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  • From: Vint Lawrence <vlawrence@nets.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] "thirsty " trees....
  • Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2002 17:57:26 -0600

Marilyn,
I am just north of you, east of Santa Fe, in very similar terrain, tree association, and soil types. I operate a 400 acre permaculture research and demonstration site called Apache Creek Ranch.

Junipers are an indicator species for the presence of water, and, to a limited extent, what the USFS has said is true. However, if there is no replacement vegetation, removing the trees simply will increase the surface runoff, doing nothing for groundwater regeneration. Tree removal without earthworks and replanting will do little to restore the ground.

The primary reason we are now removing junipers at Apache Creek Ranch is for fire control. These trees literally "gasify" and explode in hot fires. We are clearing firebreaks in critical areas and removing the junipers along access roads to allow fire suppression equipment to have access Junipers also act as nurse trees for the pinons and other species.

We have been chipping the junipers and using the result as chips for mulch on paths and between garden beds, around fruit trees, and as a top cover for reseeded land restoration projects.

I suspect the reason that you have seen "parched earth" where the junipers have been removed near you has more to do with the climate conditions we have been experiencing here for the past two years. Water tables are way down, what rains come are not in ground soaking amounts, and the resultant stress on all of the species is taking a great toll, especially here to your north. Pinon trees are now dying in record numbers as they try to resist the attacks of the Ips beetle. Eventually they run out of sap and then, very abruptly, turn brown and dry out. Theppening to the Ponderosas. Some of this is good as it is a "natural" thinning process that wil result in lower poulatwills of trees per acpopulationsf it is devastating (as you will see if you pass by Tesuque Pueblo - most of their pinon is already dead).

If you mulch the ground around where the junipers have been removed, you may find that, with a little moisture, the area will regenerate.

As to your soils, we have noticed that the native oaks seem to thrive near limestone outcroppings, so you might try setting in acorns or planting some oaks next spring when NM State Forest dept. has its tree sale.

Hope that this is helpful to you.
Vint Lawrence
Santa Fe, NM


CHINAGRVE@aol.com wrote:
I just joined the group. I have 40 acres of land in Abo near Mountainair, NM - juniper, pinyon, cactus rocky land. The forest service is always telling us that if we cut down our juniper it would help retain water on the land. This did not really make sense to me so I was glad to read your post Kirby. Because of the low rainfall, some areas near me where they have cleared the juniper are just parched earth.
Where my house sits if I dig one foot down I hit a limestone shelf. Any
suggestions for plantings and soil improvement would help. The soil under
the trees is pretty good but otherwise its pretty bad so I've just been
planting wildflowers under the trees.

Marilyn
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