VARIATIONS ON A THEME

IT has been written previously. This quote from Gide. Everything has been said before, since no one has been paying attention, it has to be repeated.

The article below, discovered in a 2010 National Geographic, has been a pleasure.  One of those bedtime or mornings with Coffea arabica readings, stimulating with energy and purpose.

WITHIN ONE CUBIC FOOT

Miniature Surveys of Biodiversity

 by 

 Edward O. Wilson 

Within One Cubic Foot

Guess how many organisms you'll find in a cube of soil or sea.

By Edward O. Wilson

Photograph by David Liittschwager

When you thrust a shovel into the soil or tear off a piece of coral, you are, godlike, cutting through an entire world. You have crossed a hidden frontier known to very few. Immediately close at hand, around and beneath our feet, lies the least explored part of the planet's surface. It is also the most vital place on Earth for human existence.
In any habitat, on the ground, in the forest canopy, or in the water, your eye is first caught by the big animals—birds, mammals, fish, butterflies. But gradually the smaller inhabitants, far more nu­merous, begin to eclipse them. There are the insect myriads creeping and buzzing among the weeds, the worms and unnameable creatures that squirm or scuttle for cover when you turn garden soil for planting. There are those annoying ants that swarm out when their nest is accidentally cut open and the pesky beetle grubs exposed at yellowed grass roots. When you flip a rock over, there are even more: You see spiderlings and sundry pale unknowns of diverse form slinking through mats of fungus strands. Tiny beetles hide from the sudden light, and pill bugs curl their bodies into defensive balls. Centi­pedes and millipedes, the armored snakes of their size class, squeeze into the nearest crevices and wormholes.

It may seem that the whole icky lot of them, and the miniature realms they inhabit, are unrelated to human concerns. But scientists have found the exact opposite to be true. Together with the bacteria and other invisible microorganisms swimming and settled around the mineral grains of the soil, the ground dwellers are the heart of life on Earth.
The terrain they inhabit is not just a matrix of dirt and rubble. The entire ground habitat is alive. Living forms create virtually all of the substances that flow around the inert grains.
If all the organisms were to disappear from any one of the cubic spaces depicted in these photographs, the environment in it would soon shift to a radical new state. The molecules of the soil or streambed would become smaller and simpler. The ratios of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases in the air would change. Altogether, a new physical equilibrium would be approached, at which the cubic foot would resemble that on some distant, sterile planet.
Earth is the only planet we know that has a biosphere. This thin, membranous layer of life is our only home. It alone is able to maintain the exact environment we ourselves need to stay alive.
Most of the organisms of the biosphere, and the vast number of its species, can be found at the surface or just below it. Through their bodies pass the cycles of chemical reactions upon which all of life depends. With precision exceeding anything our technology can match, some of the species break down the dead plant and animal material falling from above. Specialized predators and parasites feed on these scavengers, and higher level specialists feed on them in turn. The whole, working together in a constant turnover of birth and death, returns to the plants the nutrients needed to continue photosynthesis. Without the smooth working of all this linkage, the biosphere would cease to exist.
Thus, we need all of this biomass and biodiversity, including all of the creepy-crawlies. Yet in spite of its vital role, life at the ground level remains relatively unknown, even to scientists. About 60,000 species of fungi have been discovered and studied, for example, including mushrooms, rusts, and molds, but specialists estimate that more than 1.5 million species actually exist on Earth. Along with them in the soil thrive some of the most abundant animals in the world, the nematodes, also known as roundworms. These include, among other forms, the barely visible white wigglers that can be found everywhere just underground. Tens of thousands of roundworm species are known, and the true number could be in the millions. Both fungi and roundworms are outdone dramatically in turn by still smaller organisms. In a pinch of garden soil, about a gram in weight, live millions of bacteria, representing several thousand species. Most of them are unknown to science.

