Sunset at rain pH station in Big Sur. Photo by Lee Klinger.
After some respite in the acidity in October, the rain pH in Big Sur has returned to more typical acidic levels this past November. There were six rainfall events in November 2011, totaling 3.31″. Rainfall pH values ranged from 4.64 to 4.94 in November, considerably more acidic than the previous month which saw rainfall pH’s as high as 5.13. Below are the data for November: Read the rest of this entry »
On Monday I visited some oaks in Marin County that have been receiving fire mimicry treatments for seven years. I have been working with my good friends and colleagues Leith Carstarphen of EcoLogic Landscaping and Alan Mart for several years to improve the health of trees and soils on this property in Fairfax. The results have been outstanding. It is interesting to note that at least three of the oaks shown below have had signs of sudden oak death infection since before treatments began, yet they appear to be in remarkable health for being diseased.
Also note, in case number 20041129.4 there are several fruit trees in the foreground (peach, left; citrus, center; pear, right) that have also been treated with fire mimicry. Check out how well those fruit trees have responded.
While these results are only a small portion of the hundreds of case studies that document the efficacy of fire mimicry, they are important in showing that the improvement in tree health with these treatments is more than just a short-term, transitory effect.
Acid rainbow over Big Sur, October 2011. Photo by Lee Klinger.
The rainy season has started early again this year in Big Sur, with the first rains falling on October 3. October rainfall at my rain gauge (see station photo below) totaled 3.53”. Below are the pH readings. Three of the four readings are notable higher (less acidic) than usual here in Big Sur, though all the readings are more acidic than what is considered normal for unpolluted rainfall pH (~ 5.6). This is not meant to imply, however, that the acidity measured here in Big Sur is due to anthropogenic pollution. There is a distinct possibility that a portion of the acidity is coming from natural, oceanic sources. Still, no one knows for sure where the acidity in the Big Sur rain is coming from.
For summaries of acid rain readings from previous years see my previous posts. Read the rest of this entry »
Back in 2008 Kevin Feinstein over at FeralKevin blog interviewed me about Sudden Oak Death. I don’t know if he posted the interview, but reading over it I see that the information is still relevant. With permission from Kevin Feinstein, here is the transcript of that interview: Read the rest of this entry »
Six years ago I began fire mimicry treatments on these trees in Carmel . . .
Last week I visited some oaks in Monterey that were first treated with fire mimicry last year at this time. This year there has been a heavy oak worm/moth infestation in the area with many oaks being nearly defoliated. However, most of the treated oaks shown here have not only survived the infestation, they are actually showing signs of improved health since last year. See the photo comparisons below:
Not long ago I visited some oaks and pines in the Bay area that started receiving fire mimicry treatments six years ago. This particular client has done a remarkable job following my recommendations precisely. She’s quite happy for the results. Here are her coast live oaks and Monterey pines after six years.
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