Glomalin and Conservation in Humboldt County The 1996 discovery of the soil glue glomalin is changing our understanding of the impact of elevated carbon dioxide, while giving important clues to forest health, watersheds, revegetation, wildfire and carbon sequestration. Here I share what I have found so others may read and draw their own conclusions, and relate it to my own experience, Humboldt County issues and stories from the news.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

212. More evidence of the impacts of development 

We can see the continuous struggle between the natural forces of life and our attempts to develop by our own standards in many areas. In the East people mow large lawns to create park like settings in every yard, and the rotations for tree cutting are very short. The area always bounces right back due in part to plentiful rainfall and ubiquitous plant-fungi communities. Another aspect is the need to keep hay and pastures free of woody growth especially when allowed to lie fallow. HIgh rainfall generally tends to grow trees. In all these cases we can be sure the glomalion producing regime is in effect but thar it is restricted in depth to the type of vegetation grown on it, thus lawn grasses won't be as deep as shrubs or trees. This implies water is being allowed to run off into the numerous sstreams and ponds rather than lie in the soil in the biological zone, which increases flooding in peak events, like last June. Meanwhile more land is cleared for development further lessening the landscapes ability to absorb and store water in the biological zone.
A recent article on TV reported Amazonian climax forest trees being much deeper rooted than thought, researchers found roots forty meters deep. A climatic history of the area showed five major droughts in the area killing off most vegetation except the surprisingly deep rooted trees, and they were the source of regeneration after rain returned. This is an important insight because in time we also will have droughts in the Eastern U.S. and it shows the need for large old trees. Many of these trees are ecosystems unto themselves, hosting thousands of species.
Road building and runoff appear to be the culprit behind a persistent algae bloom in the Florida keys. The nontoxic algae are threatening the ecosystem by clouding the waters making it difficult for sea grass to get enough sunlight. While some believe the problem will go away, others point to nearby areas that have not recovered after a decade. The bloom is affecting all kinds of marine life in areas usually regarded as nurseries for fish and other sealife, and is worst in areas directly adjacent to widening U.S. 1, the main highway connecting the Keys and the mainland. Report Blames Keys Algae Bloom on Roads AP via www.Yahoo.com, Jennifer Kay, 7/18., 2006
A bill passed in the House providing more funding for conservation easements in agricultural areas to protect them from development. We hope this includes timberlands as we see conservation easements as one of the key tools for protecting rural lands and especially trees in the near future, until the need for them as carbon storers becomes a paying opportunity for land owners and managers.
www.times-standard.com. 8/19, 2006 Agricultural Coservation Measure Signed Into Law
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