Ants, with more than 12,000 described species in the world (and the group on which I specialize as a naturalist), are among the better studied insects. Yet it's a good guess that the actual number is double or even triple that. In 2003 I completed a study of the "big-headed ants" of the Western Hemisphere, a genus (Pheidole) that has the largest number of known species and is among the most abundant of all the ants. At the end of my study, after 18 years of off-and-on effort, I had distinguished 624 species. A majority, 337, were new to science.
Only a dozen or so of the species have been closely studied. One of the smallest, I discovered, feeds on oribatid mites, which are usually much smaller than the letter o on this page and resemble a cross between a spider and a turtle. Oribatids are among the most abundant creatures of their size in the soil. A cubic foot might contain thousands of individuals. Yet I found that their diversity and habits remain largely unknown, much more than in the case of ants.
Life at the ground level is not just a random mix of species, not an interspersion of fungi, bacteria, worms, ants, and all the rest. The spe­cies of each group are strictly stratified by depth. In passing from just above the surface on down, the conditions of the microenvironment change gradually but dramatically. Inch by inch there are shifts in light and temperature, the size of the cavities, the chemistry of the air, soil, or water, the kind of food available, and the species of organisms. The combination of these properties, down to a microscopic level, defines the surface ecosystem. Each species is specialized to survive and reproduce best in its particular niche.
Soil studies, and especially the biology of the ground level, is growing rapidly into a major branch of science. Now bacteria and other microscopic forms of life can be identified quickly by the decoding of their DNA. The life cycles of increas­ing numbers of insects and other invertebrate animals, many entirely unknown to science, are being explored in the field and laboratory. Their physical and nutritional needs are coming clear, species by species. The Encyclopedia of Life, available in a single address (eol.org), is gathering all known information on each species and making it available free throughout the world.
A small world awaits exploration. As the flo­ras and faunas of the surface are examined more closely, the interlocking mechanisms of life are emerging in ever greater and more surprising detail. In time we will come fully to appreciate the magnificent little ecosystems that have fallen under our stewardship. 

AS time goes by, getting older, still impatient, one thing is more cliched transparent, crystal clear, if our surroundings are not studied, understood, the imbecilic planting of trees in urban/rural contexts,  taking place in Puerto Rico becomes
more and more inane, useless.

 

 

LIGHT AND SHADE

 IN some circles is fine to paraphrase to make the information more or less personal.  In this quarters is not, if some can write/say it better what is the point?  One thing I have never understood is plagiarism, if somejuan has nothing to say, close the blog....start something else.  The photos are yours truly.

 One confession, I am falling in love with the north, those changes of light and shade as the earth moves is a real trip, a collateral benefit unsuspected when this project started.       

Distinguishing Degrees of Light and Shade

Learn to match the type of light with suitable plants, and your gardens will shine

by C. Colston Burrell So, shade is shade, right? Wrong. All shade is not created equal. Many variables, including season, time of day, age of trees, their density, and canopy composition, all affect how plants are shaded. Understanding these factors helps gardeners select and care for plants.
Let's set the record straight. Shade is a term used to describe some degree of relief from the sun. There are basically four classes: light shade, partial shade, full shade, and deep shade. These are based on the duration of time without sun, coupled with shade density.

Shade varies by habitat

To define degrees of sun and shade, and the needs and tolerances of various plants, I look to natural habitats. In nature, full sun is analogous to meadows, prairies, and other open country. Cultivated plants that require a full day of direct summer sun -- 10 or more hours -- are native to these ecosystems. Light shade occurs along edges of woodlands and in savannas where trees provide up to 25 percent canopy closure and plants receive 5 to 10 hours direct sun. In partial shade, such as in open woods, and small clearings with up to 50 percent canopy closure, plants get less than five hours of direct sun and are shaded for at least half the day. Full shade occurs in forests and woodlands with complete canopy closure. Plants there may take in less than an hour of direct sun a day, though they may glean filtered or dappled light throughout all or part of the day as the sun tracks across the sky. In deep shade, direct sunlight seldom, if ever, reaches the ground. This occurs in coniferous forests, or in gardens where walls or building overhangs block out the sun.
Equally important as the sun-to-shade continuum is solar intensity -- the strength of the sun's rays. This varies with the time of day, the season, and the sun's distance from the equator. Early-afternoon sun is more intense than morning or late-afternoon sun. Equatorial regions and mountains experience the most solar intensity. In the U.S. and Canada, the sun shines most intensely June through September and is stronger in the South than in the North. Thus, a plant grown in light shade in Minnesota may require partial or full shade in Alabama.

