Fire mimicry results with oaks, pines, and more . . .

As much as I would like to post more frequently on all the interesting work that is going on in land and tree stewardship, the fact is that I spend most of my time out working on the trees and soils, which leaves me limited time for blogging. There is so much I can do for a sick tree that I prefer to simply get on with doing the work rather than write about it.

Here is where my Canon Eos 30D comes in handy. I could measure and discuss percentage changes in crown density or leaf area index, but you’d be bored and the oaks would still be dying. With repeat photography I have more time to work on trees and it allows you to better view and judge for yourself the results of these efforts.

The pictures below are meant to be representative of the published results indicating that about 4 of every 5 trees managed with fire mimicry techniques (clearing, moss removal, AZOMITE amendments, etc.) show marked improvement in leaf density and appearance of their canopies. But let me also emphasize that some trees are not responding. Some are simply too ill and eventually die. Others show no marked improvement in health from year-to-year, although it should be noted that there is no significant deterioration in health either. Untreated trees, on-the-other-hand, do show a steady decline in crown density from year-to-year.