Category: Woodlands | Accent on Natural Landscaping

Natural Landscapes decrease Impact of Global Warming

February 8, 2019

Even though we all may not have read the latest United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report on climate change, we have all heard the dismal findings. Humans must act now to decrease global warming or we’ll continue to suffer through more extreme weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, below freezing temperatures and above normal heat waves.

Reducing Fossil Fuel Usage

Advocates for change tend to focus on reducing fossil fuel consumption through the use of natural energy resources such as solar and wind. But doing so is a slow process and one not so easily achieved through change. Technology advances and policy changes will need to be implemented in order to affect a change, but every day on the news, we see how even the discussions result in more fighting and partisanship than mutual advancement.

Natural resources such as trees and marshes help mitigate the impact of increasing carbon dioxide and unmitigated flooding.

The Case for Preserving Natural Resources

There are other natural resources, however, which may be used to affect change in a less partisan manner. They are the natural resources of native plants and natural landscapes. Thanks to their carbon sequestering and storage capabilities, forests and prairies/grasslands should be absolutely essential in mitigating climate change. And thanks to their sponge-like processes, wetlands should be absolutely essential for mitigating flooding. Natural climate solutions can help us achieve 37 percent of our climate target.

Forests and Grasslands

According to the EPA, the Average US resident emits about 20 tons of CO2 a year. Research tells us carbon absorption by American forests is more than 227.6 million tons per year, and the grasslands of the American West absorb about 190 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Forests store CO2 mostly in woody biomass and leaves, and grasslands sequester CO2 underground mostly in their roots and in the soil. This means when wildfires cause trees to go up in flames, the burned carbon they formerly stored is released back to the atmosphere. When fire burns grasslands, thankfully, the carbon stored underground tends to stay in the roots and soil. With our climate becoming increasingly unstable, this means grasslands will tend to be more adaptive to global warming.

Wetlands

Wetlands need to be included also in this discussion because of their ability to protect against flooding. Acting like a large sponge, they store snow melt and rainwater and slowly release it over time, removing the energy and pollution from the initial downfall. As we add more and more impervious surfaces and fill in more and more marshes, there is no where for the water to go so flooding occurs. By allowing our wetlands to flourish, we should reduce the impacts of drought and the impact of large surges of water.

As I end this post, I am so very grateful I am able to do my small part to affect climate change in a positive way. I know it’s not enough, but if we all do our part “to promote environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities” we’ll get there.

Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Daylighting a Forest

February 6, 2019

Some of the crew from Ranger Services trimming out some of the old dead branches from our Bur Oak tree. The goal was to reduce the load on this dear old Mother Oak.

We recently had a huge Green Ash tree cut down which had succumbed to the Emerald Ash Borer. While on-site, we had the arborists trim out some of other trees as well. When they were working on our huge old Bur Oak, the crew supervisor mentioned to me that trimming out some of the big old dead branches reminded him of daylighting. New word…of course, I had to learn what it meant.

Daylighting refers to the practice of thinning out forested habitat to increase the sunlight on the forest floor. This removal of vegetation encourages the growth of shrubs and other herbaceous vegetation. Hunters use this practice on their hunting property to improve wildlife habitat.

Wildfire Deterrent

In researching this new word, I also found it being used in conjunction with wildfire prevention. Opening the tree canopy between the ground vegetation and tree crowns and especially along roads can minimize the spread of wildfires. “The open canopy and herbaceous understory minimizes woodland fuel and reduces the intensity of wildfires.” (USDA)

Reminder

If you think you may be doing some daylighting in the future, please do so in such a way as to minimize soil erosion, compaction, rutting and damage to remaining vegetation. Also be careful not to change hydrologic conditions, unless, of course, you want the water drainage flowing differently.

Nature vs the Emerald Ash Borer

February 1, 2019

As we all know, the Midwest and the Northern Plains have been hit by some bitterly cold winter weather this week, and although it could have been deadly for any living thing, there is hope it will indeed be deadly for a most hated non-native insect called the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire).

