Thanks Kathryn.
Now that you mention it I CAN improve the diversity. The understory is
moderately diverse already, but when I said 95% wooded I should have said
95% spruce. It's very, very dark. Too dark to spend a winter without
some clearing. I arrived at the acre figure by guessing 40-foot trees and
wanting some winter sun on the imperfect shelter that I'll use the first
winter or two. The shelter will be a workshop/shed in later years. I see now
that guessing 30-foot trees (probably most of them) and giving up another
hour of sun daily reduces the clearing by more than half.
I DO expect to move fairly slowly, but I had a brief panic yesterday about
making it through the first winter. The panic is caused in party by being
1050 miles away right now. The logged acres I've looked at have all had
other problems, but two advantages they held were more sun and they look
like they need a helping hand. This spruce monoculture looks healthy by
comparison.
Thanks.
Dave
On Wed, 4 Oct 2000, kathryn marsh wrote:
> There is no such thing as a natural environment anywhere in Maine or
> Ohio and hasn't been for the last thousand years. Whatever you do to
>
> With seven wooded acres you can do things that add to the diversity
> that is there for you, the forest, and its inhabitants. If you make
>
> don't live in the forest. But an acre is a big, big clearing. Why not
> a quarter acre? Quite enough for a house and a fair bit of food. Why
Dave Evans [EMAIL PROTECTED] At home.
