Thanks Barry and Robin for your encouragement and the great education I am getting on forest ecology.
Eve > From: Barry Carter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 13:47:35 -0600 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Hijacking Forests in BC, Canada > > Dear Robin and Eve, > > At 01:39 PM 9/15/2002, you wrote: >> Eve, >> >> Go for it! It's good that you are experimenting with local shrubs. >> Industrial foresters often view shrubs as 'weed' or competition for their >> tree plantation. You would be surprised to see how many forests areas are >> being herbicide to eliminate shrubs. In our region it's the law to 'free' >> the plantation from competition. In a nut shell, it's all about growing >> wood as fast as possible to get more rights of cut. >> >> Shrubs have many important ecological functions; probably more then we even >> know about. > > I like your analogy and have some research info to support the importance > of maintaining the full range of succession in the forest ecosystem. Soil > compaction which results from even a single pass of most wheeled and > tracked logging equipment will reduce the site soil productivity. Timothy > O. Sexton in his LITERATURE REVIEW AND STUDY PLAN: EFFECTS OF POST-FIRE > SALVAGE LOGGING AND GRASS SEEDING ON PINUS PONDEROSA AND PURSHIA TRIDENTATA > SURVIVAL AND GROWTH cites research which supports the contention that > ground based logging methods contribute to higher levels of soil compaction > and disturbance than is commonly assumed in Forest Service analysis. Tim's > observations suggest that the loss of shrubs and grasses in salvage logged > areas can improve the short term growth of confer seedlings but that their > long term growth is impaired. You can read the document above at: > > http://www.subtleenergies.com/ormus/bmnfa/fsalvage.htm >
