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Sequestering carbon by land restoration and reforestation in Iceland
- Thread starter KarenRei
- Start date
I would love to do this for you
Re: native: no, but nor are they going to become invasive here. They anything but aggressive growers in our climate. And we don't even have squirrels or chipmunks to help distribute the seeds To translate from skogur.is about Quercus robur (European / English Oak):
Eik
One of the most beautiful oaks that grows in Iceland. The tree stands in Dalsgerði in Akureyri and grew most likely from a seed that Jóhann Pálsson, botanist and then head of the Art Garden, brought from Sweden in 1980.The picture was taken in 2014.
Height: Uncertain here in Iceland.
Habit: Single-trunk tree with a wide crown Einstofna tré með breiða krónu
Growth rate: Very slow
Part of the country: Widespread
Special demands: Shelter when young
Strengths: Stately tree, leaf beauty, wood
Weaknesses: Little experience with the variety
Notes: Few older oak trees exist in gardens in Iceland but in recent years many have tried growing oaks. The experience is that the oak is tenacious though growth is slow and there's sometimes fall freezes. In the coming years oaks will thus be a more common sight in gardens.
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So it sounds workable (although remember that my land is not a "garden", it's fully exposed to full-force winds). I had already been thinking about a couple oaks once some trees had grown enough to give shelter, but I could also hunt out a more natural sheltered spot. I was planning to head out soon to pick up more trees, so I'll check into the oak stock and wee what size they think would be needed.
Sounds like they can't be too small.❤!
Certainly not a botanist, but I leafed (heh) through Mom's old Flora and found a few candidates. Best semblance: Gåsört, Potentilla anserina (Goosewort). It grows a single yellow flower with five petals, 2-3 cm diam. Stalk creeping
Would that describe your biotope here? It might as well be a local variant, I guess. Or something else.
Looks like a perfect fit! Icelandic tágamura ("wicker plaster" - not a clue why).
I included a table earlier from a research paper about what types of landscape sequester how much carbon. An easy way to envision the aboveground carbon sequestration (the underground portion is harder) is to imagine taking an area - say, 5x5 meters, cutting down all of the plants on it, drying (but not burning) them, and then weighing the result. About half of the dry mass of a plant is carbon. The mass of burning it however higher than the mass of the dry plant matter, since carbon only makes up 27% of the mass of CO2
Underground, however, you have living roots, past roots in various states of decay, accumulated and decaying (or not decaying) plant matter, decay-resistant organic compounds, etc. So it's harder to just picture based on plant type - you have to actually sample the soil.
Heading out to buy a new load of trees. More "traffic" than usual on the Ring Road because it's Verslunarmannahelgi (our equivalent of the US's memorial day).
Heading up into the pass near the Hellisheiði geothermal plant.
While I was going through there a "Þjóðhátíð í Eyjum" (National Festival in the [Westman] Islands) song came on the radio. This is a huge (by Icelandic standards) annual music festival on Verslunarmannahelgi, characterized mainly by people getting drunk or high and trying to get laid in a beautiful outdoor area in Vestmannaeyjar. Sorry, not a nice description, but it's true.
The festival still has a major place in the national consciousness, however, and many songs have been written about it, so hearing one on the radio wasn't a surprise. The chorus however, left my jaw dropped.
The dark underside to the festival is that every single year there are multiple rapes reported there. The police in Vestmannaeyjar seem to care more about keeping people from discussing this (feeling that it hurts the reputation of the islands) than actually trying to prevent it, and they mainly direct their policing efforts on drug interdiction instead. It's led to a lot of harsh criticism over the years.
(News articles: Three sexual assaults reported at the national festival / Assault at the national festival: woman beaten for being a feminist / 70 drug cases at national festival / All prison cells full after the night / Used tear gas at a man who swallowed drugs // On top: "The opinion of the police in Vestmannaeyjar is that the festival went well" //// Bottom: "Not sure if Vestmannaeyjar police or national festival PR reps")
(Self-explanatory)
It's against this background that you get all of these songs about the festival (which the festival encourages) every year, and which tend to get a lot of radio airtime. So when one came on, with the singer talking about much they're looking forward to partying and drinking and having a good time there, it was no surprise... until they got to the chorus, where the singer repeatedly implored people, "So please don't rape me while I'm there!" in variety of different phrasings. A complete subversion of the typical festival song. I practically had to pick my jaw off the steering wheel. Seriously, though, kudos to them, and to RÁS 2 for giving it airplay!
