around the globe in vivid sunsets and stormy weather. Southern California experienced a “water year” of record rainfall. Sulfate aerosols in particular can hang out in the atmosphere for years, and Krakatoa released an unusual abundance of sulfur. Typical temperature and weather patterns did not recover for years. For the saguaro, the perturbations appear to have amounted to a collection of “just right” conditions for new growth." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"I started noticing that these saguaro age cohorts followed notable volcanic eruptions,” said Drezner. “I knew that volcanoes drive milder summers and winters, and typically more rainfall for an extended period—two to three years after the event, which is a perfect window of time for the saguaro to get established and have a chance to survive." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.esa.org/esa/distant-volcanic-eruptions-foster-saguaro-cacti-baby-booms/"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">(Source)</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>========================================</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>My own personal concluding comments</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-75xfa5yzRqo/UB7e3EIO_FI/AAAAAAAAAok/E6xKcHMHjwE/s1600/Kevin_and_his_planting+-+Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-75xfa5yzRqo/UB7e3EIO_FI/AAAAAAAAAok/E6xKcHMHjwE/s1600/Kevin_and_his_planting+-+Copy.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine (2011)</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c8JO8umgA5Q/UCC0X-Zpn3I/AAAAAAAAApQ/JXMUc0pM_nw/s1600/IMGP0372.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c8JO8umgA5Q/UCC0X-Zpn3I/AAAAAAAAApQ/JXMUc0pM_nw/s1600/IMGP0372.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine (2012)</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I enjoyed the article on possible potential for notable large volcanic events spewing tonnes of ash, aerosols, etc into the upper Stratosphere and effecting global climate by means of a cooling trend over a period of three years. It certainly seems logical. My own experience with a 12" tall Saguaro brought to me by friends in Tucson from a Nursery (complete with offical Arizona State legal paperwork of ownership) I planted on Rattlesnake Mountain in El Cajon would seem to confirm the idea that Saguaro baby booms come with more favourable weather. The weather in El Cajon just a little ways east from San Diego & the Pacific Ocean definitely is a radical change from Arizona. I planted the little Saguaro on a south facing slope which was remote and where no one ever ventured. I never once watered it. Planting a Saguaro and watering can lead to root rot. Just place it in the soil and leave it alone. There is enough energy & water within the cacti to trigger root growth into the soil without the need for any extra outside water. Once the root system infrastructure is established, they will quickly suck up any water and refill the plant's lost storage capacity. From my own observation every year for seven years after planting, the plant grew a little over a six more inches that first year after rains came and over a foot a year thereafter. At it largest height, the Saguaro was almost seven foot tall. Then some idiots with guns decided to target practice. The cactus died back to the ground and formed a large healed scab even with the soil. Much to my surprise the cacti resprouted with two new competing central leaders the following year and the above picture my friend took of me standing next to it in 2011. I haven't been back there since, so I am not even sure it is still there given the fact that below that point the Sky Ranch Housing development people used chainsaws and destroyed some 30' tall Torrey Pines which were planted at the same time as the Saguaro. Still, the change in climate proved beneficial to Saguaro growth and it's later development. Aisde from more target practice, it's real danger now is fire. I mean it is located in coastal sage-scrub. But Saguaros are not the only mystery of Cacti establishment in full blown baking desert Sun without Nurse plants. This Anza Borrego Desert barrel cactus in the photo at right is yet another example of success under extreme southern exposure conditions down in the Anza Borrego Desert where Summertime Temps are often 110+ Fahrenheit (40+ celsius).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwHBiBUOLSE/V6HM995L6FI/AAAAAAAAIik/hkLaMYDT40AjuZZdCNIN8L-DeyQpLbBDQCLcB/s1600/Saguaro-age-to-size-ratio-chart-small.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwHBiBUOLSE/V6HM995L6FI/AAAAAAAAIik/hkLaMYDT40AjuZZdCNIN8L-DeyQpLbBDQCLcB/s400/Saguaro-age-to-size-ratio-chart-small.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Animated Illustration - Rockland Saguaros</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The illustration above is a good guesstimate of probably how the average Saguaro grows under normal growing conditions in the Sonoran Desert. But there are clearly variables which break that rule. Some smaller Saguaros in the Kofa Wildlife Refuge in far western Arizona under less favourable growing conditions may well be as old as some towering 45' giants around Tucson. Still, as the National Park Service photo below reveals, there are clearly strategies for successes where no Nurse Tree is available.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d5qh6aP6wYU/V6HMsorMnDI/AAAAAAAAIig/Ln4TULyHytAx-O2dIoowKC2B_4XrKEIawCLcB/s1600/Saguaro%2BNational.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d5qh6aP6wYU/V6HMsorMnDI/AAAAAAAAIig/Ln4TULyHytAx-O2dIoowKC2B_4XrKEIawCLcB/s640/Saguaro%2BNational.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b><i>Image - Saguaro National Monument</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Interesting Reading References:</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.esa.org/esa/distant-volcanic-eruptions-foster-saguaro-cacti-baby-booms/"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">ESA.com: Distant volcanic eruptions foster saguaro cacti baby booms</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://jbrinksterwhfl.brinkster.net/saguaros/default.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">James Brooks: Arizona Saguaro Cactus - Sustainable, Seed-Grown Plants</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
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<a href="http://azgeology.azgs.az.gov/sites/azgeo.azgs.az.gov/files/archived-articles-125th/Pinacate-in-stereo.pdf"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">AZGeology: Pinacate in stereo by Dan Lynch</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b><i>Perhaps something else could have factored in the changes in the Southwest - maybe local Volcanism around the year 1000 C.E. - give or take a few hundred years or so either way ??? Okay, that's another post.</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Time out for some Saguaro Cactus Humor!</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgRI9-u50zw/V6HBFFhJ6nI/AAAAAAAAIiQ/ka67u3SaJFkdPG0AAJqLBuxZKFBUyVvgQCLcB/s1600/Saguaro%2BHost.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgRI9-u50zw/V6HBFFhJ6nI/AAAAAAAAIiQ/ka67u3SaJFkdPG0AAJqLBuxZKFBUyVvgQCLcB/s640/Saguaro%2BHost.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Photo - Saguaro National Monument</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Prickly Pear Cactus </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">emerges from the top of a </span><span style="color: #274e13;">Saguaro Cactus</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IM4vOAiDnr0/V6HA8fphBTI/AAAAAAAAIiM/jmHDCN4TddIdlL34tH6P7DwV_2_Yu7l8wCLcB/s1600/alien.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IM4vOAiDnr0/V6HA8fphBTI/AAAAAAAAIiM/jmHDCN4TddIdlL34tH6P7DwV_2_Yu7l8wCLcB/s320/alien.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Anyone remember the comedy Sci-Fi film, "Men in Black" ? There was a scene in the Cafe where an alien contact was killed by this enemy Cockroach Alien and his body mistakenly went to the City Morgue before the MIB guys could clean up the incident. Field agent '</span><span style="font-size: large;">J' (Will Smith) and Forensics Lab Laurel (Linda Fiorentino) watch as the dead corpse's head opens to reveals a tiny alien creature with a dire warning, and 'K' (Tommy Lee Jones) has to erase Laurel's memory. Remeber "Orion's Belt" ??? This is the first thing I thought of when I saw this over at the Saguaro National Monument pages</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Clearly this is another bird pooping incident out there in the wild somewhere, only this time Prickly Pear tunas.</span><br />
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</div>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, 9300 E 28th St, Yuma, AZ 85365, USA32.678336 -114.4733681000000218.67489 -135.1276651 46.681782 -93.819071100000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-40345861613830356272016-07-21T10:38:00.001-07:002016-08-02T22:27:38.953-07:00Dryland Farming, Vineyards & why Plants prefer Subterranean Water Sources<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>This is a further continuation on the subject of vineyards and underground root networks which fits nicely this blog's purposed intent</i></b></span> </blockquote>
