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  • From: "Scott Hitchins" <ScottH@wcig.org.au>
  • To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [permaculture] "thirsty " trees....
  • Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 16:21:15 +1000

Hi all, I just thought I'd throw this into the discussion: Rainfall caused by
trees is not just a matter of transpiration: My understanding is that trees
are also responsible for the production of organic particles which are of a
suitable size to act as nuclei for the formation of raindrops, i.e.. It
doesn't rain in a deforested region because there is nothing suspended in the
atmosphere for the water vapour to coalesce around and hence become heavy
enough to fall to the ground. I seem to remember Lord Bill referring to this
in his Big Book, and giving an example of this going to extremes in Kenya,
where the stomping of dried tea leaves on tea plantations (to compress for
shipping) was resulting in torrential rains destroying the plantations,
simply because of the large quantity of particles stirred-up by this
activity.-This is why silver(nitrate?oxide?)is used for cloud-seeding: the
particles are just the right size; i.e. its a physical rather than chemical
property that desired.
Regards,
Scott Hitchins

-----Original Message-----
From: lfl@intrex.net [mailto:lfl@intrex.net]
Sent: Wednesday, 4 September 2002 5:53 PM
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [permaculture] "thirsty " trees....


lfl@intrex.net wrote:


> Maybe this is proof that terrain cleared of plant life brings drought.
> Plants, especially trees and understory transpire (evapotranspiration)
> and give off moisture to the atmosphere. They shade the ground and prevent
> moisture loss from that source. Moisture begets plants which beget biomass
> and nutrients which beget more plants and a diverse, stable ecosystem.
> This system helps to prevent soil erosion, nutrient loss and
> demineralization.


See this website for an experiment in reforestation to increase rainfall.
Why does is rain so much in the tropical rain__forests__?

Reforestation finances drinking water.
http://www.zeri.org/expo/prj_gaviotas.htm


--
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com


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