Sequestering carbon by land restoration and reforestation in Iceland

[KarenRei]

Those horses just love silhouetting themselves against the sun behind the fjörd. I think they're doing it on purpose.

I had been hoping to get out to the Border Oak today to ring it with stones, but I didn't make it that far. I did however get near the Willow Cliff Oak. The top of the tree has barely changed for fall:

Further down, however, the changes are more apparent.

Lots and lots of planting goes on - about 80-90 trees - but I'm not very good about taking pictures this time. It's getting really dark when I start heading back (and, as mentioned, lose the spade again Too dark to look for it).

As I'm heading up, I spot Would-Be Interlopers on the opposite side of the river (white dots on the right-hand side). It very much bothers me that they're on this side of the neighbor's fence, even if they haven't crossed the river. :Þ They'll be hangikjöt soon enough, but until then, they're a threat.

I'm so cold from the breeze and weather that I end up jogging all the way to the car. Thankfully it'll be warming up a little and getting calmer over the coming days.

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So, I think I've only got enough plants left for one more planting day, and even for that I'll have to scrounge together things from different trays (perhaps including some of the "best of the best" among the rowan). The question becomes what to do then? I'm thinking about sending out some inquiries about "hugely discounted fall inventory" from nurseries, which I presume would end up needing to be stored overwinter. But in for a penny, in for a pound, right? My living room is already going to be packed full of trees, why not more...

Another thing I was thinking about - if it's too soon to focus on fall-discounted inventory - was phosphate. What are your thoughts on me using some of the money to pick up some phosphorus fertilizer and spreading it in the deficient areas? It seemed to make a huge difference the last time I spread it; I imagine it'll have another big impact if I do so again. Plants like clover and alders fix nitrogen, but nothing can just "fix phosphorus".

I just this moment realized that I never heard back from the neighbor about spreading manure. I guess they forgot?

 

[Frank Einstein]

What are your thoughts on me using some of the money to pick up some phosphorus fertilizer and spreading it in the deficient areas? It seemed to make a huge difference the last time I spread it; I imagine it'll have another big impact if I do so again. Plants like clover and alders fix nitrogen, but nothing can just "fix phosphorus".

I don't normally feel comfortable speaking for other people, but in this case I'm pretty sure that everyone who has contributed a little something to you did so because they trust you to spend the money wisely and because they trust your competence. If you think this is a good use of the money you've been donated, I can't imagine anyone objecting. I say go for it!

 

[Lessmog]

Another thing I was thinking about - if it's too soon to focus on fall-discounted inventory - was phosphate. What are your thoughts on me using some of the money to pick up some phosphorus fertilizer and spreading it in the deficient areas? It seemed to make a huge difference the last time I spread it; I imagine it'll have another big impact if I do so again. Plants like clover and alders fix nitrogen, but nothing can just "fix phosphorus".

I don't normally feel comfortable speaking for other people, but in this case I'm pretty sure that everyone who has contributed a little something to you did so because they trust you to spend the money wisely and because they trust your competence. If you think this is a good use of the money you've been donated, I can't imagine anyone objecting. I say go for it!

Agree with Frank. Although I said my little contribution was for planting whatever you like, that of course goes for any related expenses too as long as there is any left. So go ahead, spread the P if needed! ( )

 

[KarenRei]

(WARNING: This post will involve pictures of grubs... some very much up close. If you don't want to see them, your warning will be when you see a microscope. When they're done, I'll post a completely-off-topic picture of kittens. You've been warned!)

So, I start out today trying to scrounge together as many trees as possible. In the process, I make another pass on the rowans, judging only on root system quality. The previously-classed-as "good" trees that got left behind:

It's rather chilly and hard to motivate myself to head out. I decide to head in to have a nice warm lunch and some tea to get warmed up and full of energy. But when I come back out... it's raining. Can't even see Esja. Sigh....

I instead decide to head out to pick up some imidacloprid to kill off any remaining earthworms and grubs (it's said to be not very effective against adult grubs but effective against young and eggs, and as a general preventative). However, I can't seem to find it. Here's the entire insecticide section at the first garden centre I try:

Both are pyrethroids, which are reportedly ineffective against grubs. I head to another garden centre.

