[CANUFNET] Trees and Boulevards (Soils)

[Michael Richardson]

Here are a few papers that might be of interest for those wanting to
assess and plant in urban soils:

A Description of Urban Soils and their Desired Characteristics:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.611.5213&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Ontario Landscape Tree Planting Guide:
https://landscapeontario.com/ontario-landscape-tree-planting-guide

A rapid urban site index for assessing the quality of street tree planting
sites:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/56977


Michael

> Hello,
>
> Soils for trees are one of my research areas and I have the deepest
> respect and
> appreciation for everyone involved in forestry research.
>
> Pull out a soil map for your area and take a good look at it.
>
> If every map was placed on the same table next to each other, you would
> notice  a
> different soil type, a different soil profile, different structure and
> chemistry. The soil may
> have originated from the parent rock below or been pushed for hundreds of
> kilometers by
> ancient glaciers. Soil even varies within dozens of meters. When I worked
> in BC
> silviculture, I would carry three tree species in my planting bags to
> match the varying soil
> microsite conditions.
>
> I grew up in a farming community on the Canadian prairie believing that
> our rich, black
> chernozem soils were the best in the world. But even soil age has an
> influence on soil
> characteristics. When I was doing research in Europe and I encountered the
> rich, black
> chernozem soils of Ukraine, I was overcome with awe.
>
> To para-phrase the late Richard F. Fisher 'Ecology and Management of
> Forest Soils'  /"Soils
> age like a fine wine."/  A 5,000 year old Canadian chernozem soil lacks
> the prized
> characteristics of a 1.5 to 2 million year old Ukrainian chernozem soil.
> There is such a high
> value on this soil it is being shipped and trucked out of Ukraine with
> alarming speed.
>
> I spend thousands of dollars on textbooks, journals, scientific
> literature, webinars,
> conferences my research and field trips to other parts of the world. I
> work with my family
> trees (going back three generations) to see what works, doesn't work or to
> see what the
> likely outcome will be.
>
> I can summarize my soil research into a single sentence quoted from the
> book I am
> writing on Rural Forestry (for publication in 2023):
>
> /"The variation of soil characteristics within any geographic area will
> often require a
> prescription for a soil amendment that is specific to the geographic
> area."/
>
> Again, I have the deepest respect for everyone involved in forest
> research. However, it is
> important to acknowledge that soil sciences and soil practices are most
> highly relevant to
> the specific geographic area of their original study. There is simply too
> much variation of
> soil characteristics to apply a 'one size fits all' approach to soil
> practices for trees. Yet, this
> seems to a tendency in Urban Forestry.
>
> There is an illustration on the Research Page of my website. My prized
> specimen Delta
> Hackberry was planted in Manitoba's famed 'Red River Gumbo' which is a
> lacustrine,
> vertisolic, clay soil prone to heavy compaction. I developed a soil
> amendment for this
> specific geographic location which _involved the use of carefully selected
> soil mixes and
> strategic use of a tractor mounted roto-tiller._ The tree quickly
> established and has been
> growing at a rate of six feet per year for several years. I continue
> research work with this
> tree in the area of soil nutrient recycling.
>
> Forestry is a craft supported by science and there are several sciences
> within forestry. I
> believe part of the forestry craft involves properly selecting and
> applying the right forestry
> science to each specific situation. This is most relevant to discussion of
> soil amendments
> and soil practices for trees within specific geographic areas.
>
> _The 'one size fits all approach' is most ineffective_. We need to apply
> our own
> observational experience towards discerning what is relevant in textbooks
> and published
> scientific literature towards each specific forestry situation.
>
> Most Sincerely,
>
> Guy Shelemy
>
> --
>
>