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  • From: Heide Hermary <heidehermary@pacificcoast.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] "thirsty " trees....
  • Date: Sat, 07 Sep 2002 07:21:03 -0700

Interesting...
So many observations leading to opposing viewpoints....
Sometimes I wonder whether we aren't missing a huge piece of the puzzle. I'm
just reading a whole bunch of bio-dynamics stuff and my mind is opening to
other
possibilities.

What if...water had an affinity for certain plants, but not others? We know
about allelopathic effects of plants, we know that many organisms produce
hydrophobic substances.....

What if.... it's just an "energy thing" and has nothing at all to do with the
vegetation? The Chinese call it "Feng-shui", Steiner calls it the "formative
etheric forces"....

One of the books I just read is "Secrets of the Soil" by Thompkins and Bird.
Can't pretend I understand everything they talk about, but that just makes it
all the more intriguing. There is so much we can't explain with our current
scientific models. I know that my own view of nature is still mostly
mechanic,
although I've always thought of myself as a "spiritual" person. Interesting
incongruity.

Heide

Kirby Fry wrote:

> Hello Heide,
>
> Another scenario in Central Texas is that if you remove all of the juniper
> trees, the springs supposedly flow longer.
>
> David Bambhurger of Bambhurger Ranch has been vigorously removing the
> junipers from his property for ten years and promoting tall grasses with the
> enthusiastic support of the ag extension services. Apparently he has
> actually increased spring flow.
>
> Of course, the local ranchers are all touting his work as an excuse to
> remove their juniper, often however, they ignore the tall grass part of the
> project and just let their cattle out on the newly cleared lands.
>
> I think what folks aren't realizing is that when the trees are present, the
> water is indeed there, but they're not seeing it because it's locked up in
> the trees and going to rehumidify the air. It's pretty when springs flow
> but essentially you're just moving the water on its way even faster. In
> Texas that means you're giving it up to the rice farmers along the Colorado
> and Brazos Rivers.
>
> Is there a point when tree cover actually increases spring flow?
>
> Kirby Fry
>
> For the real scoop on environmental and social justice issues check out the
> archives of Democracy Now!
> http://www.webactive.com/webactive/pacifica/demnow/archive.html
>
> _______________________________________________
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> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
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