*Their* entire insecticide section (look familiar)? Again, all pyrethroids. They also had some neem in a different location, but I also have it, and it's also ineffective against earthworms and poorly effective against grubs (too many insecticides nowadays are designed to not hurt earthworms, and also to not penetrate deep into the soil :Þ)

I get home and I note the container of my disgusting "pets". :Þ I've been noticing that every day, a slightly higher percentage of them are dead, but there's never been the sudden "all dead" thing that I was hoping to see... so I don't know if there's something killing them or not. I decide I need to do something I've been dreading... an autopsy.

MICROSCOPE! MICROSCOPE!!!

Inside the container, they're about 30-40% living (like the white one on the left) and 60-70% dead (like the brown ones on the right).

I select a dead one and put it on a slide.

An initial exam shows nothing but its cuticle, concealing various internal features and covered in hairs. Panning around it was even more disgusting than they look like with the naked eye :Þ The cuticle itself has a sort of celophane look to it. Sorry for the image quality - I'm taking pictures with my cellphone through the eyepiece.

I try to dissect it, but instead it just explodes out of its front and rear ends. It was so gross I couldn't bring myself to take a picture of it :Þ

The remains of the body look the same, just crushed. I place a cover slide over the liquid to be able to use higher-magnification lenses. A zoomed-out look:

 

[KarenRei]

It's full of "bubbles", and my first impression is that they're cells - but no, they're all of widely varying sizes and appear to be empty, so they must be air bubbles. There's also random fibrous things with the texture of a collapsible straw - I have no clue what they are (or even if they're just contaminants on the slide, although the appear to be in the liquid). Fungal hyphae?

What I don't see... anything moving. Anything wormy

Okay, that's done! Kittens! Kittens!!!

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The weather forecast for tomorrow is better... dare I let myself trust it? But it's also forecast to stay cold in the near term. I guess I'll be doing planting in a sweater as well as a jacket. I bet this cold snap is going to trigger most trees to change colours.

On Monday, I think I know where the imidacloprid is: Gróðurvörur, the supplier for commercial buyers, where I got the nematodes. They're only open on weekdays during business hours, though, so I can't go today. :Þ

Meanwhile, I'm going to work on trying to get fall discounts and order some fertilizer

 

[guidooo]

The question becomes what to do then?

My first impression was something like, nature could go into sleepy mood relatively soon, maybe it's wise to just let it be and see in spring what could be the good things to do.

Then me decided to google for phosphorus fertilizer and thought great, let's give the trees some opportunity for strong roots.

And then me found next article, which probably doesn't apply to icelandic soils:
https://puyallup.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/phosphate.pdf

And then me thought.. I've no idea what's wise, but Karen knows her soil and is smart enough to know what to do

 

[KarenRei]

My first impression was something like, nature could go into sleepy mood relatively soon, maybe it's wise to just let it be and see in spring what could be the good things to do.

Then me decided to google for phosphorus fertilizer and thought great, let's give the trees some opportunity for strong roots.

And then me found next article, which probably doesn't apply to icelandic soils:
https://puyallup.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/phosphate.pdf

And then me thought.. I've no idea what's wise, but Karen knows her soil and is smart enough to know what to do

I don't have to guess as to whether something is phosphate or nitrogen deficiency; I had the soil tested (and will have it tested again later this year) It was crazy phosphorus-deficient... like, near zero in the gravel pans. It's also nitrogen deficient, mind you All other macronutrients are good. Some micronutrients are on the low side, but it's probably not worth trying to correct them. Of course, it's not as phosphorus deficient as it was, as I already added some

Anyway, so, I stored the chosen tree trays in my car last night... so on the first part of my drive, part of my windows were fogged up until the defroster could take care of them.

The weather is beautiful. I'm so glad I didn't try to make myself go out in the weather yesterday.

So nice except for one little detail.....

INTERLOPERS!!!

As feared, they've crossed the river... that glaring weak spot in my defenses I open the gate... the goal will be to chase them out of here, rather than back across the river (as they'd just come back after I left):

I park the car as a barrier to try to funnel them out.

