permaculture

[Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

A.

> I talked with someone today who said that the best and deepest farm soil in
> the US is in Champaign, Illinois. Farmland in that area is being sold off in
> postage stamp lots for high dollar homes, no space for yards. This is a 
> disgrace!

Amen.  I was at a conference in Champagne years ago.  While out munching 
tomatoes in the university demonstration garden I happened upon a huge hole 
dug for construction.  I was taking intro to soil science at the time and 
marveled at the depth of the A horizon.  Really left an impression.



> 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.
>
> LL

I'm interested in comparisons in these arid areas between well managed 
grass lands and forest.  Anyone got data?  There is a lot of pretty good 
data in WI on stream flow enhancement under managed grazing, in fact 
rotational grazing is being promoted by fisheries biologists for trout 
stream management.
M


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