permaculture

["Carla McAuley" <carlamcauley@earthlink.net>]

When one considers that grassland ecologists and ranchers often take
>historical accounts out of context (e.g. looking back only 100 years rather
>than say 200 years) in order to justify clearing the woods and torching the
>land I don't see how clearing up this historical misunderstanding is
>peripheral.


At the risk of talking this subject to death: how about 350 to 400 years
ago?  What was it like before the Europeans got ahold of it?  The first
European reports (from Spanish explorers) of all the land between northern
Florida, central and southern Georgia, Alabama, Missippi, Louisiana and the
eastern half of Texas was that it was covered in an "impenetrable" thicket.
The establishment of "civilization" over the next 350 years consisted in
clearing and settling greater and greater parts of this thicket until only
patches of it remained.  (Rather like the Amazon rain forest.)  The largest
area that is left of this original ecosystem is called "The Big Thicket,"
and was made into a park in 1974 in order to preserve it.

from http://www.nps.gov/bith/

"The Big Thicket Preserve consists of nine land units and six water
corridors encompassing more than 97,000 acres. Big Thicket was the first
Preserve in the National Park System established October 11, 1974, and
protects an area of rich biological diversity.

A convergence of ecosystems occurred here during the last Ice Age. It
brought together, in one geographical location, the eastern hardwood
forests, the Gulf coastal plains, and the midwest prairies.

December 15, 1981, the Preserve was designated an International Biosphere
Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere Program.

July 26, 2001, the American Bird Conservancy recognized the Preserve as a
Globally Important Bird Area joining thousands of others around the world. "

...........................................................................
from: http://www.nps.gov/bith/history.htm

Further recognition of the Big Thicket biological diversity came from the
United Nations UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program. In 1981 Big Thicket
National Preserve was added to the list of International Biosphere Reserves.
The United States Man and the Biosphere (USMAB) program, a voluntary
program, requires no special programs, management techniques, obligations,
or changes in ownership. Program support comes through the U.S. Department
of State. There are 47 USMAB sites in the United States. The Man and the
Biosphere program is beneficial because it provides a wider reach of
scientific knowledge made available through the international scientific
community. On July 26, 2001, the American Bird Conservancy designated Big
Thicket National Preserve a Globally Important Bird Area (IBA). We join many
other IBA's throughout the world in our joint efforts to conserve wild birds
and their habitats.

The Big Thicket -- lands richly diverse in biological resources -- some of
the richest diversity in North America. Natural processes have influenced
the region over the millennium. The last Ice Age brought a character change
on the natural systems found here. The cold environment "pushed" or
encouraged species to move from separate ecological systems into a close
"neighborhood." Today, species from the Gulf Coastal Plains, Eastern
Forests, and Central Plains share space with species indicative of swamps
and bayous. Baldcypress swamps are a short distance from upland pine
savannahs and sandhills. Roadrunners watch eastern bluebirds fly to and from
their nests in nearly trees.

When you visit the Big Thicket, there will be no grand vistas or majestic
mountain ranges to tantalize your eyes. However, you will see, when you
choose to look closely around you, a unique assemblage of species--some
endangered or threatened. This is the place called The Big Thicket.

........................................................................
Anyone interested in further exploration into "original" ecology of the
South might get in touch with this guy who seems to have done a lot of
research:
http://eeb.rice.edu/faculty/?FDSID=1038

EEB FACULTY
William E. Rogers, Huxley Instructor
Email: wer@rice.edu

Phone: 713-348-6338

Office: 119 Anderson Biology Labs

Education:

B.A.(1991) Gustavus Adolphus College

Ph.D.(1998) Kansas State University

Scholarly Areas:

Exotic plant invasions; plant-animal interactions; biodiversity



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Biographical Statement:
Bill Rogers is an ecologist who studies plant population ecology, plant
community dynamics, and plant-animal interactions. The core of his current
research program focuses on the invasion ecology of Chinese Tallow Tree, a
non-native species, and its effects on a variety of habitats throughout the
Texas Gulf Coast. He completed his PhD dissertation at Kansas State
University in 1998 where his research examined the effects of
animal-generated soil disturbances on tallgrass prairie plant community
structure and regeneration mechanisms. He has been at Rice University since
1998 and is currently a Huxley Research Instructor in the Department of
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.