Anyway, back on topic. Sort of. Power lines lead in all directions from Hellisheiði:
A while back there was a contest for developing new power lines, and one architecture firm came up with a brilliant concept - making them into sculptures. They didn't win the bid but there's a lot of public support for implementing their idea in the future
Descending down the pass:
Hveragerði approaching:
Hveragerði is a lovely city of gardens, greenhouses, and geothermal features (like fumaroles in peoples' yards). A sign overhead advertises "Blooming Days", a big flower / garden festival later this month.
Lots of greenhouses downtown:
A sign points the way to the garden center that gave me the huge discount bid (60%) on trees:
I get into Flóra and start looking around:
Remember the talk about oaks, specifically European Oak? Yeah, they have then
Heading up into the pass near the Hellisheiði geothermal plant.
While I was going through there a "Þjóðhátíð í Eyjum" (National Festival in the [Westman] Islands) song came on the radio. This is a huge (by Icelandic standards) annual music festival on Verslunarmannahelgi, characterized mainly by people getting drunk or high and trying to get laid in a beautiful outdoor area in Vestmannaeyjar. Sorry, not a nice description, but it's true.
The festival still has a major place in the national consciousness, however, and many songs have been written about it, so hearing one on the radio wasn't a surprise. The chorus however, left my jaw dropped.
The dark underside to the festival is that every single year there are multiple rapes reported there. The police in Vestmannaeyjar seem to care more about keeping people from discussing this (feeling that it hurts the reputation of the islands) than actually trying to prevent it, and they mainly direct their policing efforts on drug interdiction instead. It's led to a lot of harsh criticism over the years.
(News articles: Three sexual assaults reported at the national festival / Assault at the national festival: woman beaten for being a feminist / 70 drug cases at national festival / All prison cells full after the night / Used tear gas at a man who swallowed drugs // On top: "The opinion of the police in Vestmannaeyjar is that the festival went well" //// Bottom: "Not sure if Vestmannaeyjar police or national festival PR reps")
(Self-explanatory)
It's against this background that you get all of these songs about the festival (which the festival encourages) every year, and which tend to get a lot of radio airtime. So when one came on, with the singer talking about much they're looking forward to partying and drinking and having a good time there, it was no surprise... until they got to the chorus, where the singer repeatedly implored people, "So please don't rape me while I'm there!" in variety of different phrasings. A complete subversion of the typical festival song. I practically had to pick my jaw off the steering wheel. Seriously, though, kudos to them, and to RÁS 2 for giving it airplay!
Anyway, back on topic. Sort of. Power lines lead in all directions from Hellisheiði:
A while back there was a contest for developing new power lines, and one architecture firm came up with a brilliant concept - making them into sculptures. They didn't win the bid but there's a lot of public support for implementing their idea in the future
Descending down the pass:
Hveragerði approaching:
Hveragerði is a lovely city of gardens, greenhouses, and geothermal features (like fumaroles in peoples' yards). A sign overhead advertises "Blooming Days", a big flower / garden festival later this month.
Lots of greenhouses downtown:
A sign points the way to the garden center that gave me the huge discount bid (60%) on trees:
I get into Flóra and start looking around:
Remember the talk about oaks, specifically European Oak? Yeah, they have then
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The oaks are surprisingly large , and full price is just $35 each. Might I get a discount on them too? I could try.
Lots of fruit trees onsite - although I really shouldn't even consider them until there's more shelter.
