Hi Geoff, You are right, that's what trees tend to do, but the intensity is variable. The keyword is "island of fertility" if you look for more information and a classical paper on this subject is Zinke PJ (1962) The pattern of influence of individual forest trees on soil properties. Ecology 43: 130–133.
Cheers, Martin Am 2011-04-13 um 04:59 schrieb Geoffrey Patton: > ? To what degree do trees self-fertilize by dropping leaves and building > their own humus ? They capture energy from the sun and nutrients from the air > (and soil) and some of that production feeds the soil upon which the > following year's growth depends. The soil biota processes the wastes, further > captures atmospherically-deposited nutrients, and makes it all newly > available for further growth, I would imagine. Apologies for being a marine > biologist but this seems like something that might have been researched > already. Yes or no? > > > > Cordially yours, > > Geoff Patton, Ph.D. > 2208 Parker Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902 301.221.9536 ------------------| http://sci.martinkoechy.de |-------------------- Dr. Martin Köchy (Koechy) Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut -Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei- Institut für Agrarrelevante Klimaforschung Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute -Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries- Institute of Agricultural Climate Research vTI-AK * Bundesallee 50 * 38116 Braunschweig * GERMANY Telefon: +49-531-596-2640 * Telefax: +49-531-596-2699 http://www.vti.bund.de/de/startseite/institute/ak.html skype: martinkoechy --------------------------- & ------------------------------- AG Vegetationsökologie & Naturschutz|RG Veg. Ecology & Nature Conserv. Universität Potsdam | University of Potsdam Am Neuen Palais 10 * 14469 Potsdam * GERMANY www.bio.uni-potsdam.de/professuren/vegetationsoekologie-naturschutz