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<b style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Consider this another resource page</i></b></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>Image - Modern Farmer</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oZn7pV7zxKs/V3Z0J0Fm18I/AAAAAAAAILc/cDY_Mgv4wGoP11xWu4IcQpFwwHm6gC4agCLcB/s1600/Water-To-Wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oZn7pV7zxKs/V3Z0J0Fm18I/AAAAAAAAILc/cDY_Mgv4wGoP11xWu4IcQpFwwHm6gC4agCLcB/s200/Water-To-Wine.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Turning <span style="color: blue;">Water </span>into <span style="color: #990000;">Wine </span>???</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">When I first saw the animation above, it immediately brought to mind why all Viticulturalists [installers & maintainers] should create an ecological environment in which vineyards could and should be weaned off the conventional science-based way of farming and one which perfectly biomimics Nature. The centuries old method of dryland farming which has been successful without major problems should be brought back and even improved with a few miner innovation adjustments for no other reason than we now know so much more about the biological machinery which operates all of the Earth's ecosystems successfully. I previously wrote a post about the </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Groasis Waterboxx</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> which is being used to encourage and force deeper root systems with grapevines. More than anything else, the above animation clearly illustrates the purposed goal of the </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Waterboxx Cocoon</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">. The illustration appeared in the journal </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">Modern Farmer</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">. The article carried another animated graphic of rainfall totals in various lands where the lowest rainfall areas actually dryland farm, while one of the highest annual rainfall totals was in the Willemette Valley where back in the 1990s, organic wine producers Russ Raney and John Paul discovered that several of their wine-producing peers in were installing drip-irrigation systems in their vineyards. The oddball thing is, this valley receives an average of 42 inches of rain a year which would seem like the last place you’d need to add more water. The dryland farmed countries of Greece and Spain were 14" & 16" of rain. Something doesn't make sense.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJEjj5Ps-ao/V4ko6cSI3EI/AAAAAAAAITc/YABOx4e19V8fyGMRCp3nTingaLBpLblOQCLcB/s1600/dry-wine-sidebar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJEjj5Ps-ao/V4ko6cSI3EI/AAAAAAAAITc/YABOx4e19V8fyGMRCp3nTingaLBpLblOQCLcB/s400/dry-wine-sidebar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Animated Illustrations - Jason Holley</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Well, looking back in history to pre-1970s, much of California vineyards were dryland farmed. But then giant beverage corporations realized the massive amounts of money they could make and so then they started buying up many of the wineries. Like everything else about Earth destroying industrial agriculture, these corporate owned wineries demanded higher yields. From that point on it was miles and miles of black pcv tubing infrastructure throughout most all the big vineyards from the central valley floor to the mountain foothills. Which brings us down to the present water crisis in California's mega-drought. Incredibly however, these high yield plump grape bunches do not provide the best tasting wines. Of course for the volume drinker who cares only for quantity jug or box wine [or even $2 Chuck], this is not an issue. But that higher yield is all that Industrial Ag cares about these days. Flavour ? What about flavour ? That's why industrial Ag is obsessed in fulfilling government monoculture mandates with regards to </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">Corn/Maize</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> for massive amounts of </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">"High Fructose Corn Syrup"</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">, which makes modern day cardboard tasting agricultural produce palletable and addictive for the consumers.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eg_gXlMuJQI/V3Vzq4mfQVI/AAAAAAAAIJo/X5FzwNFI7rU0BzLW8EuHeQqR7mAljio8gCLcB/s1600/montes-dry-farming-berry-comparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eg_gXlMuJQI/V3Vzq4mfQVI/AAAAAAAAIJo/X5FzwNFI7rU0BzLW8EuHeQqR7mAljio8gCLcB/s400/montes-dry-farming-berry-comparison.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Image - WineFolly.com</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>“We started to reduce the use of water in the vineyard [and] we got to amazing results. 1.) The vine can live with less water of what most of the people think, 2.) when you used less water, the size of the cluster and berries decrease, so finally you get more concentration and equilibrium in your wines.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><b>Aurelio Montes, <span style="color: #7f6000;">explaining high skin ratio grapes producing higher quality concentration for superior quality wines</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-large;"><b>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">So what exactly do </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Plant Community Ecosystems</span><span style="color: #7f6000;"> really want and what has not-for-profit </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">Scientific Research Groups</span><span style="color: #7f6000;"> revealed ?</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Leaving the grape vineyard subject for the moment and concentrating on how many ecosystems work, function and maintain themselves, you'd be surprised to find out that most mature trees, shrubs, vines etc prefer deeper subterranean moisture for the majority of their water hydrating uptake needs. This brings me back to the subject of Professor Todd Dawson's laboratory and study of hydraulic lift and redistribution of deeper subsoil layers. He is incredibly one of the few researchers to actually research the subject of Riparian streamside trees which hydrate themselves not from available surface waters, but rather much deeper subterranean sources. An article about this was titled: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><i>"Streamside Trees that do not use Streamside Water"</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>A LONG-STANDING axiom is that plant distribution is strongly influenced by soil moisture content. While it has been shown that plant taxa inhabiting streamside communities receive or use more water, it is assumed that this water is obtained from the stream adjacent to where they are found growing. Here we show, using hydrogen isotope ratio analyses at natural abundance levels, that mature streamside trees growing in or directly next to a perennial stream used little or none of the surface stream water. The deuterium to hydrogen content of both source and xylem waters indicated that mature trees were using waters from deeper strata. Although adult trees may have roots distributed continuously throughout a soil profile, it seemed that the most active sites of water absorbtion were limited to deeper soil layers. In contrast, small streamside individuals appeared to use stream water, whereas small non-streamside individuals used recent precipitation as their primary water source."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">So basically Dawson and team were curious as to the origin of the waters which hydrated streamside trees. The obvious conclusion was surface waters which were abundantly available in the riparian habitat. Whereas the young trees in youth required the surface moisture for growth and initial establishement, the older trees did not require surface waters any longer and preferred the moisture in deeper subterranean layers of the soil. There clearly are some sort of epigenetic triggers at play here in response to environmental cues as the trees age. But the crazy thing is that much of Dawson's work with these types of studies happened mainly in the early 1990s. So what have world researchers been doing all this time since then, since such valuable information and understanding has huge practical application with regards agricultural techniques potential. The middle of the research paper is basically how they went about the science of determining what sources through isotope studies and how they arrived at conclusions. It's mostly boring as is true with most research papers, but here is the last remarks at the end of the paper's report:</span>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"Several ecological implications arise from these results. First, during establishment, these tree species [most likely riparian] depend on these waters in the upper soil layers. Because these isotopic signatures of summer precipitation (non-streamside sites) and surface stream waters (streamside sites) are different, we can distinguish between the sources. Second, once established trees from streamside sites as well as from adjacent non-streamside sites use a deeper prehaps more constant water source, abandoning the water sources on which they were dependent during establishment. By no longer using upper-soil-layer water sources,, these tree species may be able to avoid interspecific competition with more shallow rooted shrub and herb species that inhabit the same sites."</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://redbuttecanyon.net/pubs/Dawson_Nature_1991.pdf"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Source: University of Utah -"Streamside Trees that do not use Streamside Water"</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Stopping here to interject some thoughts. I've written about this previously in my own personal research of Bajada (Alluval Fan) sites and Floodpalin sites and how large trees in waterless regions establish and maintain themselves within large rocky waterless boulder strewn river rock floodplains. The only other point of note here about shallow rooted shrubs is that Dawson did this study long before much information was done on root structure of chaparral and his later focus on hydraulic lift and redistribution which hydrates shallower plants within any ecosystem through an interconnected biodiverse mycorrhizal fungal grid or network. There is a long held traditional blind faith religious concept we know as, "Survival of the Fittest" which has been championed and continually misapplied by it's inventors for decades. This concept has caused vast amounts of misunderstanding about our natural world which has in turn held back real viable advancement in technological innovation. This in turn has damaged most all of Earth's present day ecosystems. But that failed religious dogma has now given way to the more responsible understanding of a superior concept that most of the honest researchers now see as Survival of the Mutually Cooperative. In 1994 Cornell University published a report on Dawson's Lab work on Hydraulic Lift & Redistribution by extremely deeply rooted Sugar Maples which hydrated the various other ecosystem plant community neighbours around their sphere of influence. Here towards the end of the article the author makes an observation of how knowledge of such hydrological phenomena and rooting infrastructure can be applied to modern technological innovation and practice within Agriculture.</span>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><i>I think Professor Dawson's research has amazing potential for agriculture," Hernandez-Mora said. "We know some trees are beneficial because they provide nutrients from their leaves that fall to the ground. Now we know they are also recycling water. I see hydraulic lift as a recycling system. The rainwater that eventually ends up deep within the ground comes back up through the tree's roots and can be used in the shallow soil by surrounding crops." She feels that the system can be used to regenerate dry lands and improve farming in developing countries that do not have access to fertilizers and advanced irrigation pumps."