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Sustainable Landscape Blog
- Coastal Forest – a CT DEEP Critical Habitat
- Tri-Town Preserve in Gabbro Country
- ALERT: MOW DOWN MUGWORT BEFORE SEEDS RIPEN
- Emerald Ash Borer Control in Connecticut
- Where are the Starry Campions?
- Lesser Celandine – a Temptress
- Mugwort’s Milestones
- Critical Habitats in Connecticut
- Rich and Poor in the Plant World – Part 1
- Transplanting Soil Blocks, a Biodiversity Rescue Tool
Category Archives: Soils
Critical Habitats in Connecticut
Introduction I am often asked, just what is a critical habitat, and is it protected or not? My answer is drawn from a hybrid DEEP document (map plus explanations and keys) called “Critical Habitats” last revised in 2011. Recently retired … Continue reading
Posted in Botany, Invasive Species, Soils, Uncategorized, Water Quality, Wildlife Habitat
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Rich and Poor in the Plant World – Part 1
My much-loved, old, heavy botanical manuals (e.g. Fernald and Britton and Brown) always include a sentence or two about the habitat where a plant is found, as well as exceedingly detailed morphological descriptions. “Found in rich soil” is a frequent … Continue reading
Posted in Botany, Invasive Species, Soils, Wildlife Habitat
Tagged lemmon@snet.net, rema8@aol.com
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Transplanting Soil Blocks, a Biodiversity Rescue Tool
This past Spring (May and June 2012) a group in south central Connecticut transplanted many blocks of peat soil, about 20″ X 20″, with very rare Adder’s Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum pusillum). This is an attempt to salvage the population from … Continue reading
Trace Minerals & Toxins: GMO Concerns
Why does food grown organically seem to taste better than conventionally grown food. Is this my imagination or due to some real difference? I read that levels of trace minerals (micro-nutrients) were usually lower in non-organic food. This makes sense … Continue reading
Posted in food chain, Soils, Uncategorized, Wildlife Habitat
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Water Woes on Drumlins
What is a drumlin anyway? A gremlin with an aptitude for percussion? Seriously, a rounded, elongated hill in the Connecticut landscape is probably a “drumlin”. The best known is Horsebarn Hill on the eastern side of the UConn campus at … Continue reading
Posted in Energy efficiency, food chain, Native Landscaping, Soils, Water Quality, Wildlife Habitat
Tagged tess@tessgadwa.com
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Origins of the Traprock Ridges
The extensive ridgetop hiking trails in central Connecticut are fairly well known, with their fine views, blueberries, and sunflowers, e.g the trails on East Rock, West Rock, Mount Higby, the Hanging Hills, Cathole Mountain, and Ragged Mountain. However, remarkably few … Continue reading
Posted in Soils, Wildlife Habitat
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Ailing from Indoor Air Pollution? Go Outside!
This afternoon I heard on public radio (Faith Middleton Show) that health problems from indoor air pollution are worst in the most energy efficient, air-tight homes (LEED- certified). I also heard that on average Americans spend less than 95% of … Continue reading
Posted in Energy efficiency, Invasive Species, Native Landscaping, Soils, Uncategorized, Wildlife Habitat
Tagged energy efficiency, lawn care, LEED, organic, weeds
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Turtle Hibernation Habitat? Soils Data Needed
It would be very helpful to consulting ecologists like me, if more information were available on the characteristics of habitats (soil textures, canopy cover, moisture levels, depths, slope aspects) that are used for hibernation and nesting of the various turtle species … Continue reading
Posted in Soils, Wildlife Habitat
Tagged mushroom poisoning, nesting, soils, Turtle. hibernation
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