Ecologist to lead BLM effort to restore Great Basin

This theory is based partly upon speculation. It is founded upon hard principles, but lacks confirmation by experiment (you will note what the problem with performing one is as you get to the end, it's a matter of scale).

The key to understanding what has happened in the Great Basin is sage brush, the dominant species in the entire region. The plant puts out a pre-emergent hormone, preventing germination of competing plants. Now, that's just great for sage brush, but it's deadly to annual grasses. Once the grasses are gone, there is a MASSIVE change in the hydrological characteristics of the area, and to appreciate what has been done one has to remember the enormous scale of influence that government policy has exerted. When the grasses leave, several things happen. First, the surface of the soil adsorbs far more infra red light, because grasses are a nearly perfect infra-red reflector while the emissivity of mineral soils is higher. That raises surface temperature and dries out other competing species as well. What you get is a nearly perfect monoculture of mature sage brush. Now that grazing has been cut back, the sage has become an over mature and woody bush with appreciable fuel value. The range will burn and provide prime germination habitat for whatever comes first, and it's usually cheat grass (a weed).

It gets worse. Grasses have a enormous influence on the hydrological cycle. They transpire moisture in the day and condense it on their blades at night, retaining more water near the surface of the soil. They adsorb and hold more rainfall. I have half a hunch that the West might get more rainfall if they were there (higher relative humidity with all that water held at the surface). Without them we get more erosion, and fill those expensive dams with mud more quickly (oh, but the urban interests get more runoff). They retain organic matter and improve soil mechanics and support a vast range of other species: flowers, birds, cattle, predators... essentially forming the base of an entire food pyramid.

In that regard, cattle, by browsing off the sage, keep it fresh and green while still supporting the rest of that biodiversity. Between grazing policy and converting our forests into a charred moonscape, the United States government has effectively converted the American West from a savannah that supported millions of animals, into a desert in the name of supporting foriegn investors, international bankers, midwestern corporate agribusiness, meatpackers, ranchette developers, and feedlot operators, most of whom will support which ever party is craven enough to cut biggest subsidy check (and we all know who that is).

You're a true Renaissance Man. Perhaps you could also tell me why a blood test I took last week showed my platelets at 79 and my HDL Cholesterol level 28?

Wow! I was given a California fuschia by a freind who gathered it from the Santa Luchia Mountain. Is this close to you? It's beautiful. The orange/red blossom are favorites of the migrating Hummingbirds that I'm fortunate to have visit my garden annually.

The Iris macrosiphon I'm not familiar with. I looked in my Hortis and noticed it's strickly a central California native. I assume the range is probably a little wider. I garden in a zone 7b to 9 depending on the siting. I'm a person who suffers from severe zone denial and a moderate case of zone envy. Until I kill a zone 9b or 10 plant at least once, I'm sure I can get it to prosper under my tutelage.

Seed propagation isn't the best way to go for a lot of different species. When I get invited on a wild collection expedition, (I usually buy shares and stay home), we generally know what we're going after. The main criteria is it should be seed worthy. Otherwise it can be a big waste of time and resources. Now that you've mentioned Dana Emery's book, I'm sure I MUST have it. My wife hates this in me.

The remainder of your posting is an argument I hear all the time and you are right. But, I'm right also. If we could somehow stop all the transportation of exotics by man and teach all the critters to use a toilet, we'd still have an evolving floriculture. I believe the beauty and diversity,(God, I hate that word),the majority of new plant introductions bring to the landscape is worth the trouble 5% of unruly species brings to the table. Just think how theraputic 500 hours of weeding annually is to your mental health. If you didn't have that you may have to go down to Santa Cruz and get some medical marijuana or grow your own!

Speaking about GM seeds. I believe this is much ado about nothing. Before you flame me, let me point out I'm not a scientist, but my grandparents farmed 2000 acres in Indiana and they used modified seed corn from Purdue University every year from 1962 until they quit in 1990 in a portion of their corn fields. One of the biggest seed corn growers at the time, Burgdorf Seeds used all P.U. scientific seeds. It was called HI-YEILD and boy was it. It produced double the bushels per acre than traditional seed without all the fuss.

The University of Washington, Center for Urban Horticulture Lab was playing around with GM poplar trees on campus and at a research farm in Morton, Washington. Hope was to have a more rapid growing and sound tree for pulp fiber and wetland mitigation issues. The ecologist I use was a member of the team. Dr.Sarah Reichard, who also is the founder of the Washington Native Plant Society had worked 10 years on this project. 2 years ago the ELF creeps simultaneously firebombed the U.W. labs and chainsawed the test plot of trees and destroyed the farm lab also. No perps have been apprehended.

This kind of action along with the Eurotrash labeling anything GM "Frankenfood", causes a lot of unnecessary concern in an area that will help alleviate ecological disasters with science. Species die so new ones can live, we can NEVER change that nor should we. We're not that powerful.

I spoke to the Kitsap County Republican Party Chairman today about your book. She's on board and will be ordering. Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners, KAPO is meeting on January 20th and if I'm not in the hospital, I'll be there to try and secure a speaking engagement for you, if we can make it happen with your schedule. The founder of KAPO has asked me about your book, you'd enjoy meeting her. Vivian is a fireball, (60+years old), who likes to hold politicians feet to the fire.

I'm in Santa Cruz County, nowhere close to Santa Lichia Mountain. We're in Climate Zone 15 (according to my Sunset Western Garden Book).

Zauschnerias are wonderful, especially for how late and how long they bloom. The offer on iris seed is open to you as well. Do I get a cut? :-)

WRT Emery, here's a reference from you know where:

183. Emery, Dara E.; Seed Propagation of California Native Plants; Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, 1988. The other book I use is:

Hartmann, Hudson, Thomas; Plant Propagation: Principles and Practice, 5th Ed.;Regents Prentice Hall, 1990; ISBN 0-13-681016-0.

I believe the beauty and diversity, (God, I hate that word), the majority of new plant introductions bring to the landscape is worth the trouble 5% of unruly species brings to the table. Just think how theraputic 500 hours of weeding annually is to your mental health.

I respectfully disagree, but I think in both our cases the distinction is one of emphasis. It may be OK where you are, but IMO, not here. The current estimate by Ric Standiford at UC (he's credible) is that we stand to lose 70% of all native broadleaf trees on the entire Pacific Coast to this phytophthora infestation.

Is that worth it? I don't think so. You have yet to see what broom and knapweed can do, especially after a fire.

My guess is that if you were part of the risk pool to pay for it you wouldn't think it was worth it either. I just guess I'm a little more cautious than you. The same goes for GM. I just think we should be working on the low risk projects for now until we know more about the technology. Sterile seed at the base of human food production in the hands of global corporation gives me the creeps.

I'm planning a speaking tour Northward for late next month. So far, I'm getting as far North as Medford, which is a long way from where you are. Is there any way you could get George Gilder to be there? He needs to read this.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.