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/Ext/hydr_lift.htm"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Cornell University: Mother Nature's Irrigators - 'Plants Share Water With Their Neighbors'</span></b></i></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, the concept of biomimicry or biomimetics in Agriculture that was hoped for by the author from Cornell University back in 1994 when this statement was first made has not come to be realized. It's incredible, it's been 25 years and our planet is worse off now more than ever before. Some attention has been paid regarding this subject by a few, but still ignored by the majority. Certainly not on the commercial scale hoped for. What hnders that ? Industrial Agriculture and all the various components which make it up like Biotechs, AgroChemical Companies, Irrigation Districts, etc all have a vested interest in smokescreening and deflecting such findings and keeping up a propaganda campaign that insists the world cannot survive without their direction and oversight. But still more and more research is finding out and revealing why Nature has been able to function and thrive for 10s of 1000s of years prior to the past 100+ years of imaginary enlightenment. Take a look below here. Science has discovered other interesting things about the programming inside of plant DNA which provides a mechanism for sensing water and creating a specific root architecture in obtaining that moisture.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Wissenschaft – Design – Animation</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i>"Stanford, CA—Soil is a microscopic maze of nooks and crannies that hosts a wide array of life. Plants explore this environment by developing a complex branched network of roots that tap into scarce resources such as water and nutrients. How roots sense which regions of soil contain water and what effect this moisture has on the architecture of the root system has been unclear."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Really ? The soil beneath out feet is really a maze of microscopic nooks and crannies ? And notice they said that plants explore this environment by means of a branching root development programming that seeks out and searches for water ? As they stated, how the plants accomplish this has been a mystery, but the average person doesn't have to know every single scientific detail in order to accept that plants have an extraordinary water sensory system for moisture detection. In my last few posts, I've referenced the </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Groasis Waterboxx</span></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> which is precisely designed to facilitate water movement downwards deep into the subsoil layers which encourages the plant's sensing mechanisms to track and follow. Take note again of the illustration below. These nooks and cranies are the exact capillary water movement action Pieter Hoff has been continually speaking about and taking advantage of in his device.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mSRyW90jPYs/V3JdJhk0_3I/AAAAAAAAIEA/d4j6ASRdgmgp_BxtsDebJlfrjMLsiQpOwCLcB/s640/capilliary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mSRyW90jPYs/V3JdJhk0_3I/AAAAAAAAIEA/d4j6ASRdgmgp_BxtsDebJlfrjMLsiQpOwCLcB/s400/capilliary.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Continuing on with the research paper, they found that the informational content within a plant's DNA will instruct and create a hydropatterning blueprint. The signaling pathways they are speaking of are epigenetic signaling and sensing which will help build the root network infrastructure as the water is forced down deep into the subsoil which is our ultimate goal here. Again, You DO NOT have to be a rocket scientist to grasp this. But merely appreciating that most all plants will perform this task smoothly and efficiently if you facilitate all the right practices in providing what plants are programmed to thrive is all you need to know.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i>The team named the new phenomenon hydropatterning and they observed it in several plant species, including the important crop plants maize and rice. The process is controlled by signaling pathways in the plant that are distinct from previously characterized drought responses suggesting that hydropatterning could be important for regulating root branching under non-stressful growth conditions."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://dpb.carnegiescience.edu/article/water-found-provide-blueprints-root-architecture"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Carnegie Institution for Science: Water found to provide blueprints for root architecture</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>==============================</b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0orG7LEWAEY/V44QscUO1XI/AAAAAAAAITs/50B64iBWwl4qtgEQM5YDY4uLBnx9mEXVACLcB/s1600/signaling%2Bplantsig.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="60" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0orG7LEWAEY/V44QscUO1XI/AAAAAAAAITs/50B64iBWwl4qtgEQM5YDY4uLBnx9mEXVACLcB/s400/signaling%2Bplantsig.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Other Important Factors that both Hinder & Promote Rooting development Infrastructure</i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">It's always been important to follow exactly the pattern found and observed in Nature when it comes to various forms of land management practices, irrespective of the endeavour pursued. Mankind for the most part has not done this and hence we now have a planet in crisis. There was some research done back in 2013 by Hairong Wei, Yordan Yordanov and Victor Busov which was published by the international journal New Phytologist. The article's title was, "Nitrogen deprivation promotes Populus root growth through global transcriptome reprogramming and activation of hierarchical genetic networks." Basically what they found was that the conventional recommendation by most science-based Agro-Chemical companies in application of their synthetic junk at time of planting actually hindered plant root development. Why ? Because like water, if you welfare the plants on an artificial life-support system, they will always depend on the entitlement program you've arranged for them and they will never mature towards self-sufficiency. Here is what they found.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">"Contemporary nitrogen fertilization practices are not environmentally or economically smart,"</span> </i></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">says Busov, who studies the functional genomics of plant development<i style="color: #660000;"> </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"Only 30 percent is used by the plants. The rest goes into the ground water. It changes the soil and causes increases in algal blooms, greenhouse gases and insects like mosquitoes that carry disease."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Now notice in the article what they found out regarding the effects of that nitrogen had on plant root system growth development and overall infrastructure blueprinting. And the effect on rootstructure development from the lack of nitrogen.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"Nobody knew the mechanisms of how low nitrogen affects plant roots."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">In their laboratory at Michigan Tech, Busov and Yordanov planted Poplar seedlings under normal nitrogen levels. Then they transplanted them to a medium that contained almost no nitrogen. What happened?</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><i style="color: #38761d;">"Surprisingly, the roots got larger and longer," </i>says Yordanov.<span style="color: #660000;"> </span><i style="color: #38761d;">"We think that the roots were looking for nitrogen," </i>Busov suggests.<i style="color: #38761d;"> "But what is the genetic machinery behind this growth?" </i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">These researchers were experimenting with Poplar plants for possible biofuels potential. They made reference to there being tens of thousands of genes in the poplar genome. So their huge challenge here was how to determine which gene/s were doing what, how they affect each other and how they work together to regulate root growth under low nitrogen conditions. Basically what they were looking at was the regulatory mechanisms of epigenetic gene expression with it's on and off switches. Researcher, Hairong Wei, who is a molecular biologist has extensive knowledge of computer science applied his knowledge to large biological data sets. His goal here was to untangle the interactions of more than 61,000 genes by searching for a "high hierarchical regulator," or what he labled as the "boss" gene. When they identified this boss or control gene, they tweaked this gene and the entire network responded which caused the roots to grow 58% more. Take a look at what they found and how it was described.</span>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>Imagine a manufacturer. At the bottom of the hierarchy, you find the laborers. They answer to a foreman who reports to a manager, and so on until you get to the president. If you want multiple laborers to do a complicated job, you start with the president, who will pass the instructions down. The process can be likened to the functioning of a machine. There is a master switch that turns on the engine. The engine activates other switches that make all the little cogs and gears in the machine do what they are supposed to do."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.sciencenewsline.com/news/2013070816410012.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Michigan Technological University: Getting to the root of the matter</span></i></b></a></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">The original intention of the research was not necessarily the pursuit of biomimicry in Nature. It's all about tweaking the organism's genetic makeup either by gene editing or some other genetic manipulation. But in the process they discovered some amazing things about what triggers root infrastructure development. This was a study of certain specific plants which would best be biofuel material candidates. If they could find a gene to genetically engineer, etc, then these plants could be cloned and/or bred for the biofuels industry. First you should understand that in conventional industrial science-based worldview ways of looking at things, in the back of many a scientist's minds, Nature is almost invariably viewed as inherently flawed and badly designed. Hence the collective genius of intellectual human scientists are assumed to be the answer to correcting where nature is inept at design. However that is not what they found here. Industrial Agriculture and the corporations which run the Big Ag World want to sell products. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, etc are just few of their prized flagship products. But nature also has after market add-ons which enhance performance. The majority of these after market add-ons are mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial bacteria to name a few. But now getting back to dryland farmed vineyards, there are other beneficial reasons for deep root promoting techniques.