I walk on the opposite side of the road so as to avoid spooking the sheep.

I cross (carefully!) over the barbed wire onto my land.

I try to parallel them, keeping them near the fence, but also moving forward (without scaring them into a stampede). It's always a careful balance.

And... onward to the gate!

 

[KarenRei]

.... or not. Overshoot :Þ

I repeat the previous tactic, walking past outside my land.

And back in...

To make things worse, they keep stopping to eat while being chased!!!

I finally get them back to the driveway and start edging them toward the exit.

... And then they detour to the right... :Þ

Back toward the gate....

Back onto the driveway...

They start trying to deviate left... I cut them off...

And they run back right. I'm starting to get exhausted. I chase them back again.

All but one lamb stay inside the fence; the lamb ducks right and heads out onto the road. The lamb freaks out, wanting to get back to its mother, but can't, as the fence is in the way. In its efforts to get through the fence, it gets its horns stuck.

 

[KJD]

As feared, they've crossed the river... that glaring weak spot in my defenses I open the gate... the goal will be to chase them out of here, rather than back across the river (as they'd just come back after I left):

Karen have you considered talking to the neighbor across the river and just asking them to come get their animals ?

 

[KarenRei]

It wears itself out so much that I can walk right up and pet the fluffy little tree killer.

I chase it way down the road. It keeps trying to get into my land to get back to its mother, but failing. On the upside, it makes for a nice fence tester.

I head back and relocate my car to try to be a more effective barrier.

Time to try to get them back (I notice a truck leaving my neighbor's farm while I'm doing this).

The neighbor stops and climbs over my fence while I'm trying to get them to go through the gate again. I notice that one lamb has a bloody face, probably from trying to get through barbed wire.

And failing...

The sheep run way off. The neighbor suggest moving the car out onto the street - he thinks the sheep are scared of it.

I have to head all the way to the canyon slope on the far east side.

STOP TRYING TO EAT THE BIG SITKA SPRUCE YOU HELVÍTIS FOKKING KINDUR!!!!

I'm running toward them screaming at them, and they wait until the last minute to flee.

As I pass by the spruce, I'm shocked to see almost no damage, vs. how long I saw that sheep mouthing the thing (pictures later). I don't think it ever actually bit down, due to the spininess of the needles.

I chase the sheep back toward my neighbor, who's waiting, ready. He steers them out the gate.

I chat with the neighbor for about 15 minutes. Various chat topics:

• The sheep ended up in my land specifically because of the roundup. The neighbor on the south side of the river has started rounding up high in the mountains, and driving the sheep back down. These sheep apparently broke off and fled over the river. The roundup increases the odds of sheep ending up unintentionally on my land. My neighbor said he's going to try to keep a better eye on my land until the roundup ends (planned for the 14th).
• There's really no other options except either plant only trees sheep won't eat, fence off the entire river, or fence off sections and then move the fence once it's established (the neighbor likes this idea and does it on his land, but it'd involve a large portion as much fencing as needed just to fence off the whole river and would mean abandoning all trees outside the section, so I don't like it). He complains about the neighbor's terrible fence which does nothing to stop them, and I agree.
• We talk about the cattle on the neighbor's land. He says they're bulls (I've not been that close) and that he's not supposed to be keeping bulls on that land; it's not properly fenced to stop them. But hey, this is Iceland... easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
• We complain about the drought this year. He mentioned that some farms in the valley have actually run out of water.

A few other topics, and then I head back to my car and he heads back to his farm. I'm drained; I've spent an hour and a half chasing sheep. I need to recharge. I head down to the nearest gas station (Esjuskáli).

 

[KarenRei]

Gas stations in the countryside in Iceland are more like general stores; you can get a really wide range of things at them, from camp fuel to smoke detectors. Here's a rack of hair dye.

I get a cherry-cream Milka and a diet coke, to make sure I get my "chocolate" and "caffeine" food groups.

I get back and start heading out (west) to plant. I'm dreading what I'm going to find... but actually the news is surprisingly good. I'm finding little to no damage on my route.

The weather is warmer than I expected. Really, just plain nice.