It was at this point when I got a chance to meet up with the manager. He mentioned that the person I'd been communicating with, who manages their inventory, is unfortunately on vacation for Verslunarmannahelgi - and that he personally didn't know which trees were on offer, and that they were at their other facility that acts like a warehouse. He apologized for them having trouble communicating due to summer vacation, and promised to get back in touch with me after the weekend when the other person is back.
Disappointed, I tried to get a sense of whether it was worth the delays. They showed me the trees they had on-hand and their prices. Doing some quick math, I determined that 60% off would equate to a staggeringly low (by Icelandic standards) ~$0,50 per tree. Yeah, that's worth the delay and a second trip. The only catch is that I don't get to keep the trays - they're delivered bare-plug (I probably could have gotten a better deal from Kjarr by doing that as well). I'll probably just put them into the trays I have left over from Kjarr.
So, it's time to head back. Past Reykjadalur / Grændalur, the geothermal valleys to the north with the steaming-warm swimming river.
Past Woolen Tree Eaters hanging aroudn by a waterfall:
Past the crash-safety-reminder sculpture ("3 dead. Is your belt buckled?") (They update it with each road death, and reset it annually).
.... And down the ridge on the other side.
----
When I got back, I took my car in for some minor maintenance. I got by pickup back, but I'm not really comfortable talking it out to my land, as it's such a guzzler - I only use it when needed (it's also in bad shape right now). I get my car back tomorrow. I'm thinking that this weekend I'll finish the clover and work on fence maintenance, and then next week (for example, I'm off on Wednesday) I'll head back to Flóra.
Lots of fruit trees onsite - although I really shouldn't even consider them until there's more shelter.
It was at this point when I got a chance to meet up with the manager. He mentioned that the person I'd been communicating with, who manages their inventory, is unfortunately on vacation for Verslunarmannahelgi - and that he personally didn't know which trees were on offer, and that they were at their other facility that acts like a warehouse. He apologized for them having trouble communicating due to summer vacation, and promised to get back in touch with me after the weekend when the other person is back.
Disappointed, I tried to get a sense of whether it was worth the delays. They showed me the trees they had on-hand and their prices. Doing some quick math, I determined that 60% off would equate to a staggeringly low (by Icelandic standards) ~$0,50 per tree. Yeah, that's worth the delay and a second trip. The only catch is that I don't get to keep the trays - they're delivered bare-plug (I probably could have gotten a better deal from Kjarr by doing that as well). I'll probably just put them into the trays I have left over from Kjarr.
So, it's time to head back. Past Reykjadalur / Grændalur, the geothermal valleys to the north with the steaming-warm swimming river.
Past Woolen Tree Eaters hanging aroudn by a waterfall:
Past the crash-safety-reminder sculpture ("3 dead. Is your belt buckled?") (They update it with each road death, and reset it annually).
.... And down the ridge on the other side.
----
When I got back, I took my car in for some minor maintenance. I got by pickup back, but I'm not really comfortable talking it out to my land, as it's such a guzzler - I only use it when needed (it's also in bad shape right now). I get my car back tomorrow. I'm thinking that this weekend I'll finish the clover and work on fence maintenance, and then next week (for example, I'm off on Wednesday) I'll head back to Flóra.
Thanks Karen! Do you think one of those $35 oaks would stand a chance on your land? If you're willing to try, I'd be delighted to send you the money.
From what I've read, it should survive just fine - although I'd consult with them before buying to make sure. I'd give it a location with the amount of shelter they recommend. I can read from the label that they like sun and good soil, so it shouldn't go too far into the canyon, and I'll want to fertilize the area where it will go place it where the soil isn't too carbon-depleted.
I'd be up for doing anything else you want for the commemoration.
I'd be up for doing anything else you want for the commemoration.
1101011
Proud TSLA/SCTY shareholder since 2013.
Oaks. Another area of convergence.
I've been doing a bit of sequestering myself: see caseave.org.
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tldr: planting oaks in my midAmerican neighborhood. Got a couple dozen to my credit.
Happy to help out with the Icelandic version...
Just wondering whether it would help the oak if it's planted in the wind shade of a pioneer species like birch ? Anyway think it's worth the effort of regularly watering an oak that size when replanted.