Plants are adapted to shaded environments in various ways. For instance, in most woodlands there is ample, often direct, sun during springtime while the branches of forest trees are bare. Many woodland species have evolved to handle this temporary abundance of light. They produce rapid growth in spring to spread their leaves and flowers while direct sun is available before trees, shrubs, ferns and larger wildflowers leaf out. As the light level drops, some more diminutive woodland wildflowers, such as anemone and spring beauty, simply go dormant. On the other hand, many woodland plants, such as trillium, bloodroot, and epimedium, bloom early, but keep their leaves well into summer, or even the fall. These persistent species use different strategies to ensure ample food production.

Shade leaves are often broader and thinner

Leaf size is one of their main adaptations. Broad and flattened leaves on plants such as umbrella leaf, hosta, and skunk cabbage function like huge solar collectors. Many leaves, such as those on ferns, aralias, and black cohosh, have dissected blades that are equally efficient, but also more wind-resistant. A large leaf divided into many small segments is less apt to be tattered or flattened in a summer storm. Leaves adapted to full sun are often smaller than shade-adapted leaves. Sun-adapted leaves have many layers of chlorophyll-rich cells, called palisade cells, piled one upon the other. This piggybacking is possible because the strong, direct sun can penetrate deep into the leaf. In this way, a small leaf can be very efficient. In contrast, shade-adapted leaves have a single layer of photosynthetic palisade cells, so the leaves must be proportionately bigger to accommodate the same number of cells and produce the same amount of food.
Leaves that are efficient in the sun are usually unable to function in the shade, and vice versa. For example, a potted ficus tree placed outside for its summer vacation gets lots of light, so it grows efficient, cell-packed leaves. In the autumn, when it's "back-to-school time," the ficus suffers a setback. Indoor light levels are low, and the high-efficiency leaves can't function, so the tree sheds them and produces new, larger leaves better adapted to less light.

Hot sun burns shade leaves

Shade leaves, because they have a thin palisade layer, are subject to burning in the hot sun. This became painfully clear recently, when a summer storm brought down half of my largest canopy tree. Overnight, the garden switched from full shade to light shade. Although some leaves have burned, I suspect that next year, most of the plants will gracefully make the transition. As new leaves emerge, they will be better adapted to the new light conditions. I may have to move a few plants, such as pulmonarias, which seem unable to absorb enough water to keep from wilting in the direct sun. Large-leaved plants are also subject to scorching in hot, dry weather for the same reason. In my bog garden, the huge, thin leaves of umbrella leaf often burn in July in the hot, afternoon sun. The same amount of sun earlier in the day would not be detrimental. Evergreen plants are the best-adapted to full and deep shade. Since their leaves don't go dormant, they are full-time solar collectors whenever the temperature is over 45°F.
So, how can gardeners make the most of shade? The bottom line is that even the most dyed-in-the-wool shade plants will benefit from bright light, or even some direct morning sun, where duration and intensity are moderate. A plant that tolerates deep shade will grow better in full shade. A plant that grows in full shade will generally grow more lush in partial shade, particularly if it receives direct sun in the morning.

From Fine Gardening 59 , pp. 16-18

SOIL POST II

THIS is part two of what could easily could be the next General Hospital. Same reference as before.

FUNGI

MOST fungi resemble a mass of tangled threads (hyphae) called a mycellium.  Fruiting bodies grow from mycellium.  These bodies release spores that may be considered the 'seeds' of fungi.  Some fungi grow to become quite large-the common mushroom is a fungues. The mushroom is the fruiting body of a fungus whose hyphae feed on decaying material in soil.  However, much of the fungi in the soil must be examined under a microscope.  Up to 450,000 fungi may reside in a teaspoon of soil.