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Research Statement:
In collaboration with Evan Siemann, I am seeking to understand how local
environmental factors (e.g., herbivores, fungal pathogens, resources,
mycorrhizal symbionts, disturbance regime and recruitment limitation)
interact with post-invasion evolutionary adaptations to determine the
effects of Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum) invasions into various
habitats along the East Texas Gulf Coast. In addition to advancing basic
scientific knowledge of alien species invasions, we are working on several
applied research projects related to controlling exotic plant and animal
(e.g., feral hogs) invasions into Texas ecosystems that should contribute to
better informed land management decisions.


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Selected Publications
Siemann, Evan & William E. Rogers, "Genetic differences in growth of an
invasive tree species," Ecology Letters, 4 (2001), 514-518.

Somereet Nijjer, Richard A. Lankau, William E. Rogers & Evan Siemann,
"Effects of temperature and heat on Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum)and
Texas Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) seed germination," Texas Journal of
Science, 54 (2002), 63-68.

Rogers, William E. and David C. Hartnett, "Vegetation responses to different
spatial patterns of soil disturbance in burned and unburned tallgrass
prairie," Plant Ecology, 155 (2001), 99-109.

Rogers, William E. and David C. Hartnett , "Temporal vegetation dynamics and
recolonization mechanisms on different-sized soil disturbances in tallgrass
prairie," American Journal of Botany, 88 (2001), 1634-1642.

Rogers, William E., S. Nijjer, C. L. Smith and E. Siemann, "Effects of
resources and herbivory on leaf morphology and physiology of Chinese Tallow
(Sapium sebiferum)," Texas Journal of Science, 52 (2000), 43-56.

Keay, J, William E. Rogers, R. Lankau and Evan Siemann, "The role of
allelopathy in the invasion of Chinese Tallow tree," Texas Journal of
Science, 52 (2000), 57-64.

Rogers, William E., David C. Hartnett and Bradley Elder, "Effects of Plains
Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursaris) disturbances on tallgrass-prairie," American
Midland Naturalist, 145 (2001), 344-357.







----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Pending Publications
Rogers, William E. & Evan Siemann, "Effects of simulated herbivory and
resource availability on native and invasive exotic tree seedlings," Basic
and Applied Ecology, 4 (2002), 11pp.
Rogers, William E., & Evan Siemann, "Effects of simulated herbivory and
resources on Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum, Euphorbiaceae) invasion
of native coastal prairie," American Journal of Botany (accepted).

Siemann, E. & William E. Rogers, "Reduced resistance of invasive varieties
of an alien tree, Sapium sebiferum, to a generalist herbivore," (in review).

Siemann, E. & William E. Rogers, "Increased competitive ability of an
invasive tree negated by an invasive beetle," (in review).

Siemann, E. & William E. Rogers, "Herbivory, disease, recruitment limitation
and the success of an alien tree species," (in review).



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Presentations
"Vegetation responses to various spatial patterns of disturbance,"
Ecological Society of America, Spokane, Washington (August 1999).
"Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum) invasion into grasslands: the
effects of resources," Big Thicket Science Conference, Beaumont, Texas
(October 1999).

"Factors affecting Chinese tallow invasions: lessons from pot experiments,"
USGS, Wetland Research Center, Lafayette, Louisiana (March 2000).

"Interactive effects of resources and herbivory on tree growth: experimental
tests using a native and an invasive exotic species," Ecological Society of
America, Snowbird, Utah (August 2000).

"Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum) invasion of native coastal prairie:
interactive effects of herbivory and resources," Ecological Society of
America, Madison, WI (August 2001) with w/ Evan Siemann.

"The role of native generalist herbivores in Chinese tallow tree (Sapium
sebiferum) invasions into coastal prairie," Ecological Society of America,
Madison, WI (August 2001) with w/ Richard Lankau & Evan Siemann.

"Fire, fertility, and herbivore effects on Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum)
invasion of coastal prairie," Society for Conservation Biology, Hilo, HI
(July 2001) with w/ Evan Siemann & James Grace.

"Evolution of increase competitive ability in an invasive tree species,"
Society for Conservation Biology, Hilo, HI (July 2001) with w/ Evan Siemann.



