Beth I don't think run off is a real issue as our land is very flat and they only rake the uppermost layer leaving several inches of decomposed "duff" on the ground. Our soils are very sandy also and except where the water table is high, it absorbs quickly. As for animals, I am not aware of any impact the loss of the straw causes as it is not eaten and it is flat so as far as cover doesn't make much difference. There are concerns about the nutrient cycle over the removal as over the long term you are removing a source of nutrients. The commercial producers recommend fertilizing every three or four years. As for insulation, again probably not much difference as it is not that cold in the winter that the ground would freeze and in the summer, the areas that are raked are heavy pine cover so there would be no sun scorch.
It is probably more benign than the alternative of pulpwood production. On Oct 4, 9:54 am, Beth Koebel <[email protected]> wrote: > Will, > > So pine straw is the needles that have fallen off the tree? What is the > impact of baling this straw on the soil? Does it lead to increased water run > off after a rain? What about the wildlife that depends on the dead needles > for some part of their life cycle? Does it effect the trees because the > "mulch" of needles is now gone, ie. insulating the surface roots, retaining > moisture, providing enrichment by decomposing back into soil? > > Sorry about all the questions but until today I never heard of pine straw. I > live in the hardwoods, Oak-Hickory forest type of eastern central Ozark area > of Missouri. When I look at my guide to Missouri trees it shows that > short-leaf pine (Pinus echinata) is native to my area but I haven't seen it > nor have I been looking for it. I guess I will now. The other pines it > mentions, Loblolly (P. taeda), Eastern White (P. strobus) and Virginia (P. > virginiana) are escapees from cultivation. Of course we have Eastern Red > Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) > > Beth > > Trees are the answer.--bumper sticker from Illinois Forest Association > > --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Will Fell <[email protected]> wrote: --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