While fungi are less numerous than bacteria, because of their larger size, they generally make up the largest microbial mass in the soil. Fungi are entirely heterothropic and  aerobic, and occupy larger pore spaces. Fungi tend to dominate in acid soils.

Along with bacteria, fungi act as the main soil decomposers.  Fungi can attack matter that resists breakdown by bacteria, partly because hyphae can grow into the material.  Many fungi are plant parasites, such as with the fungus (Verticillium spp) that attacks potatoes, several landscape plants, and other plant species.  A group of soil fungi called "damping-off fungi", like Rhizoctonia, attack seeds and seedlings and cause root rots, particular problems for  greenhouse and container nursery growers. 

A few odd fungi are predators.  For instance certain fungi  capture and consume nematodes (a microscopic worm).  These fungi trap nematodes either by growing rings that can tighten around the body
of a nematode or by growing knobs covered with a sticky substance. After the nematode is trappec, hyphae grow into its body until it is consumed.

EDITORIAL

I received some feedback from one of those Florida people gardening as they only can. Her comments? How deep/interesting.

The information above and the rest  to come, may seem irrelevant to most amateurs.  However,  in Puerto Rico, where I live, some con artists have been promoting edible gardens left and right, for  $125 USA dollars a pop.  They advertise edible gardens as a solution like sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty.

But Josy Latorre and Douglas Kndelabro, (among others) prophet/ess respectively,  of this fad, never mention that any intelligent, echologically correct  gardening requires  solid notions
about soil, pests, and diseases.......not to get into irrigation.

As if any fool, overweight, unable to bend, to  pull some weeds,
could have ANY  garden edible or not.   

The intelligent solution to solve this matter would be to do a street by street inventory of what people have planted in their backyards, 
fruits, herbs and such as they do in California, swapping this for that.
If you have arthritis, heart problems  to name a few, edible gardens are not for you, unless you have high beds, preferably on tables.   

that is that

   

SOIL POST I

I HAVE seen  lots of blogs/posts about many things above the ground, except pests, diseases and the great absentee in the tittle.  It is the one making or breaking any garden.  Perhaps it is the jargon what keeps most people away from it.

When I began my studies for the certificate in the NY Botanical, soil science was one of the most difficult classes, it covers a whole universe. If it seems too much of text book information, you are right.  If you know a lot about the subject, go ahead, skip it.  Stick around or buy the book. Keep it as a reference, it will be useful for your gardening life.

Soil is a living creature with lots of secrets. Forgotten and ignored for a simple reason, when bare, is not so attractive except for geologists and archeologists.   

              MICROORGANISMS 

Bacteria, simple one-celled organisms are the most abundant inhabitants in the soil.  Up to 100 million organisms may live in one

teaspoon of soil.  Common soil bacteria are rod-shaped, though many assume other  shapes. Bacteria usually grow as small colonies

on the surface of soil particles and smaller pores. They are most dominant in nonacid soils. 

Bacteria are the most variable of soil organisms. While most are aerobic, many thrive in anaerobic soil.  Most are heterothropic, yet many obtain energy autothropically from chemical reactions with certain soil substances.

Most soil bacteria are saphrophytic.  They comprise one of the groups most responsible for breaking down organic matter in the soil.  A few species are parasites, causing plant diseases such as crown gall (Agrobacterium tunfasciens) which causes a tumorlike 
growth on roots of many plants. 

Soil Science & Management

by 

Edward J. Plaster

page 113

One of the issues that  keep  yours truly motivated  to keep a blog, was the destruction of 5 hectares in the town of Trujillo Alto, by a Phd and his wife. Alberto Areces Mallea and Gabriella Ocampo, the culprits. http://antigonumcajaneveningpost.blogspot.com/2011/06/parque-dona-ines-alberto-areces-mallea.html,                             there is a whole series of articles on that scam if you are interested.