</span></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>==============================</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Encouraging Deeper Root Infrastructure & Mycorrhizal Colonization can combat Pathogens common to Vineyards</i></b></span> </blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6_H_bs9ZnIc/V44whd5GThI/AAAAAAAAIUU/3tYX3r6lDqUoa8VQ29bCR-NwYE179P99wCLcB/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6_H_bs9ZnIc/V44whd5GThI/AAAAAAAAIUU/3tYX3r6lDqUoa8VQ29bCR-NwYE179P99wCLcB/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo - Coenie Snyman, Rust & Vrede</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvA4k1UUYNI/V44wrfdnXjI/AAAAAAAAIUY/-Ppi_d81uZ8lONz5nbp3Xr9Z3Qsr1_5YQCLcB/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvA4k1UUYNI/V44wrfdnXjI/AAAAAAAAIUY/-Ppi_d81uZ8lONz5nbp3Xr9Z3Qsr1_5YQCLcB/s1600/9.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Source - Wingerdbou in Suid Afrika</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">The successful dryland farmed Vineyard requires a rootstock with a healthy branched root system and vigor that can penetrate deep subsoil layers. One of the biggest problems for vineyard grape rootstocks is a historical disease caused by a pathogen called phylloxera of which there are several varieties. As an example of what happens to the grapevine roots, you can see the difference of Phytophthora on the roots on the right side of the photo to the right and healthy roots on the left. This pathenogen is normally associated with shallow, wet soils that become saturated during the winter months under heavy rainfall [not exactly a California problem] or over irrigation, and then the soil drains slowly during the Spring. This is where conventional science-based commercial irrigated vineyards have the problems and dryland farmed organic vineyards have the advantage. When the phylloxera swept over the vineyards, some vintners saw the connection to irrigated fields, which discourage vine depth (the vines won't go deep if water is always avaialble near the surface) and therefore the disease more easily spreads. Phylloxera cannot reach the deeper roots, but it will devastate the shallow ones. The Organic dryland farming growers with deeper rooted vines survived the epidemic. The other plus was the organically managed vineyards have a better chance of healthier microbial community which help fight off the bad pathogens by forming a shield around the root system. The fungi also send chemical messages up into the plant's stems triggering an epigenetic switch for the immune system to be turned on into high gear. Most conventional commercial growers who heavily irrigated and synthetically fertilized were forced to replant.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kcvz8mH_XMQ/V5B5EdQxF_I/AAAAAAAAIVQ/HD2PRpF_z7Y1-jQgefZiHOLMNnXei4ZjACLcB/s1600/banner_frogsleap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kcvz8mH_XMQ/V5B5EdQxF_I/AAAAAAAAIVQ/HD2PRpF_z7Y1-jQgefZiHOLMNnXei4ZjACLcB/s640/banner_frogsleap.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>Image - WineMatch.com</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> </span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Here is an interesting interview I read from a blog called </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">"Organic Wines Uncorked" </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">with organic vineyard & winemaker John Williams of Frog's Leap Winery of Rutherford California. He actually get's into the science of how his practice of what the industry calls, "terroir" which takes into consideration the geographical locations, the soil type, the regional climate, and the specific farming techniques utilized by people which are optimal for a particular set of environmental circumstances to an area. Basically, John Williams is describing an interesting phenomena called epigenetics which is becoming more and more researched as a clearer understanding of DNA is discovered with program studies like ENCODE. Science has been held back for decades because of an ignorance about this fascinating biological function for all life which has been opposed by a powerful ruling Scientific Orthodoxy who for decades have insisted upon on it's own mystic version of consensus settled science. Take a look at the interview and Frog's Leap Vineyard owner, John Williams' practice of Biomimicry in maintaining his vineyards:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"We get beautiful flavors, dead right - for two reasons - one, the vines are fully hydrated and they've regulated their own growth. The other thing is, from a winemaking point of view, you've got a smart grapevine." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"The grape roots are where all the information is, in these last two or three root cells. They run the hormonal cycles of grapes." Growth and ripening and other aspects of development are both regulated by these cells." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"That message comes from the roots. If your roots are constricted or living in a false environment of fertilizer and water, they don't know to send the message to the grapevine saying, 'Let's go, the soil is drying, the temperature of the soil is warming up. Now's the time to ripen our fruit. Now's the time to produce flavor. Now's the time to produce color.'" </i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Take close note of what he is describing here above. He's talking about epigenetic responses to environmental cues. Although I'm not even sure if he actually understands what epigenetics is. Most people do not. These grapevines are living biological machinery interconnected with the programmed machinery of other biological lifeforms within the soil profile. There are no copying errors or random mutations, no dumb luck, no Junk DNA or a blind unguided tinker bell [natural selection] making fortuitous choices with it's magic wand based on some Dice Theory nonsense. These are living biological machines following their genetic programming through sensory mechanisms and responding to the stable or unstable environment around them. Also, when it comes to these disease attacks like that of the Phylloxera virus wreaking havoc on California vineyards and other parts of the globe, John Williams places the blame squarely on the irrigation practices (and synthetic fertilizers) for making grapevines dumb. The vines become dumb because of the welfare program of artifical life-support system [irrigation/synthetics] recommended by industrial agriculture bent on keeping the status quo in hopes of keeping their own business model in power and authority. And he continues:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"If you have dumb grape vines - and we believe that's what results...you get a grapevine that has no idea what time of year it is, what the temperature of the soil is, what the moisture content of the soil is, what the pheromones and the fungi in the soil are saying…it has no idea of what's going on." </i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>"It's not just about hydration and fertility and vigor management. It's this knowledge that comes from the deep connection to the soil - and the hormonal cycles that come out of that."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Again, he is speaking about and describing the incredible engineering performed by those epigenetic on and off switches within genes of a lifeform's DNA which guides and regulates based on environmental input sensing. This is the same thing I've obsevered for years when I collected the same type or kind of plant specimens from different elevations and environments. Only after planting them side by side, could I see first hand that the higher elevation specimens had a later bud break compared to lower elevations specimens whose buds would emerge two months earlier. Yet they [Alnus rhombifolia or the common White Alder] looked identically the same in appearance. Cleary having an understanding of whole plant systems and how they work and function is an important part of what the wine industry calls, Terroir. Terroir (French pronunciation: from terre, "land") is the set of all environmental factors that affect a crop's epigenetic qualities, unique environment contexts and farming practices, when the crop is grown in a specific habitat. With industrial science-based agricultural practices the terroir doesn't matter as it is their belief you can force anything in the pursuit of that precious goal known as "Higher Yields." That's what is killing this planet. Below is a great page from Frog's Leap Winery which attempts to explain how vines think and what they want so to speak.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIw-mqtRMmE/V45DB0eXKOI/AAAAAAAAIUo/6qWwfTz5tB4-XWDjAcdPFryoI053g3qAgCLcB/s1600/Terroir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIw-mqtRMmE/V45DB0eXKOI/AAAAAAAAIUo/6qWwfTz5tB4-XWDjAcdPFryoI053g3qAgCLcB/s400/Terroir.jpg" width="351" /></a></td></tr>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - Frog's Leap Winery</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.frogsleap.com/thinking-like-a-vine.php"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Frog's Leap Winery: Thinking Like a Vine</span></a></span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><b><i>Sustainability means taking good care and concern for the welfare of your Employees year round</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ft0m8Rookd0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ft0m8Rookd0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a side point away from the techniques and science behind Dryland farming, but it's an important one for making the entire system work. I found John Williams care for his employees to be a good business model for others to follow</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/frogs-leap-winery-saves-10-million-gallons-of-water-a-year-with-dry-farming.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Treehugger: Frog's Leap Winery: Saves 10 Million Gallons of Water a Year with Dry-Farming</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-large;"><b>===============================</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Below is another great documentary which came out some time ago which is called, </span><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">"Symphony of the Soil"</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">, which attempts to explain the harmonious balance within the soil which farmers and other land managers practice in what is known as biomimetics as opposed to forcing imperfect human goals on the system for higher yields. The documentary features scientists, farmers and ranchers and offers a glimpse of the possibilities that healthy biodiverse microbial soil creates for healthy plants. The film also includes a portrait of the biomimetic techniques practiced by the winemaker John Williams of Frog’s Leap Vineyards in Rutherford, California, where organically managed dry-farmed grape vineyards make ideally healthy soil and award-winning wine. There is also a great review of the documentary over on the </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><b>IMDb</b></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> film review pages.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>This documentary takes us through the formation, use, and history of soil and makes a compelling case for organic farming and for forgetting technological fixes that ignore the reality of the biology of soils. This is not information that agribusiness wants people to know, since their business model relies on heavy machinery, genetic engineering, and chemical-intensive methods."</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"Most compelling is that many answers to the problems of food production, pollution, environmental degradation, and disease are already here and in use, if only people would listen, become informed, and buy wisely. I had some idea, but not to the extent shown in the film, of soil's importance. I really had no idea that the solutions to our problems lie well within our grasp if only we can change our ways.</i></span><i style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"> </i> </blockquote>
