Post #1720556
2026-03-25 15:41 UTC
I have studied soil science, though not in New England. Away from good internet right now but 3 pointers:
Pretty sure much of New England is Spodosols, especially as you go north. So Maine would have soils like Norway, where, oh, Maryland has soils like more of England.
“Harvard Forest” has had so much research done on it. So much!
Trees can grow big slowly, so they *can* be fed by “trickles”: winter breakdown of rock, fungal breakdown of rock, or the global fall of Sahara dust. @siderea
Replies (1)
-
@clew@ecoevo.social 2026-03-26 17:21
Thought of another relevant term! "swidden" or "slash and burn" agriculture -- once trees have collected that trickle of geological nutrients*, you can cut and/or burn them, leave the ash in the field, and the nutrients will support annual crops (most of what we eat) for a while. If you have lots of land, you then leave the exhausted field fallow until mature trees are on it again. If you don't, the soil "wears out". *C and N from atmosphere; all else from rock; biosphere "juggles" @siderea