As personal note (and i'm not telling you what to plant or not to plant !!! Please don't even think me suggest something !) being in the surroundings of evergreen or fern usually makes me feel almost instantly relaxed. Like the feeling of being at home. Think it funny, noticed it several times and accept it as fact of life. (Never took the effort of finding out what fern's task is in an ecosystem. But somehow fern seems funny to me, either it likes it somewhere or not. And sometimes it seems like one type can flourish somewhere, while the other type just wants to say "forget it"). At least that's my personal experience. But think me love all plant & tree life. And think each lifeform can and should have it's useful purpose (Although maybe a bit unsure about the woolly tree eaters these days).
And now getting back to oaks.. Once imported a baby oak into my garden, transferred from my mum's garden, which used to be my grandparents garden. It isn't the fastest growing stuff, but it keeps on growing and the growing rate doesn't seem a linear function. It just needs time. Approximately a decade passed since it's initial replanting (it was about 4 cm in height when it made the journey) and now it's about my height, but still skinny (Guess that's also because it needs to compete for light with other tree life, my garden is small, even by dutch standards).
Here many oaks already start loosing their seeds. It's very early in the season and the seeds are small. People who know say this is part of their survival strategy to cope with "the drought". Not that it can be called really, like desert, dry out here, we do have rain, but plant life notices.
As personal note (and i'm not telling you what to plant or not to plant !!! Please don't even think me suggest something !) being in the surroundings of evergreen or fern usually makes me feel almost instantly relaxed. Like the feeling of being at home. Think it funny, noticed it several times and accept it as fact of life. (Never took the effort of finding out what fern's task is in an ecosystem. But somehow fern seems funny to me, either it likes it somewhere or not. And sometimes it seems like one type can flourish somewhere, while the other type just wants to say "forget it"). At least that's my personal experience. But think me love all plant & tree life. And think each lifeform can and should have it's useful purpose (Although maybe a bit unsure about the woolly tree eaters these days).
And now getting back to oaks.. Once imported a baby oak into my garden, transferred from my mum's garden, which used to be my grandparents garden. It isn't the fastest growing stuff, but it keeps on growing and the growing rate doesn't seem a linear function. It just needs time. Approximately a decade passed since it's initial replanting (it was about 4 cm in height when it made the journey) and now it's about my height, but still skinny (Guess that's also because it needs to compete for light with other tree life, my garden is small, even by dutch standards).
Here many oaks already start loosing their seeds. It's very early in the season and the seeds are small. People who know say this is part of their survival strategy to cope with "the drought". Not that it can be called really, like desert, dry out here, we do have rain, but plant life notices.
Hi Karen - just sent you a little cash to cover the cost of an oak tree. There should be enough left over for you to get yourself a nice bottle of wine, which I understand is an essential component in reforestation efforts.
No need for a ceremony, maybe just put a photo of it up on this forum if you have a chance. Thanks so much!
No need for a ceremony, maybe just put a photo of it up on this forum if you have a chance. Thanks so much!
This is exactly what my dad used to say about oak trees. That he always felt relaxed and at home, wherever he was in the world, when he saw an oak. I feel the same way about oaks as well now.
Thinking ... Since you already have Angelica on the grounds, how about trying for Juniper, Saint John's Wort (Hypericum), Artemisia absinthum and "Pors" (Myrica gale)?
Then you can spice up your Brennivín!
You seem to have plenty of good water, so in the fullness of time you could diversify, brew your own Bjór and destillates!
Then you can spice up your Brennivín!
You seem to have plenty of good water, so in the fullness of time you could diversify, brew your own Bjór and destillates!
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Most definitely will do that! If things go according to plan with Flóra (and the weather), I should be picking up trees on Wednesday, and then starting planting either the same day or on Thursday.
I'd prioritize the oak first.Thinking ... Since you already have Angelica on the grounds, how about trying for Juniper, Saint John's Wort (Hypericum), Artemisia absinthum and "Pors" (Myrica gale)?
Then you can spice up your Brennivín!