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<i style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">"</i><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>Somewhat explored in the documentary are the ideas that a tremendous amount of inertia lies in current practices, both in terms of government regulation which favors agribusiness, and in terms of perception resulting from public relations campaigns and advertising these multinationals use to preserve their profitable business model."</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i>"However, the film does not come off as a political diatribe, but only as the accumulated wisdom of many experts in the field, both academic and working organic farmers. The film serves more as an open-ended exploration of these points of view, tying perceptions into scientific fact and common sense."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2229397/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source - llbreaux)</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">I love towards the end his review where he makes special note to the fact that this film "does not come off as a political diatribe." That's important because so many environmental organizations, movements, activists, their followers, etc who claim to champion Nature are more often than not filled with hatred for others blaming their opposing political ideology for the world's problems. The effect is to turn many people off to their message. I understand why they do this. Mostly non-profit ecology organizations irrespective of the cause have to keep their followers angry and stirred up. If they are happy and content, the leadership loses their power in the movement and donations stop rolling in. Those donations are extremely important and unfortunately, like todays various news outlets, only negative news sells and attracts. You'll find very few truly viable solutions offered other than total elimination of the opposing side. The Eco-Activist political organizations while championing Nature, are often hesitant to even critize the modern Biotechnology and Agro-Chemical Industry. Mainly because they fear backlash from their followers who may assign to them the label of Anti-Science. We live today in this culture of science which will question nothing that comes from Science or a Scientist. To criticize or point out the major flaws of such hallowed institutions is considered almost a religious heresy of sorts and doctrinal sacrilege. Below here I'll provide the Soil documentary's website and a couple of good trailer links on Vimeo.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7iZ46OXyU8/V5CgAQWRB3I/AAAAAAAAIVg/mh4yf01bfuQKmEALQUZ_H7qv2QHiswHrQCLcB/s1600/symphony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7iZ46OXyU8/V5CgAQWRB3I/AAAAAAAAIVg/mh4yf01bfuQKmEALQUZ_H7qv2QHiswHrQCLcB/s640/symphony.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><a href="http://www.symphonyofthesoil.com/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.symphonyofthesoil.com</span></i></b></a></span></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Here are three good trailer link for the Documentary:</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/109196596"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Symphony of the Soil - “Beginning of the Film” (Clip)</span></i></b></a></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/109195364"><b><i><span style="color: blue;"></span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/109195364"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Symphony of the Soil - “A Place Full of Life” (Clip)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/97448402"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Portrait of a Winemaker: John Williams of Frog’s Leap</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>===============================</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Some concluding comments on Deep Pipe Irrigation to supplement Dryland Farming shackled by Climate Change ?</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pFii7aFuFk/V45Sltu5EwI/AAAAAAAAIVA/GcfuIlqIiU07RP1u47e_bT5rsY3VasBsQCLcB/s1600/IMGP2565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pFii7aFuFk/V45Sltu5EwI/AAAAAAAAIVA/GcfuIlqIiU07RP1u47e_bT5rsY3VasBsQCLcB/s640/IMGP2565.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image - Mine 2012</i></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8MGk1X9cVcE/V5DGsd1glaI/AAAAAAAAIVw/D8UOiQ2bZ4gFFW9wcSWnNCmAXrYYDR1-gCLcB/s1600/fig_10_4_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8MGk1X9cVcE/V5DGsd1glaI/AAAAAAAAIVw/D8UOiQ2bZ4gFFW9wcSWnNCmAXrYYDR1-gCLcB/s320/fig_10_4_7.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">These meter long gray drainage pipes in the photo above I purchased from one of the two Swedish Home Improvement stores. Bau Haus or Hornbach over here in Gothenburg which are German owned companies. I've often used this simple illustration at right here of a very simple type of deep pipe irrigation, but my feeling is that someone who is creative enough could build a far less expensive system on their own if they have an inventive know how. I have also referenced the design of the one from Hunter Industries product which is a deep root zone watering system. My only difference would be to have a pipe without the various holes down the sides or even a perforated mesh or screen full length down the sides. I want the water placed at least one meter deep into the soil. This in my opinion would be better for the vineyards if you have trained the root systems to grow straight downwards with a advanced technological device like the </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Groasis Waterboxx</span><span style="color: #660000;"> which has already proven to accomplish this many times over. I would drill a hole into the soil a little bigger diameter than the pipe and perhaps four feet down. Then place crushed gravel at the bottom of the hole to help water settle and percolate. The illustration below from the well known company Rainbird shows almost similar design as Hunter Industries, but the fittings and other small companents could be purchased separately and incorporated into your purchase PVC Pipe. Their scheme is to have hydration throughout the soil profile. Mine would be a simple straight solid (no holes] meter long pipe where water only percolates at the bottom into the crushed rock at about a meter down with the top end of the pipe at the surface with an end cap which allows air flow as in the illustration. I would further put a fine screen or mesh on the underside of the cap to prevent further fine debris from entering the pipe.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DQF6eMrT764/V5DJNmWf66I/AAAAAAAAIV8/ChdJboFFigsyvNaj4919TwjEng0-F_44QCLcB/s1600/deeper%2Bpipe-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DQF6eMrT764/V5DJNmWf66I/AAAAAAAAIV8/ChdJboFFigsyvNaj4919TwjEng0-F_44QCLcB/s640/deeper%2Bpipe-1.jpg" width="585" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><i>Courtesy of Rain Bird</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1QH8MPqBIEU/V45SNR3ETjI/AAAAAAAAIU4/qcTbEIMCkl4sUUF909mbwjsLzs_CjqDxgCLcB/s1600/IMGP2568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1QH8MPqBIEU/V45SNR3ETjI/AAAAAAAAIU4/qcTbEIMCkl4sUUF909mbwjsLzs_CjqDxgCLcB/s200/IMGP2568.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - Mine 2012</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">In 2012 I had this so-called bright idea of creating a far different growing container system for desert plants in the pea family like Cat'sclaw Acacia, Mesquite, Palo Verde, Desert Ironwood, etc. I had strips of burlap that I would sew together using the white PCV pipe above as a guiding mould of sorts for creating a burlap planting tube. These burlap tubes are a meter in length and</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> in remote planting sites you would have needed to drill holes about a meter to accomodate the seedling burlap tube. The idea was that such a design would better facilitate the very long tap root which is the main rooting structure of such desert plants. I've experimented in the past with Mesquite, Palo Verde & Cat'sclaw Acacia seeds and in a mere 2 or 3 weeks the taproot would grow between two to three foot long. The taproot is a major component of desert plant survival success. But since the seed develops so quickly, I realized it would have been a waste of time and material to use the burlap containers. Also, with the new introduction of the </span><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2016/06/groasis-waterboxx-desert-greening-root.html"><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Groasis-Waterboxx</span></b></i></a><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">, this incredible device and technology renders the burlap tube sock idea worthless. The point with the deep pipe irrigation system on a mostly dryland farmed vineyard is to be as a backup to an undependable climate change scenario around the globe.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlmktjhSJcU/V5iCvMr_H0I/AAAAAAAAIXY/9nMbEPGJgOwnMBQ4PIhmYai9yCd1tqa0QCLcB/s1600/deep%2Bpipe%2Bauger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlmktjhSJcU/V5iCvMr_H0I/AAAAAAAAIXY/9nMbEPGJgOwnMBQ4PIhmYai9yCd1tqa0QCLcB/s640/deep%2Bpipe%2Bauger.