Haloing around and reducing veteran pollards

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

What is the grey mineral soil David?

 

good shots dude! wasnt expecting sand at burnham thats for sure.

[David Humphries]

What is the grey mineral soil David?

 

good shots dude! wasnt expecting sand at burnham thats for sure.

 

 

Not entirely sure, will try and get a beter description of it.

 

Day four at BB today, not sure if my little excursion up in to the canopy yesterday will tick my box or whether I'll have to let my kit bag spiders wait another day or two to start their web building

 

 

 

.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Fascinating stuff, and what makes this forum such a great place to be (along with my 'fascinating' H&S postings of course...tee hee!)

 

THANK YOU David, and Hama, we learn more every day, keep it coming.

 

Cheers..

Paul

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I don't think that's a high % of the predominant Beech soil structure at BB.

 

I took a closer look today at a number of blown Beech root plates, and found very little humus,

 

 

.

 

That grey crumbly textured top layer just under the organic horizon is really interesting, the only thing I can think of is that

 

 

A) depostion of minerals via burning on the heath in the past?

B) high water table (very very unlikely on a high draining sand sub soil!)

C) the most interesting, the possibility that chalk was brought in and added to the soil in order to grow beech as it would have been elsewhere in the county and much desired and well grown in the otherwise chalky alkaline region.

 

 

Really interested to know why it is that texture and colouration.

[David Humphries]

That grey crumbly textured top layer just under the organic horizon is really interesting, the only thing I can think of is that

 

 

A) depostion of minerals via burning on the heath in the past?

B) high water table (very very unlikely on a high draining sand sub soil!)

C) the most interesting, the possibility that chalk was brought in and added to the soil in order to grow beech as it would have been elsewhere in the county and much desired and well grown in the otherwise chalky alkaline region.

 

 

Really interested to know why it is that texture and colouration.

 

 

 

I'll ask tomorrow to see if there is any survey info on the local geology.

 

 

Was talking to a Lichenologist from NHM there yesterday, really interesting observations on Vet tree lichen populations.

 

Working on one tomorrow with pretty rare lichen on.

Better put our kid gloves on.

 

 

 

.

 

 

.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I'll ask tomorrow to see if there is any survey info on the local geology.

 

 

Was talking to a Lichenologist from NHM there yesterday, really interesting observations on Vet tree lichen populations.

 

Working on one tomorrow with pretty rare lichen on.

Better put our kid gloves on.

.

 

I cant think of anywhere close by thats got this sandy/sandstone sub so close to the surface, its fascinating, i mean if all the chilterns chalk is old bugs in the sea, and all the gravel is from galcial scrapings in the valley (colne) what has brought this sand so high?

 

going on a geology lesson now!

 

the heath is sandy too, clay area surounds?

[David Humphries]

Did you note the graft in the shots above?

 

It's actually holding half the remaining canopy together on that pollard

 

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

the heath is sandy too, clay area surounds?

 

Yes & yes

 

 

 

.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Did you note the graft in the shots above?

 

It's actually holding half the remaining canopy together on that pollard

 

 

 

.

 

Of course I did:biggrin: As for the lichen i was reading in a CoL hanbook about some of the trees of epping being the only known substrate holding certain lichens at that 3 out of six are gone now! thats a frightening responsibility aint it!

[sean freeman]

Brilliant pics David, and obviously very rewarding to be envolved in such long term management approaches I suspect those younger guys in your team don't realise just how privileged they are (and yes I am jealous) btw based on my notoriuosly poor observation skills :>P....were the trees spiked in the past?...seems a bit odd for such high value assets.