I'm doing a lot of planting from the rowans - which have now been selected twice for root quality - but even with that, some just are not great. This one broke in half when I took it out, despite me being gentle.

I'm planting them quite deep, to A) ensure that they get a constant moisture supply, B) anchor them well, and C) increase the length of time before the soil around them becomes too cold for root growth.

I pass a number of older-planted trees, like this birch in the grass from last year.

Each time I clear the grass and give them a little fertilizer. But like this one, that's looking quite healthy on its own.

I get to a patch of extremely poor soil on the far west side. I plant an alder, since they're nitrogen-fixing, hoping that will help it.

 

[KarenRei]

A pine planted on this soil, suffering. Normally these lodgepole pines are bulletproof. I should include this area in my sampling for testing this fall.

An insect rests on it.

I go to check out the Border Oak - aka, the tribute oak.

I carry some rocks down to make a ring around it to mark it.

It's almost completely changed colours. Only the lowest leaves are still green.

At this time of year, one can question as to whether changes are autumn, or whether they're stress. I'm inclined to go with autumn; the stems all seem perfectly healthy. That said, I have noticed that the trees planted in drier areas have been changing colour first (same pattern in town), so I think that can affect the timing.

We won't know for sure until late next spring, however.

I initially just planned to make a circle, but due to this being on a slope (e.g. supporting a circle poorly.. the rocks tend to roll), and noting that the stem could use some stabilization, I arrange them in a circular pile.

Most rocks were gathered from downhill.... e.g. "reverse erosion"

 

[KarenRei]

I've finished up the rowans I carried with (more in the car), so I switch to the spruce. While I normally wouldn't plant a white spruce here (they're for shaded, sheltered areas), I figured that on this "difficult" soil, I'll try a white spruce and see how it performs.

I get down to the canyon slopes and start sprucing them up.

The leaves of the bilberries on the slope are just starting to change colours.

The recent rains have helped the iron bog start flowing again, although the normally marshy areas are still drained. We're going to need a lot of precipitation this coming wet season to get the water table back up.

I plant on ledges where possible to shore up the rocks. Even if the trees end up dwarfed, that's better than nothing. I use a high planting density.

There are five white spruce seedlings in this photo.

The flow in the waterfall has gone from "very low" to "moderately low".

 

[KarenRei]

I run out of trees and head back to the car to get more. On the way back I find the spade I re-lost the other day. I manage not to lose it again.

After I drop off the empty trays, before I get the new ones, I decide to inspect for sheep damage along the east fence. I'm surprised again to find little damage.

I find some "damage", but it looks old.

If I look close, I can see that there's no new "crushed" smell and the break is dry. I don't think this is recent.

I finally find a newly uprooted pine.

I replant it. It's the only recently-uprooted tree I find.

A lot of trees are looking surprisingly well, which makes me quite happy

 

[KarenRei]

A lot of the trees had this "I've been recovering from stress and/or grazing at an earlier point in time" look to them.

... or just plain good

Even some of the tiny swiss stone pines (that I planted way too small last year and lost the vast majority) seem to be doing well.

I make it to the big sitka spruce that the sheep tried to graze for at least 30 seconds. This is the sum of the "damage"

I get back to the car, fetch the trees and start working my way back to where I left off in the west. I do notice two grubs that I've somehow missed twice in the roots of the rowans I'm planting.

I route down through the ravine and stop by the ravine oak. Being in a moist area, it's only barely started changing colours - again, top-down.

I get a good opportunity to check up on my single western redcedar inside its improvised windbreak. Hope it makes it so that I can justify getting more, as I really like this species.

 

[KarenRei]

Wow, a rowan that actually has a *good* root system, not just an acceptable one!

Only one leaf, mind you :Þ

I head down to work on spruce on the crumbly slope, trying not to slide.

Lots of neat minerals are scattered amongst the talus (there's lots of veins here). Would look nice with a polish.

I finish up... but thanks to it being a weekend, for once it's not when it's dark outside! It's actually during a lovely sunset.