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">Image - Penn State University - Wine & Grapes</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">The image above from Penn State is not an example of installation of deep pipe irrigation, but rather the taking of soil cores to measure nutrient concentrations down to one meter deep. However it does beautifully illustrate just how you could use an auger to create the deep pipe irrigation holes to install the meter pipe sleeves. Preferably this should be done beetween the grapevines and prior to actual planting if possible. One wouldn't necessarily have to water in summer, but simply water to supplement less than adequate rainfall season totals, if that makes sense. (especially since such events are gone to be more and more common in the future) But also if necessary, deep water for adequate moisture levels if vines are stressed. The other advantage is less moisture on the soil surface means no weeds and no herbicides. The future is unpredictable with these coming uncertain changes. And even if a vineyard does want to irrigate anyway, they would not have to waste as much water and painstakingly maintain a tedious drip system which easily clogs and subject to wildlife damage. These were just a few of my thoughts and ideas regarding irrigation and also research which has helped me about the science of what plants in the wild prefer as far as hydration and practicing biomimetics as a way to replicate nature in the designing process. Farmers, landscapers and home gardeners need major deprogramming on conventional industrial science-based techniques and re-educate themselves on how nature truly operates. Once people learn it's all about feeding and watering the soils properly, the underground ecosystem will take care of the plants above the ground.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>Update August 2nd 2016</b></span></blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">An analysis of 74,000 blind taste-tests by professional wine reviewers shows that </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Eco-Certified </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wines</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> get higher ratings than regular wines. </span></i></b></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqwQ4vej3Ig/V6F-onRc2GI/AAAAAAAAIhc/z5UWlq_pS4svP7ZlnUqbWntnOx37wDp3QCLcB/s1600/Neville%252BNel%252C%252Bflickr%252Bcreative%252Bcommons%252B2.0%252C%252B%2527vineyard%252Bin%252Ba%252Bglass%2527_mid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqwQ4vej3Ig/V6F-onRc2GI/AAAAAAAAIhc/z5UWlq_pS4svP7ZlnUqbWntnOx37wDp3QCLcB/s400/Neville%252BNel%252C%252Bflickr%252Bcreative%252Bcommons%252B2.0%252C%252B%2527vineyard%252Bin%252Ba%252Bglass%2527_mid.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Inage - Neville Nel/Flickr</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/UCLA%20Newsroo:%20%22Do%20eco-friendly%20wines%20taste%20better?%22"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">UCLA Newsroo: "Do eco-friendly wines taste better?"</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><b>=========================================</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #7f6000;">Some Serious references on </span><span style="color: #274e13;">Deeproots</span><span style="color: #7f6000;"> and subterranean </span><span style="color: blue;">Irrigation Technologies</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.deeprootscoalition.org/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.deeprootscoalition.org</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://modernfarmer.com/2015/12/dry-farming-wine/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://modernfarmer.com/2015/12/dry-farming-wine</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.caff.org/programs/sustainability/vineyards/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.caff.org/programs/sustainability/vineyards</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://winecountrygeographic.blogspot.se/2014/08/just-gimme-some-of-that-old-time-dry.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Organic Wines Uncorked: Just Gimme Some of That Old Time Dry Farming: Napa-ites Say It Produces Better Wines</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Roles of Epigenetic Switches in Rooting Infrastructure & Architecture</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2633966/"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Plant Signaling & Behvior - Efflux of hydraulically lifted water from mycorrhizal fungal hyphae during imposed drought</span></b></i></a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://primary-water.blogspot.se/2016/04/epigenetic-mechanisms-defined.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Epigenetic Mechanisms Defined & Illustrated</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Image Animation - BrayBrookGroup</i></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Deep Subterranean Irrigation Resources</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hunterindustries.com/irrigation-product/micro-irrigation/root-zone-watering-system"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.hunterindustries.com/irrigation-product/micro-irrigation/root-zone-watering-system</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.swanwatersolutions.com/rd"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://en.swanwatersolutions.com/rd</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://middleeast.polypipe.com/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://middleeast.polypipe.com</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Kalifornien, USA36.778261 -119.4179323999999823.886875500000002 -140.07222939999997 49.6696465 -98.763635399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964420214422931785.post-53673505231231982812016-07-06T09:23:00.001-07:002016-08-18T02:10:37.175-07:00BREAKING NEWS: Apparently Trees don't really Gulp, Guzzle & Water Hog, only Humans do that <span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Somewhere Roger C. Bales & Michael Goulden just fell off the proverbial chair</span></b></i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tR_HQxjAF3w/VpkMzmNEGUI/AAAAAAAAHLY/AlZw1ysMzxA/s1600/drought-cloud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tR_HQxjAF3w/VpkMzmNEGUI/AAAAAAAAHLY/AlZw1ysMzxA/s400/drought-cloud.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.5455px;">Artist John Cox, Terre Haute, Indiana.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.5455px;"> (White Cloud 1942 - published in Life 1948)</span></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Those large wildland Mega-Fires are actually Ecologically Beneficial - Seriously ???</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) </span><i>— The wildfire that scorched nearly 600 square miles of land in Oklahoma and Kansas in March cleared out more eastern red cedars in a week than local efforts to eradicate the invasive species could have accomplished in decades, conservation experts say.</i></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>"This was an ecological cleansing for the environment," said Ken Brunson, wildlife diversity coordinator with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. "That's mixed-grass prairie down there. Prairie survives with fire."</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/state-and-regional/wildfire-in-kansas-oklahoma-called-ecological-cleansing/article_8be50bd7-1f24-5755-b884-282571174f35.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source - St. Louis Post-Dispatch)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dNK1c9Qy9PM/V3tbKoCXnOI/AAAAAAAAIOo/cxDNQULdQz437fOepSWwmBmhn1-OCzuqwCLcB/s1600/577aac8555ed0.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dNK1c9Qy9PM/V3tbKoCXnOI/AAAAAAAAIOo/cxDNQULdQz437fOepSWwmBmhn1-OCzuqwCLcB/s400/577aac8555ed0.image.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>(Aron Flanders/US Fish & Wildlife Service photo via AP)</b></span></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>May 2014 photo provided by Aron Flanders of the US Fish and Wildlife Service shows eastern red cedar infeastation in Southern Barber County in Kansas before the Anderson Creek wildfire. </b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">The article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was entitled, "Wildfire in Kansas, Oklahoma called 'ecological cleansing'" and the same theme was carried by other News outlets. But doesn't that new label or terminology, <span style="color: #990000;">'ecological cleansing'</span>, have an eerily familiar ring to it ? </span>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: medium;"><b><i>"Ethnic Cleansing" - </i></b></span><b style="font-size: large;">is the systematic forced removal of ethnic or religious groups from a given territory by a more powerful ethnic group, with the intent of making it ethnically homogeneous. <span style="color: blue;">(Wikipedia)</span></b></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Keep watching out there for this latest derogatory term to make the rounds and become a regular part of the scientific community's more enlightened vocabulary. Especially where industrial business interests are concerned. One of the biggest mistakes human beings make when attempting to describe something in the natural world is they tend to judge and view things about Nature only in human terms and you cannot do that with the natural world around us. The common flaw in human viewpoint on things in nature are generally based on things they like or dislike, things they view as beautiful or things that are ugly, things that annoy or please them, etc, etc, etc. Things that are inconvenient, bad, creepy, spooky, evil, good, are motivated by loads of emotional bias. In the case of the Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), there are economic considerations. Take a further look at what US Fish and Wildlife Service, Aron Flanders says regarding Eastern Red Cedar:</span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>"Yes, we killed the trees with the wildfire, but we didn't remove the problem," said Aron Flanders, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The trees still standing will act as a shelter for the next generation of trees."</b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzljApKRrqk/V3tU3W0DnKI/AAAAAAAAIOY/1tbiEHqCHYst9ImeyIKVmxhO7RZIre7HwCLcB/s1600/577aac8542ae2.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzljApKRrqk/V3tU3W0DnKI/AAAAAAAAIOY/1tbiEHqCHYst9ImeyIKVmxhO7RZIre7HwCLcB/s400/577aac8542ae2.image.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>(Aron Flanders/US Fish & Wildlife Service photo via AP)</b></span></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The May 2016 photo provided by Aron Flanders, of the US Fish and Wildlife Service shows reduced eastern red cedar infestation in Southern Barber County in Kansas after the Anderson Creek wildfire. The wildfire that scortched nearly 600 square miles of land in Oklahoma and Kansas in March 2016 destroyed homes, killed livestock and damaged thousands of miles of fence. But conservation experts say it also cleared out more eastern red cedar trees in less than a week than local efforts to eradicate the invasive species could have accomplished in decades.