BONUS

Our second pumpkin is hanging it there, our first Malpighia glabra, arrived after 3 years in the south garden. 

the soil series 
has begun

that is that

 

REFLECTIONS ON MY 61RST

NORTH AND SOUTH IN CONTEXT

I NOTICED that some visitors stay in this space, not venturing into the other two.  Here are two sides, those missing will be available in a near future.  Let the record show at least 56 species live
here happily with some editing when necessary.  If interested check my inventory for the hell of it.\

.  The north side wide and narrow. The third photo shows the same space facing west.

   FINALLY,  the south side home of the pumpkin,  west and east.

that is that

HYLOCEROUS COSTARRICENSIS NEW INDUCTEE

  THIS rainforest

cactus has been in the collection for a couple of years, a present from Maria, one of me neighbors.

Some readers may find strange these succulents could grown under  rainy conditions, but I assure you is not the only one.

Mine, to the right, decided to attach itself to

the concrete wall for support.  It was planted

under the Duranta repens, for the intense

shade and humidity, not found everywhere in our garden.

I did my research under rainforest cacti, finding

this and a few others under the botanical name.

that is that.    

  

BARLERIA REPENS POST

 Barleria repens is one of me favorite plants in our garden.  The first, nine years ago,  was just like the photo at left.  It came from the LMM Plantation, by division.  As time went by I noticed its self sown characteristics.

It has never shown diseases of any kind or insect damage. Barleria is drought tolerant and will grow as you can see in the photos with little support.  If you are into hedges, without the pruning and trimming hassles of many, I would recommend it.

Below the technical information from wildifeohawaii.com.
 
Scientific Name: Barleria repens
Common Names: Coral Creeper, Red Barleria, Creeping Barleria, Small Bush Violet

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial, Evergreen
Growth Habit: Subshrub, Vine, Herb/Forb
Hawaii Native Status: Introduced. This naturalized ornamental garden plant is native to South Africa.
Flower Color: Light red to coral, Salmon to lavender-pink, Pinkish purple
Height: 6 inches to 6 1/2 feet (15 cm to 2 m) tall
Description: The flowers are tubular and have 5 round, spreading, unequally-sized lobes and light purple anthers. The flowers are followed by club-shaped seed capsules that explode open when dry, ejecting the seeds a fair distance from the parent plant. The leaves are smaller than the showy flowers and are shiny, green, smooth-edged, and oval in shape. This variable and adaptable plant can grow as low, rounded plants when young, as a spreading groundcover in open, sunny locations, as a tall, rambling vine amongst other plants, or even as an epiphyte on other plants like palm trees. These attractive, but weedy plants are fast-growing and can spread quickly by seed or rooting stems.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Scrophulariales
Family: Acanthaceae – Acanthus family
Genus: Barleria L. – Philippine violet
Species: Barleria repens Nees

1. Barleria repens 'Purple Prince' - Excellent ground cover or low shrub for full sun or semi shade. Medium grower. Glossy green leaves with
royal purple flowers. Can be easily pruned to form a low hedge. Prune lightly after flowering. Feed with slow release 3:1:5 chemical or organic fertiliser and water regularly for best results.

ONE BEE ANOLIS AND FLOWERS

THIS post was planned to be around the last two, but in the process, that lonely pollinator appeared out of the blue, changing the picture.  You probably heard about bee collapse. Well, in our garden from twenty regulars, there are probably four now.  Butterflies have remain steady, maybe 5 a month, but black beetles visit regularly in good numbers 5/8 twice a day.

Anolis lizards are beautiful company on my daily trips to every garden 
morning and evening.  At night, some sleep in particular leaves, waiting for lunch.  You may notice from the close distance in the photos, these are not shy.  How long that will be the case I can not say. The arrival of  Lalo, enjoying to jump on them  will change has changed that.

The good health of our garden is no doubt result of the abundance of this dinosaur looking reptiles of  many colors and size.  The are wise creatures that often keep close by yours truly while spraying to catch those insects taking flight when the water hits the fan.

Finally, the flowers are here for one reason. If you have read how acidity  in  soil changes color in certain species, here is one example.  The Plumeria with the light pink gave birth to the seeds of the dark one five years ago.