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Research
"Chinese Tallow invasions into the endangered coastal prairie: causes and
consequences." Environmental Protection Agency. Co-PI with Evan Siemann and
James Grace
"Vascular plant survey of the Big Thicket National Preserve." National Park
Service. Co-PI with Paul Harcombe and Evan Siemann

"Does lack of herbivory and disease explain the success of an alien plant
species: experimental tests." National Science Foundation. Co-PI with Evan
Siemann

"Remove Chinese Tallow: methods of control in floodplain forests." National
Park Service. Co-PI with Evan Siemann



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William Rogers in the Rice Campus Directory




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-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-admin@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-admin@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Mark
Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 9:33 AM
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [permaculture] The Loss of Our Trees


At 07:40 AM 8/2/02 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi Mark,
>
> >>  I find this post, while interesting, peripheral to the current tension
>between those who would manage for grass and those who would manage for
>trees.  <<
>
>When one considers that grassland ecologists and ranchers often take
>historical accounts out of context (e.g. looking back only 100 years rather
>than say 200 years) in order to justify clearing the woods and torching the
>land I don't see how clearing up this historical misunderstanding is
>peripheral.

I guess I can agree that history is misused for many political purposes and
leave it at that.

> >>  Obviously they both have value, but a strong case can be made  in
>grazing situations to keep trees very limited.  <<
>
>As well, a strong case can be made to use trees extensively in a grazing
>system.  There are farmers' trees, mostly legumes such as acacia, locust
and
>mesquite, which offer a dappled shade and sugar rich seed pods throughout
>the summer.  This source of sugar and protein (via the seed pods) is
>essential for digestion late in the summer when most grasses are nothing
but
>dried up cellulose and livestock need the extra sugar for fermentation in
>their ruminant gut.  The dappled shade allows grass production right up to
>the trunk of the tree.

I have yet to see the honey locust thing really work yet, though I think
it's got potential.  My guess is were going to find turkeys or maybe a mix
of large grazers to chew the pods and birds to pick through the manure for
the seeds will utilize it best.  The seeds are so damn hard I think birds
or mills will have to grind them.   Maybe in TX the fall grass is
poor.  Not the case in the cooler upper midwest where the c3 grasses put on
a push of fall growth and quality.  High summer tends to be our slump, c4
grasses may fill that niche best.

>Thirty farmers' trees per acre is quite conventional in many countries
where
>chemical fertilizers and round bailing aren't available.  This ratio of
>trees per acre is just enough to ensure a return of minerals, nitrogen and
>other essential nutrients and enzymes to the upper levels of the soil.

And it gets spread better than manure that is deposited in patches.  I
really like the locust's and acacia's tiny leaves for this reason

>Wooded hill tops are also essential for shading livestock, and giving them
a
>breezy place where the bighting insects are not so thick.  Shaded hill tops
>are also key birthing sites.

Very true.  Places like this are essential for livestock farms.

> >>  Trees tend to attract animals into the shade in the hot parts of the
>day, limiting their grazing time and concentrating manure, often killing
the
>trees.  <<
>
>Sounds like this scenario would make a tree cutting aggie happy.  "We don't
>have to worry about kill'n them trees, 'cause the cattle'l do it for us."
>Oh right, but then the dead limbs will get caught in the throat of the
>bailer.  But I see that your point is that you would rather provide no
shade
>for livestock in order to force them further out into their pastures.

bingo.  Most of the farm probably should be pretty open.  Waterlines really
help with the heat issues, as does good genetic stock;  Jerseys and Zebu
cross are excellent.

>  Why
>not use reverse psychology on the poor beasts and lure them to other parts
>of the paddock with other mottes of trees?  Ah, once again, though, we're
>managing the landscape in order to accommodate machinery and economics and
>it would be difficult to have to steer around a motte of trees.

Rows are OK.  As I have said to others, there sometimes is no good
substitute for a large piece of roaring iron to get the job dome.

> >>  When we try to influence the way this land is treated the economics
have
>to work.  <<
>
>Right, and in Texas, I would venture to say that many, many ranchers east
>and south of the central US plains and north of the coastal plains are
>mainly hobby ranchers allowing their livestock to lackadaisically graze (an
>Alan Savory term) primarily in order to obtain their 1-d-1 Ag tax
exemption.
>Fortunately, the state has a new 1-d-1 Wildlife tax exemption that finally
>gives folks more options than hay and livestock production, so maybe we can
>start to get away from managing the land simply from an economics approach.
>
>
>Kirby Fry

I'd call it a toss up around here for what works better, well managed
cattle grazing, burn happy prairie fetishists, gun toteing quality deer
management Joe bobs or tree farmers.  They all have the place in my book.



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

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