From: riburr@shentel.net   
      
   RustyHinge wrote:   
   > riburr wrote:   
   >> RustyHinge wrote:   
   >   
   >>> What you're blowing away, burning, etc is future years' crops. The only   
   >>> plus might be a few morels where you've burnt stuff.   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >> So far this year the harvest doesn't seem to have changed much, maybe a   
   >> little less than normal due to lack of rain.  Precipitation is by far   
   >> the dominant variable determining numbers.  I see lots of cottony-white   
   >> mycelia across the surface of cleared ground.  Perhaps a leafy layer   
   >> might help these develop into mushrooms.  Otherwise, several days of   
   >> damp, wet weather is required, which is much less probable than the   
   >> presence of damp leaves in the forest had I not cleared them.  It should   
   >> be noted, the cleared area of forest floor in my yard is much less than   
   >> the area left untouched.  And, I am finding mycorrhizal mushrooms in   
   >> cleared areas.   
   >>   
   > However, you are removing subsequent years' nosh for the important stuff.   
   >   
      
   Was thinking about this...  I am temporarily, and for a short period,   
   removing the compressed forest duff.  This decaying mat is only being   
   somewhat removed.  It is being blown, redistributed into piles here and   
   there, and the piles burned, the ash being alkaline minerals (calcium,   
   potassium, etc.)  This coming fall, leaf drop will reestablish a more   
   fluffy, aerated cover of fresh, fallen leaves.   
      
   By "important stuff" do you mean the bacteria that facilitate decay?   
   Or, the saprotrophic mushrooms such as Agaricus and blewits, etc?   
      
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   Ruralpsychedelia:   
   http://ruralpsychedelia.blogspot.com   
      
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