You seem to have plenty of good water, so in the fullness of time you could diversify, brew your own Bjór and destillates!
Haha, clever idea!
I actually just planted a bunch of seeds of eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana / Virginíueinir) into planters last night during my "day off" - it has a history of being used for distilling juniper oil and brewing gin. Super hardy tree, should do just fine. The seeds are getting pretty old (I bought a big bag of hardy tree seeds from about 20 different species several years ago), so I don't know how well they'll sprout, but I've got a lot more where those came from! (also planted red spruce and meyers spruce last night) Not sure if myrica gale can be found here, but I can look into it, and if not get seeds (when I exhaust my current seed stock!) Looking up a bit more about English Oak (before I head out to pick up my car and reload it with clover, etc ) to decide where to plant it. I find that it prefers "moist or wet soils" and succeeds in "wet soils so long as the ground is not water-logged for long periods", but that it dislikes shallow and infertile soils. I'm thinking about an elevated spot on the edge of, middle of, or bottom of the landslide zone (so long as sun suffices). As we know, the soil there is unusually deep by the standards of my land, and it never dries out - but if it's an elevated area then it shouldn't suffer from waterlogging. Sound good? It'd then help anchor the soil from further landslides as well
Another option would be near the river, just above what I think is a likely limit to flood heights. The soil near the river is a lot more fertile than the soil on the slopes or the plains above the canyon (deposits from eroded soil on the slopes above, deposits from the river, etc). But most of the river is moderately shaded by the canyon. I could pick one of the sunnier spots, however (shallower canyon walls, a long east-west alignment, etc).
Other possibilities would be the eastern (green, water-seeping, richer-soil) side of the ravine near the top (bottom would be too shady), or an elevated (e.g. not waterlogged) spot in or on the edges of the western marshes. Or maybe on the edge of the potential-landslide-zone west of the ravine, near where the Western Redcedar is. There's a number of possibilities.
) to decide where to plant it. I find that it prefers "moist or wet soils" and succeeds in "wet soils so long as the ground is not water-logged for long periods", but that it dislikes shallow and infertile soils. I'm thinking about an elevated spot on the edge of, middle of, or bottom of the landslide zone (so long as sun suffices). As we know, the soil there is unusually deep by the standards of my land, and it never dries out - but if it's an elevated area then it shouldn't suffer from waterlogging. Sound good? It'd then help anchor the soil from further landslides as wellAnother option would be near the river, just above what I think is a likely limit to flood heights. The soil near the river is a lot more fertile than the soil on the slopes or the plains above the canyon (deposits from eroded soil on the slopes above, deposits from the river, etc). But most of the river is moderately shaded by the canyon. I could pick one of the sunnier spots, however (shallower canyon walls, a long east-west alignment, etc).
Other possibilities would be the eastern (green, water-seeping, richer-soil) side of the ravine near the top (bottom would be too shady), or an elevated (e.g. not waterlogged) spot in or on the edges of the western marshes. Or maybe on the edge of the potential-landslide-zone west of the ravine, near where the Western Redcedar is. There's a number of possibilities.
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Pors (pron. posh ) is very fragrant and loves wet spots. There must be many such on your land. In fact, almost every time my feet get wet that fragrance is present (from plants, not my socks! )
Juniper is as you say hardy and can stand droughts pretty well. I like to collect second-year berries (blue) to add to beef stews and anything that needs a bit of a wild touch. Made "wild chicken" only the other day, from my aunt's recipe! As a vegetarian you could try "wild tofu"? Or do you eat fish like my "veggo" relatives? They should be called ichtyophages I guess, as opposed to sarcophages, to be hyper correct in Greek. But then, why.
) is very fragrant and loves wet spots. There must be many such on your land. In fact, almost every time my feet get wet that fragrance is present (from plants, not my socks! ) Juniper is as you say hardy and can stand droughts pretty well. I like to collect second-year berries (blue) to add to beef stews and anything that needs a bit of a wild touch. Made "wild chicken" only the other day, from my aunt's recipe! As a vegetarian you could try "wild tofu"?
