permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflondon@mindspring.com>]

Date:         Sat, 2 Feb 2002 14:47:22 -0500
Sender:       Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group
               <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>
From:         Joel Gruver <jgruv@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: mineral requirements of plant
 
 Hello Heide,

 In plant community ecology, one of the interesting debates is how
"realized
 niches" relate to "fundamental niches". For those not familiar with
these
 terms, "realized niche" refers to how a species actually fits into
natural
 ecosystems. In contrast, "fundamental niche" refers to the set of
abiotic 
conditions under which a plant will grow "best".

 Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) is a good example of a species with
 contrasting fundamental and realized niches. In natural ecosystems,
Scotch
 pine is normally found in peripheral environments... low fertility and
very
 wet or very dry... in plantation systems, Scotch pine grows best with
ample
 moisture and fertility.

 When choosing plants for ornamental landscapes, it is valuable to keep
in
 mind that the niches occupied by species in natural ecosystems tend to
be
 more indicative of their tolerances, than where they will do the "best"
from
 a horticultural perspective.

 Joel

 >From: Heide Hermary <heidehermary@PACIFICCOAST.NET>
 >Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group
 ><SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>
 >To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
 >Subject: [SANET-MG] mineral requirements of plant
 >Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 15:04:08 -0800
 >
 >Hi everyone,
 >I know this is an agriculture forum, but I'll ask anyway:
 >
 >I am looking for a reference that groups ornamental plants according
to
 >their mineral (not nitrogen) requirements, or the mineral fertility of
 >their natural habitat. Conversely there might be descriptions of
soils,
 >including their mineral fertility, and the plants that have adapted to
 >them.  It's not something I have ever come across in horticulture, but
 >surely somebody must have done some work on that?
 >
 >I'll greatly appreciate any information at all!
 >
 >Thanks, Heide

<><><><>

Date:         Sun, 3 Feb 2002 06:52:55 +0800
Sender:       Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group
               <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>
From:         David Menne <menne@IINET.NET.AU>
Subject:      Re: mineral requirements of plant
 
It would be interesting to know why in natural ecosystems, P sylvestris
seeks out more peripheral environments. Is there an ecology of
pioneering
plant geared to grow/improve soil [a common weed theory] ?

<><><><>

Date:         Sun, 3 Feb 2002 23:08:45 -0000
Sender:       Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group
               <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>
From:         John D'hondt <dhondt@EIRCOM.NET>
Subject:      Re: mineral requirements of plant
 
 I doubt that is a matter of actively seeking out the more peripheral
 (fertile) environments. It is probably more a matter of severe
competition.
 It is true that there is always a succession of different plant species
when
 new ground is colonized. The early species change the soil in such a
way
 that they make their own survival impossible. They are replaced by
whole
 communities of ever more complex eco systems.
 Eventually a climax vegetation is reached and it is important to note
that
 climax vegetations are independent of the natural/original substrate
but
 exclusively of the climatic circumstances.

 Scotch pine (P. sylvestris) is not really a pioneer, except in very
poor
 sandy areas, but is a climax species in its own right. It can grow
under
 much more extreme conditions of cold and wind than the oak- birch
climax in
 temperate zones. And this is where you would expect this species to
grow.

 A more simple example of zonations can be found at the sea shore. Some
 plants and animals can not survive outside the water and these will
only be
 found below the low low waterline. Some plants (sea weeds) and animals
can
 resist more stress of being baked by the sun or drying out for the time
that
 the tide is out. If one looks carefully one can see many distinct zones
of
 different creatures.

 Which makes one very important question burst to the surface : why does
not
 the hardiest organism grab the lot and compete everyone else into
extinction
 ?
 In fact this only happens very occasionally when a very aggressive
exotic is
 introduced into the equation.

 I think that the question above is related to the question why the
cells and
 tissues in our bodies keep doing their specialized jobs. How pleasant
can it
 be to live life as say a liver cell. Duty calls 24 hours a day, never a
 holiday, never a break and that while others move about with a much
greater
 freedom. Liver cells live a short hard life neutralizing toxins in the
 blood. Their job is important and mostly they do it right.
 Sometimes there is a naughty cell though that wants more from life and
finds
 ways to make the neighbors pay for its pleasures. At the same time it
may
 find the way to a long life and once there it is a small step to take
 tourist holidays in other parts of the body.

 This is what is called an aggressive cancer and the result will be the
 destruction of the complete organism.
 A mature ecosystem behaves in many ways like an organism in that its
parts
 are subject to the greater good of the whole. If that were not the case
 diversity would be very low to start with. But that is the way of the
 cancer.

 john

 Subject: Re: mineral requirements of plant