[APWG] Five species of mushroom with natives+ acid pH with weeds

[craig at astreet.com]

Dear All,
The Soil and Plant Lab in San Jose just ran some soil
nutrient tests on native grassland sites and also from soil where the
worst weeds are growing.  The medusahead grass, was an indicator of
low calcium, low nitrogen and very acidic soil due to the low calcium,
about 10X more acid than normal.  Also low in zinc and iron.
 This low calcium and acidic soil was on the hillside that have
received the most intensive cattle grazing over the last 200 years, and
the grazing depleted the soil calcium levels so that only the weeds can
survive in those soils today.
Also a note about the living soils
that are fostered by native plants.  In my tiny 20 x 40 foot Poppy
Project patch at Arastradero preserve in Palo Alto, I counted five
different species of mushrooms sprouting up last week, whereas there were
zero mushroom species in the adjacent exotic weeds surrounding the
natives.  I have never seen so much fungi diversity in such a small
area before.
I strongly believe that when we look closely at our
grassland weed infestations, we might find that those weeds are just
indicators of changes in the soil that our grazing animals have made over
the decades to hundreds of years of nutrient mining that the animals
 have done, especially in the Great Basin, California and the arid
West.  
And the weeds are obviously also indicators of the
spatial extinction of the native species in those areas, but until we
correct the soil problems, it is unlikely that we can successfully
eradidcate or manage the weeds.
Sincerely,  Craig Dremann
9(650) 325-7333
 
 
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