Adult beetles are metallic green and about the size of a grain of cooked rice. The best time to see an adult EAB is a warm, sunny afternoon when they are likely to be either mating or laying eggs on the trunks of ash trees. Photo by David Cappaert courtesy of USDA

Since 2002, the EAB has spread its devastation east and west from Michigan. Here in Wisconsin, the entire state has been quarantined against this aggressor. Adult beetles lay their eggs on the tree bark. Their larvae bore below the bark and into the xylem beneath. There they feed on the ash tree cutting off pathways for water and nutrients and causing the tree to slowly die. Fortunately for us, the larvae do not appear to be able to withstand temperatures of minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit inside the tree. So this winter, with its cold temperatures, may bring some relief from the devastation caaused by this insect. (USFS)

Cold temperatures between minus 20 to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit should have a slowing effect on the devastation. In areas with more than minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit weather, the USFS is hoping for a more major impact. The hardiest of the insects, however, will still survive the cold so the extreme cold will likely not totally eradicate the EAB.*

Insect Insulation

This week’s cold air could reduce the number of EAB larvae overwintering beneath ash tree bark. Photo by Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR

How can insects withstand such frigid temperatures? Insects have natural cryoprotectants** which shield them from cold weather. In the case of the EAB, the trees themselves provide insulation regardless the weather. Their thick bark can provide up to 5 degrees of insulation. A covering of snow against the trees, and radiant heat during the day from sunshine provides even more protection from the cold.

*Research from Michigan State University shows the EAB actually arrived in the 1990s or earlier, well before its destructive damage began to show up in America’s ash trees. It took many years to build up a destructive population, so even if the cold sets them back, EAB may very well become a destructive force again.

**According to Wikipedia, cryoprotectants are substances used to protect biological tissue from freezing damage due to ice formation. Insects, like fish and amphibians, create cryoprotectants (antifreeze compounds and antifreeze proteins) in their bodies to minimize freezing damage during cold winter periods.

Shinrin-yoku or Forest Bathing

January 23, 2019

In Japan, Shinrin means “forest,” and yoku means “bath.” So shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere or taking in the forest through our senses. I can’t think of any more idyllic way to improve one’s wellbeing then bathing in the forest.

Most hunters will tell you the best thing about being on a hunt is being able to be outside enjoying nature and all it has to offer (to their senses). What a perfect way to participate in forest bathing.

Walking in the woods at our hunting property is the most uplifting feeling I experience. That’s why I started turkey hunting — so I had more “reasons” to get out to the woods.

When the Japanese participate in Shinrin-yoku, they do not exercise or hike or jog. They are “simply being in nature, connecting with it through their senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Shinrin-yoku is like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between them and the natural world.” (Time)

Here’s How It Works

Find a wooded spot. Leave your phone and camera behind. Then begin walking aimlessly and slowly. Let your feet be your guide. Then let your senses take over:

Feeling the plants making up the understory of the forest is just one way to get in touch with your inner self and improve your wellbeing. Show here is Bloodroot (*Sanguinaria canadensis*).

Listen – to the songs of the birds, the rustle of the leaves, the chuck of the squirrels
Smell – the sweet, musky, moist, cool fragrances of the forest
Taste – the fresh air, the plants, the seeds of the forest
See – the surfaces, the colors, the dimensions, the depth of the forest
Touch – the bark of the tree trunks, the leaves, the stones, the sedges, the mosses of the forest — feel the sunlight coming through the tree canopy

Let your feet take you where the forest wants you to go. Relax, don’t hurry. Savor all the forest has to offer. Let nature in to release that sense of joy and calm. Then you will have bridged the gap between your senses and the natural world.

How fortunate we are that through our love of native plants and natural landscaping, we can do this every day of our lives. Although the Japanese refer to this practice as forest bathing, one might also do the same in their prairie plantings. We might then call that prairie bathing. Regardless where you attempt to bath with your senses, may you always come away connected with nature.

If you want to read more about forest bathing, here’s a book on the subject Forest Bathing by Dr Qing Li