I leave ten trees behind because a friend is visiting Iceland and said she may want to plant some trees tomorrow evening. I assume she's not going to be as hardcore as me and want to plant a hundred trees in an evening with the sun down for the latter portion Fun fact: she's taken to organizing trips for tourists (incl. to Iceland), and apparently a lot of people have an interest in things like planting trees while they're on vacation. Perhaps I could get some extra hands for all of those accumulated trees awaiting next year's planting season

 

[KarenRei]

I'm left with lovely sunset lighting for the drive home.

A paraglider drifts across the road ahead of me.

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I'm thinking that perhaps instead of (or in addition to?) more phosphorus fertilizer, perhaps I should instead focus on fencing off the river (via the shortest route possible - e.g. not every bend). It'll be expensive, though. I'll get an offer on the fencing material (the neighbor recommended a place that he says is really cheap), and add up how much donations I have left, tomorrow (it's getting late here now). Assuming thats okay with all of you. Technically there's no rush with it - it wouldn't be done before the roundup finishes, after all - but then again, there's no rush with anything except tree planting, and now that's pretty much done for the year.

Not really looking forward to fencing, though... sledgehammering posts down is a ton of work, and there would be a lot of posts to do. If I fenced at a higher location, the neighbor could push them down with a tractor, but not only would that mean leaving more area on the "sheep side" of the river, but would also mean trusting that the neighbor will actually show up at some point this year Hmm.

 

[KarenRei]

Karen have you considered talking to the neighbor across the river and just asking them to come get their animals ?

It'd take more time than just chasing them off.

 

[Fred42]

I'm left with lovely sunset lighting for the drive home.

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A paraglider drifts across the road ahead of me.

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I'm thinking that perhaps instead of (or in addition to?) more phosphorus fertilizer, perhaps I should instead focus on fencing off the river (via the shortest route possible - e.g. not every bend). It'll be expensive, though. I'll get an offer on the fencing material (the neighbor recommended a place that he says is really cheap), and add up how much donations I have left, tomorrow (it's getting late here now). Assuming that's okay with all of you. Technically there's no rush with it - it wouldn't be done before the roundup finishes, after all - but then again, there's no rush with anything except tree planting, and now that's pretty much done for the year.

Not really looking forward to fencing, though... sledgehammering posts down is a ton of work, and there would be a lot of posts to do. If I fenced at a higher location, the neighbor could push them down with a tractor, but not only would that mean leaving more area on the "sheep side" of the river, but would also mean trusting that the neighbor will actually show up at some point this year Hmm.

I'm wondering how much confidence you have that the fence is really worth so much work? Do enough sheep cross the river outside the round-up season to justify the effort?

The drama of the interlopers and the beautiful pics make your posts more worthwhile than the movie I just watched.

 

[KarenRei]

I'm wondering how much confidence you have that the fence is really worth so much work? Do enough sheep cross the river outside the round-up season to justify the effort?

The drama of the interlopers and the beautiful pics make your posts more worthwhile than the movie I just watched.

Aww... glad to hear it was worthwhile if only for the entertainment value For me, I guess it was good for the cardio

You know, it's hard to declare any particular task as being the most efficient use of labour or money, with any degree of confidence; each is useful in their own way. The sheep always "can" cross (well, when they're out... obviously, after the roundup, they won't be back until maybe next May or so). The roundup just makes them more likely to. So it's a question of rolling the dice... because if they get in, they can devastate things in a single day. Or, as in the case today**, not devastate... it all depends on how they're feeling.

** Technically they might have ripped up some areas I haven't visited yet... there's so much land that I can't check every single tree. But at least in the "likely damage areas" that I went to, it was surprisingly low, especially given how many invaded this time!+

Fertilizer falls into the same category... it won't do much this year... it'll mainly just get stored and used next year. Phosphorus in particular binds in deficient soils and becomes almost completely immobile (assuming you don't use it in excess; if it can't bind, it ends up getting into the waterways, which is why I hesitate to use more than a mild application at once)

The last use of funds in mind was fall tree purchases, which would need to overwinter. Still waiting to hear back offers on them (it's the weekend).

I think in short, I'll gather all my pricing and funding data up early next week (presumably), and let you all decide what sounds like the best use for it. My labour can be dedicated to any of them