if it works there...

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if it works there...

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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46239
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Jun 16, 18 10:23 pm Post subject: if it works there...
... it can work elsewhere if the basic model is tweaked to the location. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15988

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 18 7:20 am Post subject:

I have seen something about this before. Cows love tree bark; we cut some hedging once and left it within reach of some cows and came back to find it virtually stripped.

This area would traditionally have been wooded I think, as the Weald was used for charcoal production, so coppiced on a regular basis for many years. Other areas, such as the tops of the South Downs not far away have been open country for possibly centuries, and were used for arable farming or sheepwalks. I would say it was more important to keep them as things like well grazed 'unimproved' grassland as the wildlife has grown up with that. On the tops there are some clay outcrops which are very rare chalk heathland, again worth managing for what they are.

Interesting to see the reference to Ted Green. I see him quite frequently at meetings, and he has several bees in his bonnet. One is that if you cut coppice it must be cut something like twice the diameter of the stem you are cutting. Sadly this means you quickly need a step ladder or cherry picker for things like ash, and hazel can get quite high and get wind blown. He also doesn't believe in any pressure on the ground anywhere near trees, so on his most argumentative days, which are fairly common, he says even putting a single foot on a trees roots will cause damage. On the other hand he is very knowledgeable about old trees, and I have a great deal of respect for him as long as he keeps of his hobbyhorses.

Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2573
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 18 8:07 pm Post subject:
The soil under our bird feeder (yes, the one with the squirrel issues) is very hard packed. Even weeds do not grow. It is chickadees, titmice, juncos, sparrows that tend to hop and peck for spilled seed. A chickadee weighs 9 to 14 grams. If these small birds can pack the soil so hard . . . Stepping once on tree roots, doubt it is a problem. Again and again? Yes, I'll believe it causes damage.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15988

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 18 7:12 am Post subject:

Repeatedly going over the same ground can cause a problem I would agree, but Ted Green does sometimes take things to extremes. I was at a meeting once where nobody would pick up his argument, so he carried on arguing with himself, much to the amusement of others. But as I said, apart from those hobby horses, I have a great deal of respect for him; just try to avoid getting into a discussion with him when he is in the wrong sort of mood.

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