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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 23 8:31 am Post subject: how to build a forest |
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one way to try to build a forest
another is send folk foraging for seeds from healthy looking trees, considering the climatic catastrophe as many varieties as poss regardless of their origins or preferred habitats seems sensible, guard trees and long growing ones, hot and wet cold and wet dry and hot etc
whatever you are starting from, the following applies
put seeds in a wheelbarrow, mix
scatter
wait, look and repeat as appropriate
thin as required, add as required or as seems suitable and available
keep at it for decades, with pauses to let nature develop or demonstrate where it needs further attention
use the developing forest to keep itself healthy, as will loads of wildlife and non tree species of not wildlife
no stakes, no plastic tubes, no watering thousands of whips or replanting most of em every couple of years
having seen lots of "stakes and tubes" plantings fail and the scatter style exceed expectations, i favour the latter
it might not tick the boxes for grants etc, but most of those grants etc are greenwashing and at best organized by well-meaning but box thinking people
it may be that the well-meaning have studied forestry rather than forest life(in the very broadest interpretations of that), tickbox schemes are designed for short term propaganda, if you want a forest start with seeds, some of them will be the successful cohort of the forlorn hope, that creates a place for others.
watch how things develop and tweak adjustments to accelerate what is happening naturally
50 years is not quite enough
plant forest as though you will live forever, try to find young folk who will do the same when you fall and feed the sarcovores of the woods |
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gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 8792 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 45612 Location: Essex
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15834
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 23 6:39 am Post subject: |
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The good thing about that planting is that they are making a green corridor, but could probably be done with less effort and more effect by just fencing off an long bit of various widths and letting nature take its course.
One thing volunteers in particular do is wave the transplants around in the air, which kills the fine rootlets which are what are wanted. Looking at that transplant, it looks as if it might have gone a bit far before planing out, but not sure. If we do transplanting, we take the whip and put it straight from the ground into a plastic sack (damp hessian with a bit of damp soil will do) to keep it wet. Next put spade in ground at transplant site and move it backwards and forward to open cut, or make a T cut. Remove transplant from sack and put straight into soil lifting up and down to get roots down. Put boot next to transplant to firm in soil. We prefer deer fence, but that is down to preference and economics.
Our preferred method is natural regeneration, but we did transplant some hazel and whitebeam from our gardens (1 2 miles away, other about 15 miles) as we didn't want them in the garden and we had a nice place in the wood for them, or in one case replacing a hedge. I am hoping one day to either get cuttings or seeds from a couple of special trees in the area, so must try that to add to our mix in the planttionan area. |
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 23 9:45 am Post subject: |
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if managing woodlands and selected trees/ areas are cleared, natural regeneration seems ideal
if starting from "desert" it needs a bit of help speeding up the process, at first in order to create a woodland soil and microclimates in that landscape, after that to increase diversity and resilience
the secondary flora will arrive and will sometimes land in a suitable niche for it, it may or may not be a "native" species depending on local floras and vectors
a small aside, some things considered invasive forin species are only invasive when they have little competition from local invasive species that smother them and diverse local things that will eat them
no life form is "native" unless it evolved in that place and that place is still the same
is it native to this planet? will it form part of a diverse environment? will it outcompete everything else or be part of a complex ecosystem?
if that is yes yes no yes, tis fine to add it or welcome its random arrival
a somewhat relevant aside, considering vectors and the variety of "exotics" available in most places, a site "left to nature" is as likely to be covered in the spoils of plant collectors as "native"lifeforms
or critter transported stuff, not "native" just early colonists, at the end of the last ice they arrived in fur or guts of those seeking lichens which had flown here having been south for the "winter"
imho the ongoing climate alterations make diversity essential for any location, some things might be ok even if others are not, if they live on earth they are local afaiac |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15834
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Posted: Sat Apr 22, 23 8:19 am Post subject: |
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We went to a Royal Forestry Society meeting on Thursday to a mainly oak wood on a very wet clay site. It is also a SSSI. One site had been clear felled having previously been Douglas Fir. Sadly Natural England (or whatever they are called this week) had insisted on the work being done out of the nesting season and immediately, which meant during a very wet winter. Apparently the ruts left were 4' deep and the work had reduced the contractor ( a rufty tufty forester type) to tears. The site had reseeded itself with birch, which sadly was regarded as most 'traditional' foresters present as a 'weed'. I was getting birch envy, but it was too far for us to go to cut sadly although would be really good for besoms. This would be the first stage in a natural regeneration system, and it is quite possible that other trees would grow among the birch and grow on as the birch died. The others were talking of replanting, but then they are not usually great fans of natural regeneration, as it wasn't taught when they studied forestry and I respect them for their knowledge and experience.
The wood was a great deal less floriferous than ours, but the oak canopy was pretty thick, so that may have been part of the reason.
We also had an ex-lecturer of our sons there who is an expert in deer management, and he was very interesting on that aspect. I suspect, although they do a fair bit of culling there, that there are still too many for development of new trees by natural regeneration.
Ted Green, who is famed for his studies of veteran trees, and also at RFS meetings for trying to start arguments, was also there, but failed to get anyone to rise to even his more outlandish statements as we all know him too well. He made some very good points as always, but took them a bit far in most cases as usual. |
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15834
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15834
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15834
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