Or do you eat fish like my "veggo" relatives? They should be called ichtyophages I guess, as opposed to sarcophages, to be hyper correct in Greek. But then, why. Pors (pron. posh
Juniper is as you say hardy and can stand droughts pretty well. I like to collect second-year berries (blue) to add to beef stews and anything that needs a bit of a wild touch. Made "wild chicken" only the other day, from my aunt's recipe! As a vegetarian you could try "wild tofu"?
Actually, I'm ovo-lacto... your "standard" vegetarian. I've not cooked with juniper berries before, but I love the smell. Should definitely give it a shot
No rain in the forecast, but it sure is a gloomy day. Who stole Esja? (**Reykjavík's "city mountain"; my valley is on her backside)
Ah, there she is... barely. My land is about 100 meters up - will I end up in the fog bank and be unable to work?
Okay, looking fine for the time being. So long as it doesn't descend too much.
The weather is both "gloomy" and "enchanting" at the same time, weirdly.
Mixing up some bacteria. I've actually gotten fond of that yeasty-earthy smell.
Should have made it wetter. You can barely make out my clover drawing.
Looking back as I walk to the western side of the land.
More bog rainbow sheen:
For a couple years after I bought my land, I had thought that it was contaminated with oil - until I read about iron bogs.
Proof that the sheen is not oil - or even a liquid. I punch my finger through it to show pieces of the (surprisingly brittle) bacterial film floating around.
Ah, there she is... barely. My land is about 100 meters up - will I end up in the fog bank and be unable to work?
Okay, looking fine for the time being. So long as it doesn't descend too much.
The weather is both "gloomy" and "enchanting" at the same time, weirdly.
Mixing up some bacteria. I've actually gotten fond of that yeasty-earthy smell.
Should have made it wetter. You can barely make out my clover drawing.
Looking back as I walk to the western side of the land.
More bog rainbow sheen:
For a couple years after I bought my land, I had thought that it was contaminated with oil - until I read about iron bogs.
Proof that the sheen is not oil - or even a liquid. I punch my finger through it to show pieces of the (surprisingly brittle) bacterial film floating around.
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I often find lots of "dark blue blobs" on the ground:
The short of it is that the birds love the berries as much as I do Berries are such a great evolutionary strategy for seed distribution.
Lots of yellow flowers (appear to be a dandelion relative) on the edge of the western marshes:
The snails seem quite fond of them. I know gardeners tend to hate snails and slugs, but in the wild, their grazing helps promote biodiversity - and they're often an important source of food for some birds.
The "road" through the western part of my land. Not really a road, just an area that passes between the marsh and the canyon, so whenever I have to drive through my land (rarely), I have to go through here, and thus a sort of pathway becomes mildly defined.
The tallest grass in the western marshes:
Spotted this mushroom growing on the road. Hmm, a white agaric (gilled mushroom). Could it be an amanita?
I look at the base and notice a volva (sack), characteristic of amanitas.
However, amanitas usually have a ring / veil remnant under the cap, and this has no sign of one whatsoever:
The short of it is that the birds love the berries as much as I do
Berries are such a great evolutionary strategy for seed distribution.Lots of yellow flowers (appear to be a dandelion relative) on the edge of the western marshes:
The snails seem quite fond of them.
I know gardeners tend to hate snails and slugs, but in the wild, their grazing helps promote biodiversity - and they're often an important source of food for some birds.The "road" through the western part of my land. Not really a road, just an area that passes between the marsh and the canyon, so whenever I have to drive through my land (rarely), I have to go through here, and thus a sort of pathway becomes mildly defined.
The tallest grass in the western marshes:
Spotted this mushroom growing on the road. Hmm, a white agaric (gilled mushroom). Could it be an amanita?
I look at the base and notice a volva (sack), characteristic of amanitas.
