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  • From: Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Re: Imitating fire + tree shredding equipment
  • Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 10:17:08 -0500



Jean Pain invented his shredder initially to clear underbrush from forest
to reduce fire risk and used the shedded mulch for gigantic compost heaps.

I wonder if there's a defecit of browsers in forests that get these large
vegetative build-ups in the understory....
Robyn
________________

Bingo! Goats are being used extensively to chew down Caperel areas of California et al to protect valuable structures. Nomadic herding, coming to a fire hazard near you.

A quick comment on fire...I've burned about 80 A (40 H) this spring, mostly in the hill country in SW WI. Great for prairie restorations and pasture renovation. Burn early to stimulate C3 plants, late to favor C4. Seed germination on burned ground is excellent, lowering the rates needed for restorations/renovations. Slow back fires (burning into the wind work best for top killing brush, and are easy to control. Headfires (with the wind) allow burning in marginal fuel conditions, the fire preheats the fuel and carries much better. if you were trying to kill large trees, big head fires may do it, but as observed, smaller fires through light fuels generally don't harm large trees, especially adapted species. It is the accumulating of large amounts of fuel near the ground (several years grass growth, logging slash, thick dead brush) that allows a catastrophic wild fire to carry on. Heat and humidity also play a major factor in burns. For this reason the high humidity and lower temp. evenings are a good time to burn if you have less experience or tools to work with.
Mark Ludwig

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Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM





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