A couple of succession questions
Hey, Casey and Alex! I had a couple of questions about ecological succession that I've been mulling over ever since you did your series of episodes about it. First, if a forest is wiped off the map and starts over with early succession trees and other plants, how do those early succession trees physically...get there? Are their seeds blown in from existing trees elsewhere, or pooped out by animals that pass through? Or, have the seeds been dormant underground that whole time, biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? Is it a little bit of all of those depending on the species of tree and the specific situation? Second, does every habitat and forest type have a more or less "formalized" succession process, where it's fairly predictable which plants will grow first, which ones will grow later, and which ones will grow last, or is that only a feature for forests that experience somewhat regular disruptions, like our forests that frequently burn down in the western united states? If an ecosystem that wasn't "used" to disruptions like this were suddenly struck by disaster, would the succession process be total chaos, as none of the plants knew who should grow back first? Followup question, do any such habitats that rarely or never get disrupted even exist? Thanks! Excited for a new year of Completely Arbitrary. Also, be sure to let Alex know that if he ever finds his way down to San Diego, there's an entire cafe devoted entirely to mango-based Japanese desserts!
Trouble with playback.
Hey fellas! Love the pod, new member to the cone of the month club. Is there any other way to listen to the extra content. I can’t get anything to play on this supercast site. I have no trouble with any other podcast apps. I’ve tried everything I can think of. I press play and it never starts. Frustrating. Let me know. Thanks!
Thoughts on Rewilding?
Striped Maple was a wonderful episode. It was exciting to hear Casey has a dream I had, to start a nursery and arboretum. I've settled for growing trees from seed in pots on my deck and planting them across the street in the landscaping around the water tower, where the ash trees succumbed to EAB. I've planted about as many as there is room for: 2 Northern Catalpas, Eastern Redbud, Amur Maackia, Dwarf Siberian Pine. I transplanted an American Hornbeam seedling from my yard, but it didn't come back after winter. I had plans to rewild the hill in my backyard, but I've not gotten enough seeds to germinate and survive. Which finally brings me to my question... What are your thoughts on rewilding urban yards and areas with tiny forests? (https://ideas.ted.com/how-to-grow-your-own-tiny-forest/) I always take a minimalist approach, which inevitably fails. Thanks so much for your show. I love your enthusiastic curiosity, and ability to learn and convey so much as a teacher/student pair. Genius!
Tree Maturation Rates
Hello again, I’ve been wondering about why trees have pretty stark differences in maturation rates. For example, willows produce seeds in 5ish years while hickories take 20+ years to produce nuts. Why is there such a wide range? Is there any advantage to taking longer to produce seeds? Thanks! Ian V