However, amanitas usually have a ring / veil remnant under the cap, and this has no sign of one whatsoever:
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... that said, sometimes the ring is lost. Amanitas are concerning because - while there are some choice edible species (like Caesar's Mushroom), 95% of mushroom poisoning fatalities come from this genus. Iceland is abundant in edible mushrooms, but needless to say, I don't partake in anything that even resembles an amanita
I prefer boletes (larch bolete, pine bolete, peppery bolete, etc), as boletes (pore mushrooms, as opposed to gilled) are a much safer group of mushrooms - there are only a handful of reported deaths from them (possibly from allergic reactions or cross-contamination), and even the species that can cause gastrointestinal distress are generally easy to recognize collectively (due to them having either a combination of a red spore print, blue staining, or both).
As for non-boletes, I like puffballs (always have to slice them to make sure that they're not immature amanitas!) and "ullblekill" (Shaggy Mane), an incredibly distinct roadside mushroom that becomes abundant in late summer / early fall. You have to cook them immediately after picking them, as they contain enzymes that "self-digest" themselves into a black mess (blek = ink). Cooked, they look like the flesh of some sort of alien animal.
BTW, there's one amanita that is abundant in our forests in the early fall which is interesting for being the stereotypical classic toadstool - "Fly Agaric". We call it "berserkjasveppir" (Berserker Mushroom), due to legends that it was used to drive people into berserker rages. They contain both psychoactive and toxic compounds, and there's a lot of interesting history about their shamanic usage.
But enough nerding out about mushrooms. On with the sow[ing]!
This somewhat older willow seems to be doing quite well:
Well, I've gotten to the (somewhat marshy) western perimiter, but I don't think I'm going to have enough seed to finish everything.
Getting back near the fence that I patched up recently. Looking nice.
Tindstaðir, across the canyon from me.
Akranes, and Akrafjall covered in fog, across the fjörd.
While most of the subalpine fir that I planted in late spring died, some - like this one - survived just fine. I just can't find a pattern as to why some did well and others didn't. My best guess is (and remains) soil moisture, helping them deal with the long dry period we had - but this isn't a particularly wet spot.
"Hey, any boulders around here wanting to roll down into the canyon?"
"Oooh, me, pick me, I want to roll!!! I promise, I'll crush your fence really well!"
"And you, are you also interested in rolling to the bottom of the canyon and crushing my fence?"
"Nah, I'm good."
I prefer boletes (larch bolete, pine bolete, peppery bolete, etc), as boletes (pore mushrooms, as opposed to gilled) are a much safer group of mushrooms - there are only a handful of reported deaths from them (possibly from allergic reactions or cross-contamination), and even the species that can cause gastrointestinal distress are generally easy to recognize collectively (due to them having either a combination of a red spore print, blue staining, or both).
As for non-boletes, I like puffballs (always have to slice them to make sure that they're not immature amanitas!) and "ullblekill" (Shaggy Mane), an incredibly distinct roadside mushroom that becomes abundant in late summer / early fall. You have to cook them immediately after picking them, as they contain enzymes that "self-digest" themselves into a black mess (blek = ink). Cooked, they look like the flesh of some sort of alien animal.
BTW, there's one amanita that is abundant in our forests in the early fall which is interesting for being the stereotypical classic toadstool - "Fly Agaric". We call it "berserkjasveppir" (Berserker Mushroom), due to legends that it was used to drive people into berserker rages. They contain both psychoactive and toxic compounds, and there's a lot of interesting history about their shamanic usage.
But enough nerding out about mushrooms. On with the sow[ing]!
This somewhat older willow seems to be doing quite well:
Well, I've gotten to the (somewhat marshy) western perimiter, but I don't think I'm going to have enough seed to finish everything.
Getting back near the fence that I patched up recently. Looking nice.
Tindstaðir, across the canyon from me.
Akranes, and Akrafjall covered in fog, across the fjörd.
While most of the subalpine fir that I planted in late spring died, some - like this one - survived just fine. I just can't find a pattern as to why some did well and others didn't. My best guess is (and remains) soil moisture, helping them deal with the long dry period we had - but this isn't a particularly wet spot.
"Hey, any boulders around here wanting to roll down into the canyon?"
"Oooh, me, pick me, I want to roll!!! I promise, I'll crush your fence really well!"
