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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Craig, et al:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm looking forward to others weighing in on this
discussion. While Craig has some very interesting things to say, and he has
stimulated me to again think harder on this subject, I hope this doesn't become
just a tennis match between the two of us. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mowing before seed-set is a reasonably good
practice in some contexts, it may not always be practical (e.g., 2:1 slopes,
etc.). Once a site has been dominated by weeds for a year or two, not to
mention decades or centuries, there is a considerable buildup of dormant seeds
in the soil's seed bank. Mowing can't get those, nor can it get all of the
standing crop. Then there's the issue of the thatch/chaff, post-mowing regrowth,
and other specifics that raise questions. I'm really looking forward to the
possibility of seeing at least one project next month, when I will be traveling
up the CA coast into Oregon, thence through much of the Intermountain West.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I am delighted to hear about Craig's and Anita's
projects, and hope that others will post information about other ones. Also, I
would like to hear from more list subscribers on whether or not they agree with
Craig's (and my) claims that weed eradication without restoration is futile.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Not only that, but the vital importance that such
treated sites must self-sustain rather than be continuously treated for
eternity. It's kinda like Ben Franklin said when he and the other signers left
Independence Hall and a man shouted, "Gentlemen--what have you given us!"
Franklin responded, "Liberty--IF you can KEEP it!"* </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best to you all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>WT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PS: That applies to weed eradication and ecosystem
restoration too--<EM>semper vigilans</EM> may be a requirement, but constant
maintenance should not be--if the "constitution" is sound in the first place.
Not to say that a little tweaking might not be useful after the emerging
vegetation (and perhaps some animal species) has had a chance to become strong
enough for the kind of traffic the tweaking (planting, for the most part) might
require. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>From: "Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company"
<</FONT><A href="mailto:Craig@astreet.com"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Craig@astreet.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>To: <</FONT><A
href="mailto:apwg@lists.plantconservation.org"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>apwg@lists.plantconservation.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 10:06
AM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Subject: [APWG] Getting 95% weed-free & 95%
native cover in 90 days or less</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><BR><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>> Dear Wayne, Anita and All,<BR>> <BR>> Thanks for your
emails.<BR>> <BR>> Anita asked, how were the exotics eradicated?<BR>>
============<BR>> Reply: Mowing and pulling plus a tiny bit of
herbicides. No burning,<BR>> tilling, grazing, insects. And no
native seed sowing until recently, to<BR>> start putting back the missing
species that did not emerge from the soil<BR>> seedbank. The most
important thing about the Shaw property, as Michael<BR>> Shaw says, is to get
the weeds cut every year, before they make any more<BR>> seeds.<BR>>
==================<BR>> Wayne writes:<BR>> <BR>> I do not endorse
arbitrary time limits and "cover" criteria, as they are<BR>> irrelevant to
ecosystem development. If, for example, "cover" is demanded<BR>> within 90
days, seedling density will be far too high, resulting in the<BR>> more
aggressive (even indigenous) species suppressing the more<BR>>
slowly-developing ones. Getting the plant density and species
proportions<BR>> right is one of the most demanding aspects of ecosystem
restoration<BR>> practice.<BR>> ==========<BR>> <BR>> Reply: With a
nearly 100% weed cover in lower-elevation California<BR>> consisting of over
1,000 species of weeds, that reality absolutely<BR>> requires a Performance
Standard, that I talk about at<BR>> <</FONT><A
href="http://www.ecoseeds.com/standards.html"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>http://www.ecoseeds.com/standards.html</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial
size=2>> with a less-than-90-day<BR>> time-frame attached.<BR>>
<BR>> To achieve that 95% native cover and 95% weed eradication within 90
days<BR>> or less, you have to do numerous small-scale test plots before you
do the<BR>> big project, so you can test your ecological restoration
technologies and<BR>> see if they are tuned for the site.<BR>> <BR>>
The small scale test plots are where you find the proper sowing rates
and<BR>> the correct species mixes, so that your native seedlings come up at
just<BR>> the proper densities, to suppress the exotic seeds still in the
soil, but<BR>> not so dense that the natives will crowd each other. You
can see some<BR>> photos of some successful small scale test plots at<BR>>
</FONT><A href="http://www.ecoseeds.com/greatbasin.html"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>http://www.ecoseeds.com/greatbasin.html</FONT></A><BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>> <BR>> Really, you do not have any choice in central or northern
California<BR>> grassland habitats, because it is an absolute necessity to
get 95% native<BR>> cover and 95% weed eradication within 90 days or
less. That means if you<BR>> sow your local native seeds in October or
November, you should see 95%<BR>> native seedling cover by February
1st.<BR>> <BR>> If you cannot achieve that Performance Standard, the weeds
in California<BR>> will eat your project for breakfast, like what is
happening on the public<BR>> lands at Russian Ridge just 10 miles up the hill
from me, that you can<BR>> read about at </FONT><A
href="http://www.ecoseeds.com/invent.html"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>http://www.ecoseeds.com/invent.html</FONT></A><BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>> <BR>> Sincerely, Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333<BR>> <BR>>
<BR>> <BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> PCA's
Alien Plant Working Group mailing list<BR>> </FONT><A
href="mailto:APWG@lists.plantconservation.org"><FONT face=Arial
size=2>APWG@lists.plantconservation.org</FONT></A><BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>> </FONT><A
href="http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org"><FONT
face=Arial
size=2>http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org</FONT></A><BR><FONT
face=Arial size=2>> <BR>> Disclaimer<BR>> Any requests, advice or
opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the opinion of the individual posting
the message.</FONT>
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