</b></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Apparently to some experts like Aron Flanders, if these dead trees are not removed by allowing logging companies to come in and harvest them, then this disastrous scenario will happen:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Red cedars, also known as junipers, are fast-growing, drought-resistant trees that are useful for erosion control along canyon edges in the region's Red Hills. But they're a nuisance on prairie land because they crowd out native grasses, suck up moisture from the soil and reduce the amount of forage area for wildlife and livestock.</b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dSnGDeOCsvo/V3uikUahQDI/AAAAAAAAIO4/RtuJR1dgiIYA0RSgcIeDVjBLyX_YfFEOgCLcB/s1600/s066024519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dSnGDeOCsvo/V3uikUahQDI/AAAAAAAAIO4/RtuJR1dgiIYA0RSgcIeDVjBLyX_YfFEOgCLcB/s320/s066024519.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>(Credit: US Forest Service)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Does some of the terminology sound familiar ? These trees are known to </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">'suck water'</span><span style="font-size: large;">, </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">'guzzle water'</span><span style="font-size: large;">, or </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">'gulp down water' </span><span style="font-size: large;">??? This was the same stunt pulled in California where certain hydrological experts made the same accusation against all the trees in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The claim was that the lack of water in streams, rivers and reservoirs were drying up not because of the four (going on five) year drought (climate change induced), but rather because the native vegetation was at fault for gulping down all the available water which prevent big industrial agricultural interests from getting their big share. After all, they only want to feed mankind. Their theory suggested that if logging companies were allowed to harvest and thin throughout the Sierra Nevadas, that water would return to the streams, rivers and lakes of California. But oddly enough we don't have to wait that long to see if their theorized massive logging projects would bring improved stream flows, because the media has been posting this news headline everywhere:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/06/22/dead-trees-california-wildfires/86248722/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">A record 66 million trees have died in Calif., increasing fire risk</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>=========================================</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Water Guzzling Alert: </span>Roger C. Bales is still on the Tree Logging warpath for Industrial Agriculture again</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.novim.org/resources/novim-news/448-sierra-nevada-snow-won-t-end-california-s-thirst"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">New York Times: Sierra Nevada Snow Won’t End California’s Thirst - by Henry Fountain, April 11, 2016</span></i></b></a> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>=========================================</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">The big question though to those hydrological experts is, did they do any studies in regions where millions upon millions of dead trees occurred and did shy mystic water magically increase in the streams, rivers and lakes ? No and the reason is you need water from normal rainy seasons to make that happen in the first place. Despite the less than as advertise El Nino saviour coming to the rescue, it didn't even make a dent in the drought. But back to the controversy of the Eastern Red Cedar, the ranchers and others with vested agricultural interests who have greatly exaggerated the Eastern Red Cedar as greedy user of water and those imaginary detrimental side effects these trees have on grasslands. Rumor has been spread around that the Eastern Red Cedar consumes 50-60 gallons of water daily, stealing it from precious grazing lands. However that appears to be a gross exaggeration. Oklahoma State Division of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources said this:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.5px;"><i><b>"With funding from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Giulia Caterina, graduate student, Will and Chris Zou, ecohydrology assistant professor, found that, on average, redcedar trees used six gallons of water per day."</b></i></span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ve_WAFpoqAo/V3z21dZ2rjI/AAAAAAAAIQw/6dMjpdw46VIvjSvZXctLCwEMXMz5aS2TACLcB/s1600/weed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ve_WAFpoqAo/V3z21dZ2rjI/AAAAAAAAIQw/6dMjpdw46VIvjSvZXctLCwEMXMz5aS2TACLcB/s200/weed.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Eastern Red Cedar's biggest drawbacks are mainly a lousy public relations, because for the most part humans judge this native tree as having no value either economically or aesthetically in the opinion of the person who hates it. People have a flawed tendency to judge most things in the natural world the same failed way they misjudge other human beings who are from different cultures, races, ethnicities, etc. Hence we have a ruined planet as a result both physically and socially. I've stumbled upon this stupid reasoning with native plants in the chaparral plant community of Southern California where humans place value on certain specific plants because they have good ornamental value, can make money off them or generally have that eye candy curb appeal. So what exactly did Ralph Waldo Emerson mean by looking for "virtues" in a weed ? We should first define weed. A weed should not necessarily be considered one of those usual pesky annual ruderals which invade and carpet your yard for which Roundup is employed. Truthfully a weed is any plant that interferes with a human being's opinion of what they consider to be useful, pretty, good, of economic value, etc. The term "virtues" equates 'good qualities'. Emerson is just saying that plants classed as weeds may turn out to have uses we may not as yet know about. For example many chaparral plants in Mediterranean climates act as an important erosion control component mechanism for a time after disasters. Thereafter other more desirable plants can grab a foot hold and are helped to survive early life and eventually replace the chaparral nurse plants. Certain Chaparral nurse plants [many of them disliked as dull or mundane] have this same quality of mothering or nursing many valuable tree saplings until the trees are large enough to succeed them as an old growth forest. But there is no getting away from the repetitive ignorance for which most ignorant people accel. Much of the ignorance and arrogance comes from the very people who should know better for know other reasons than their credentials. Take note of one Professor's biased opinion of the Eastern Red Cedar.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: medium;"><b><i>If these were California Redwoods, beautiful and pristine, or some useful tree species to man or animals, I might feel differently. But even when they're allowed to grow with plenty of space around them, Red Cedars often aren't very pretty or useful.</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Professor James Roush, Kansas State University</b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5dZxhfBBYo/V30I3AjbUJI/AAAAAAAAIRA/mNV9K841-6gEDh3g5x-0U0t_WoUOyZzBACLcB/s1600/Miller%2Bfig3d%2Bredcedar%2Binvasion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5dZxhfBBYo/V30I3AjbUJI/AAAAAAAAIRA/mNV9K841-6gEDh3g5x-0U0t_WoUOyZzBACLcB/s400/Miller%2Bfig3d%2Bredcedar%2Binvasion.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Photo Devan McGranahan & M.C. Christy</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Interestingly, the Eatern Red Cedar does have excelling value even if the elites among us refuse to recognize and acknowledge this value. For example aside from being an actual native to Oklahoma and eastern Kansas/Missouri, the areas further east are Virginia, North Carolina etc. In the eastern USA they mainly <strike>invade</strike> reclaim the old abandon farm fields. Much like the unused farmland in the photograph above somewhere in the midwest. In the wild the Red Cedar is a pioneer tree. Where they form woodlands. Eventually the more desirable hardwood trees develop and emerge from the Red Cedar's nurse plant services and replace them in about 100+ years. Therein lies the main problem for humans. It's called impatience. No one wants to wait 100 long years before they can harvest. That's the same thing out west where chaparral is demonized as a competitor plant [often claimed to be an invasive in it's own native habitat] instead of a facilitator of Timber tree species. Industrial Corporate Science <span style="color: #990000;">[SweTree]</span> here in Sweden has also developed GMO Trees which can be harvested in 20 years instead of 100 years. This process is also helped along by helicopters dumping loads of synthetic pellet fertilizers to bypass what they view as slow inferior natural systems. The Red Cedar Trees also aid wildlife with both shelter and food. Interestingly, contrary to what humans think, the Red Cedar is incapable of planning, scheming and invading on it's own. It simply responds to environmental cues and opportunities provided by wildlife. Take a look at the recent research below of how birds create newer ecosystems.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Migratory birds can disperse seeds long distances & create new ecosystems ???</i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3168vlvNZA/VvG3LxN1nGI/AAAAAAAAHPg/uqOXzoqKETEt7GQwmPZFg-8_q8WBLgWgA/s1600/Aves-migratorias-dispersan-semillas-a-larga-distancia_image_380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3168vlvNZA/VvG3LxN1nGI/AAAAAAAAHPg/uqOXzoqKETEt7GQwmPZFg-8_q8WBLgWgA/s400/Aves-migratorias-dispersan-semillas-a-larga-distancia_image_380.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image - Francesco Veronesi 2010</span><br /><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: small;">Common Redstart male (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)</span></b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Some species of plants are capable of colonising new habitats thanks to birds that transport their seeds in their plumage or digestive tract. Until recently it was known that birds could do this over short distances, but a new study shows that they are also capable of dispersing them over more than 300 kilometres. For researchers, this function could be key in the face of climate change, allowing the survival of many species.