"And you, are you also interested in rolling to the bottom of the canyon and crushing my fence?"
"Nah, I'm good."
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The bláber (bilberry) yield this year is the best I've ever seen it. I think they really enjoyed the phosphorus last year. The high yield is probably helping the birds spread them. Please do!
I get back to the seed, bucket empty. Time to mix up some more.
The wetted inocculant looks like crude oil.
I made sure to add enough water this time so that I could a proper goofball with seed-art.
Back out to the west, and time to start climbing up and down the canyon, again and again.... (I did the easy part last time, now it's time for the hard part)
Lots of dwarf willows here take advantage of the relative difficulty of getting to this place:
I'm really glad they're here, as the ground is quite wet, and would probably be quite prone to sliding without them.
Most of the subalpine fir either just died, or thrived. This one couldn't decide which it wanted to do. But, it's recovering, so it should be fine.
I get back to the seed, bucket empty. Time to mix up some more.
The wetted inocculant looks like crude oil.
I made sure to add enough water this time so that I could a proper goofball with seed-art.
Back out to the west, and time to start climbing up and down the canyon, again and again.... (I did the easy part last time, now it's time for the hard part)
Lots of dwarf willows here take advantage of the relative difficulty of getting to this place:
I'm really glad they're here, as the ground is quite wet, and would probably be quite prone to sliding without them.
Most of the subalpine fir either just died, or thrived. This one couldn't decide which it wanted to do.
But, it's recovering, so it should be fine.
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Wow, willow, you've really grown since last year! Liked that phosphorus? Here, have some clover nitrogen too!
Green fluffy moss is nature's "WARNING: WET GROUND" sign.
Iron staining on rocks:
Standing on a dike:
Dikes are areas where magma tries to break a path to the surface. Most of the time, they never reach a path to the surface, but when they do, a volcano goes off. Either way, whenever the flow stops, it hardens into a ridge, ranging from less than a meter wide up to a dozen or so meters wide (usually a couple meters).
Because they cool slower than surface flows, they tend to be more solid and resistant to erosion, so you find them sticking out like this. This is a relatively humble dike, but in other places they can be pretty impressive.
Opposite side of the river. It's kind of hard to see, but the dike continues, except oriented diagonally. Dikes often have rather columnar rock (indeed, columnar basalt is rather a symbol of Iceland). The columns are always oriented in the direction of the heat flow, and the slower the cooling, the more perfect the columns.
(An example of a more impressive dike elsewhere in Iceland - Hvítserker)
Heading up the canyon. This area isn't steep or wet enough to pose a landslide or rockfall risk, but it desperately needs a better soil; things struggle to grow here. At least it's doing better than last year.
Talus / scree - the decaying bones of a mountain.
Heading back along the river to sow the areas that I couldn't reach from higher up.
Green fluffy moss is nature's "WARNING: WET GROUND" sign.
Iron staining on rocks:
Standing on a dike:
Dikes are areas where magma tries to break a path to the surface. Most of the time, they never reach a path to the surface, but when they do, a volcano goes off. Either way, whenever the flow stops, it hardens into a ridge, ranging from less than a meter wide up to a dozen or so meters wide (usually a couple meters).
Because they cool slower than surface flows, they tend to be more solid and resistant to erosion, so you find them sticking out like this. This is a relatively humble dike, but in other places they can be pretty impressive.
Opposite side of the river. It's kind of hard to see, but the dike continues, except oriented diagonally. Dikes often have rather columnar rock (indeed, columnar basalt is rather a symbol of Iceland). The columns are always oriented in the direction of the heat flow, and the slower the cooling, the more perfect the columns.
(An example of a more impressive dike elsewhere in Iceland - Hvítserker)
Heading up the canyon. This area isn't steep or wet enough to pose a landslide or rockfall risk, but it desperately needs a better soil; things struggle to grow here. At least it's doing better than last year.
Talus / scree - the decaying bones of a mountain.
Heading back along the river to sow the areas that I couldn't reach from higher up.
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