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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Submission

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  • From: "Joe Hecksel" <jhecksel@voyager.net>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Submission
  • Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:58:51 -0400

Jim Fruth wrote:

> Why do so many people believe the 'old wives tale' that pine
needles and oak leaves make the soil acidic?

Take a look at the following website:
http://www.ar.wroc.pl/~weber/kwasy2.htm

An internet search on humic acid suggests that it forms during the
decomposition of lignin. Lignin is the "glue" that binds cellulose
fibers and make wood, stems, leaves and needles rigid. Lignin
decomposes slowly. So steeping the leaves/needles for a month in a
beaker of water might seem like a long time, it is a very short time in
geographical terms.

An alternate hypothesis is that more CO2 disolves in cool water. That
lowers the pH and increases the ground water's ability to dissolve
cations. People see the conifers growing in the sandy soil and assume
they are the cause of the sandy soil. Ditto for oak. It is equally
likely that the sandy soil caused the conifers and oaks as they can be
very drought and fire tolerant.

Is the red soil that southern pine grows in clay or sand?

--
Joe Hecksel
Personal Webpage http://my.voyager.net/~jhecksel





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