https://archive.li/BPeG0
"Coming soon to a backyard near you: leaf drop. What’s your aftercare plan?
This fall, gardeners can turn to new research to inform their decisions on how
to manage the cleanup — whether or not to “leave the leaves,” as the
ecologically focused rallying cry has been in recent years.
That campaign has spread awareness that fallen leaves provide overwintering
habitat for many ecologically critical organisms. But that’s not all they do.
Now, we can look at the consequences of leaf removal by the numbers, data that
makes a more nuanced case for a gentler approach that supports plants and soil,
and also offers insights into the most effective how-to practices to employ.
The effects of leaf removal were the subject of a two-year study published in
March by Max Ferlauto, state entomologist for the Maryland Natural Heritage
Program, and Karin T. Burghardt, an ecologist and associate professor at the
University of Maryland.
To examine how autumn leaf removal affected the spring emergence of
overwintering insects and other key arthropods, they established
square-meter-sized study plots in 20 residential yards in suburban Maryland,
whose owners followed organic management practices.
From mid-March to late June each year of the study, the researchers set up
traps of fine mesh netting on frames above test areas where leaves had been
left in place and others where they had been removed. They then identified and
counted what organisms emerged from each, comparing results.
“We actually have a lot more things emerging than I think many homeowners think
we do,” Dr. Ferlauto said. “In a square meter of yard where you leave your
leaves, there’s on average almost 2,000 insects that will emerge over the
course of the spring.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