</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.amjbot.org/content/87/9/1217.full"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">(Source: American Journal of Botany)</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ESsdOWmgMUU/V30NaAApZEI/AAAAAAAAIRM/L7PJk1sQwtM8D5hl80KVuNI0y68FtNbiACLcB/s1600/cedarwax%2Bwing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ESsdOWmgMUU/V30NaAApZEI/AAAAAAAAIRM/L7PJk1sQwtM8D5hl80KVuNI0y68FtNbiACLcB/s200/cedarwax%2Bwing.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Image: Sherri Patrick Brandt</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hmmm, I think there is a reason this bird on the right is called a Cedar Waxwing. They have a love and passion for all kinds of berries.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> But there are actually 20+ other birds which will dine on the Eastern Red Cedar berries as well and yes, they slowly extend ecosystems or create newer ones. Apparently they too should be considered the new evil villans behind invasiveness. Anyone who has ever tried to germinate Juniper berries [which is what Eastern Red Cedar actually is], know the difficulty in making that happen. Artificially they need to use something like sulfuric acid to soak seeds in order to break the hard protective shell coating to allow water to penetrate. Any bird's or animal's digestive tract is the perfect environment for that task. In many of the negative commentary I've read about Eastern Red Cedar and especially by the so-called Experts on the subject, they warn about allowing the trees to remain because they produce 1000s upon 1000s of seeds that fall off the tree and produce more trees. Some of this stuff is the most ignorant propaganda I've ever read by any experts in official positions of authority. Maybe they should kill off all the birds and that will seal the deal. Read up on how China did that with Sparrows and how well that worked out for them.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">The real </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">Water</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> problem is not </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Nature</span><span style="color: #bf9000;">, but rather a Human created </span><span style="color: #990000;">Climate Disruption</span></i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Let's take a few examples. Another demonized Juniper in this region of the central plains is the Ashe Juniper which has been on the receiving end of other derogatory labeling to excuse and smokescreen human stupidity and ignorance. The Ashe Juniper as well as the Red Cedar in Texas has been labeled as <span style="color: #0b5394;">"Water Thief"</span>,<span style="color: #0b5394;"> "Sunction Pump"</span>, and <span style="color: #0b5394;">"Water Hog"</span>. Oddly enough, most of the negative articles demonizing these plants are produced by local industry leaders in commercial agriculture and Media sources whose own economy is based on those in the Ranching biz. Another demonized tree, Western Juniper, in eastern Oregon is also being accused of being invasive in it's own native range. Oregon State University who provided the research for the study was funded by the Oregon Beef Counsel. See my link below under references called "Pretzel Logic." Now below is another link which shows how important Junipers are to wildlife. So important that the Golden Cheeked Warbler of Texas is extremely endangered because of the Cattle Industry destroying habitat for raising beef.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>"Golden-cheeked warblers are endangered because many tall juniper and oak woodlands have been cleared to build houses, roads, and stores. Some habitat was cleared to grow crops or grass for livestock. Other habitat areas were flooded when large lakes were built."</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/gcw/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia)</span></i></b></a> </blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Below here is yet another report on the lying assertions made against the Ashe Juniper of Texas which often is found with Eastern Red Cedar. The Ashe Cedar like the Red Cedar also has been given the reputation of being a water guzzler, but responsible scientific research has proved otherwise. These researchers had no vested financial interest in the outcome of the study because of who funded them.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.plateauwildlife.com/seasons/spring2009.pdf"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Plateau Land & Wildlife: New Research Shows Ashe Juniper not the Water Hog It Was Thought To Be</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<b>Historically the Edwards Plateau was a dynamic mosaic of grasslands and woodlands and much more savannah like. Cedars were found mainly in canyons where they were protected from wildfires. When settlers arrived, the introduction of cattle led to overgrazing, and, combined with the lack of fire, gave cedar the opportunity to expand its range and take over.</b></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now let's look at the real problem behind native prairie grass loss. Take into consideration what was reference above about agriculture. Human greed from it's earliest start on the North American continent where people from Europe fantasized about making fortunes in cattle ranching brought in more cattle than the land could support. The problem is, bobody ever considers the plant world's ecosystems as a cooperating biologically fine tuned run machine, but that's exactly what it is. Or rather was. Take a close look below at what overgrazing actually does to root infrastructure of prairie grasses.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MEnbl0xGBNE/V3vIshZZyDI/AAAAAAAAIPI/1umFOZ3otmwGNi25DZyrgQtxcUstCSMpACLcB/s1600/root-1-ed1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MEnbl0xGBNE/V3vIshZZyDI/AAAAAAAAIPI/1umFOZ3otmwGNi25DZyrgQtxcUstCSMpACLcB/s400/root-1-ed1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;">University of Florida</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AMKOdp3JDek/V3vX3lFUsEI/AAAAAAAAIPY/bjvw7DMjEJwscXIl8tRa89aTl7xzdFdyACLcB/s1600/sambinghamgrassroots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AMKOdp3JDek/V3vX3lFUsEI/AAAAAAAAIPY/bjvw7DMjEJwscXIl8tRa89aTl7xzdFdyACLcB/s200/sambinghamgrassroots.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Photo - Mark Mauldin</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Both photos above and to the right show grass experiments where the blades were deliberately clipped and kept clipped at varying length levels from the ground surface. They basically replicated wild prairie lightly grazed to heavy overgrazing. The photo at right is from a Canadian research station showing the root growth of bunchgrass plants that were kept clipped at certain levels. In each case the above ground foliage dictated how well the root system developed and maintained health and vigor. Now look at this photograph below of a bahiagrass pasture in Washington County, Florida, that has experienced significant stand loss. Before any efforts to salvage or replant this pasture can be successful, the factors leading to the decline must be identified and addressed. In many cases the shorter roots and struggling grasses succumb to a pest called 'Ground Pearls.' But in the photograph below, does anyone see any invasive Red Cedar or Ashe Junipers out there causing the prairie grasses to descend into a major decline ???</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QTo28gaHbMw/V3vdCv-pvCI/AAAAAAAAIPo/TwAfR1vYUBwBRXxGy578gWhr_WnE4d9oQCLcB/s1600/bad-pasture-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QTo28gaHbMw/V3vdCv-pvCI/AAAAAAAAIPo/TwAfR1vYUBwBRXxGy578gWhr_WnE4d9oQCLcB/s640/bad-pasture-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Photo by Mark Mauldin</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">People clearly are going to have to do their own homework on this. Mankind has set a climate change process in motion which is having a major ecosystem disrupting domino effects all over the Earth. Chaparral plants systems are replacing dead and dying trees throughout California. Experts want to blame chaparral which are incapable of evil thought, scheming and planning to ruin things for human business ventures. Had people actually paid close attention to much of the available good science out there instead of shortcut industrial science, then maybe the planet wouldn't be in the toilet right now.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Frankly I don't know what else there is to say. Each one is going to have to decide which authority they are going to believe and follow. In the mean time, considering there are no real viable materialist solutions, why not enjoy reading up on some history on what Nature use to be like from an early explorer's writings who first discovered these natural wonders. Pay close attention to what things use to look like before intellectuals 150+ years ago told us nature was flawed and badly designed and only Man's enlightenment could fix the copying errors and make a profit on the deal all in one shot.</span><br />
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<a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2014_05_01_archive.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Juan Bautista de Anza & Pedro Font Diaries archive</span></i></b></a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #990000;"><b>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</b></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Further Reading References</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://creating-a-new-earth.blogspot.se/2014/04/pretzel-logic-denial-of-science-is.html"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Pretzel Logic & the "Denial of the science is malpractice" Mandate Define science ?, What science ?, Who's science ?</span></i></b> </a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.plateauwildlife.com/seasons/spring2009.pdf"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">New Research Shows Ashe Juniper Not the Water Hog It Was Thought To Be</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.landsteward.net/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">http://www.landsteward.net</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://thecontraryfarmer.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/our-love-hate-relationship-with-the-red-cedar-tree/"><b><i><span style="color: blue;">Our Love-Hate Relationship With The Red Cedar Tree</span></i></b></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Chaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.com0Kansas, OK 74347, USA36.2050851 -94.797727736.1794586 -94.8380682 36.2307116 -94.7573872