This is the only Plumeria variety I have seen with seed pods in Puerto Rico.  I kept some, giving the rest to some friends. Two survived, this is the first to bloom. 

There is not much else to add. If curious...inquire within.

 that is that 

 

USC 1RST DEGREE ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMINALS IV

         
IT is hard,  perhaps impossible to understand, tolerate or accept most criminal behavior of any kind at any level. Take for example the global banking bankruptcy thanks to embezzlement and avarice.

The culprits are mostly in the free community except in very few cases.  On the contrary,  the majority of working people and and retired will have to pay it back.  The tax evaders get amnesty in Spain, those with a pension will pay more for everything;

In Puerto Rico the situation is the same and getting worse. Here, besides the financial bankruptcy,  a population close to 3.5 million and the whopping number of over 3 million vehicles in  a100 by 35 miles isle, you could  imagine the quality of the air in most urban and non urban contexts in addition to noise levels 24/7. 

The alienation from nature, flora and fauna is astounding. This post is a token of just one street.  One would expect the environmental fools over here paying more attention to this insane destruction every day, every week, month, year after year.


The killing and mutilation of our trees by individuals, groups, Universidad Sagrado Corazon, public and private sectors, particularly housing and highway developers, in addition to the butchers working for the electrical power company AEE seems to have no end.

Meanwhile every environmental jerk, individual, groups and government agencies waste their time educating children as if they could kill and mutilate as shown in the photos at left.

Giving away trees to every fool in a futile attempt to compensate the destruction of 30 year old trees, only add to the problems mentioned since most people have no idea of where to plant, which tree is adequate and even less to prune or eliminate it at the right time to avoid the problems presented here. 

NOW if you live in Puerto Rico, I suggest to take a walk by Ponce de Leon avenue in Santurce.  Nine out of 10 of the 800 trees standing in the sidewalks will probably have a similar end...soon or later.

that is that

      

GOT PALMS?

I HAVE a great love for flora and fauna in general, except palms, Ficus and many other over used vegetation in the urban context, without vision, forethought.

Most palms are hazardous in sidewalks or spaces with high pedestrian traffic. The amount of organic waste, fronds and seeds is overwhelming.

The pictures at left show two examples of palms. One is really ugly too big, dwarfing the residence and difficult in terms of maintenance. Imagine yourself  sharp machete in hand,  climbing a ten feet ladder cutting them ugly fronds and plenty of seeds.

I used some fronds for privacy in our north garden. Six months later, t they are coming apart and do not smell like roses. That is the only use for them. Now imagine, carrying them  out for the garbage people to collect them, after making the necessary phone call, waiting for the pick up. 

A shredder is the most intelligent solution for their disposal, unfortunately no one has ever done it. At least, I have not seen it.


In the case of the nice looking palms on top,  in adequate spaces you do not have the pedestrian traffic, but still, check the size of the fronds. If they  are in your own backyard,  as in this case, the residents in the apartment, will have to pay for the service.


Be wise. Leave them palms alone except for large spaces, where they will not bother anyjuan, except, perhaps when them fronds and seed bend dry and dead hanging until the day of the last judgement.

BLUES FOR CUCURBITA

iI AM  not  much of an edible gardener, never was, never will. My thing is the non edible department, yet I can theorize like anyjuan else on the merits, practice, means and ends of this area, fad among some, of horticulture.

Here is my first pumpkin. 15 and a half pounds, on the fifth attempt.  It grew over the branches of a few plants in the south garden, looking for the sun. They are gluttons for it.  Cucurbitas in me garden, have a great advantage over other edibles. You plant the seed and  forget them, they will do their thing.

Besides a historical moment in my garden, this vegetable, along Capsicum frutescens did something nice for me favorite tree, Coccoloba uvifera, their leaves became the favorite dinner  for some endemic brown beetles mentioned before in this space, allowing the latter to look nice and dandy. 

About the tittle, it was that or Pumpkin Blues....I prefer the other.

until then