Juxtaposition
Impervious... This means that it cannot be penetrated or broken. So when this term is used in regard to impervious surfaces, such as pavement, I mean that rain or other precipitation cannot get through the sidewalk to the ground underneath, and just runs off into gutters or streams. This term is often used with not only pavement, but also with structures like buildings or anything that gets in the way of water going from the atmosphere directly into the ground where it falls.
Cultural Conditions... Cultural conditions for plants are their general surroundings and include light, temperature, moisture and soil type. Most plants like moist, fertile, well drained soil, which has a neutral to slightly acidic pH, and usually want to be planted in full sun, meaning that they receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. There are plants that are exceptions to the rule. Some plants can tolerate a wide range of cultural conditions and thrive in various locations.
Climax Forests... Forests are successional, meaning they take time to grow into a mature system through a series of steps. If you cut down a forest, a new one won't pop up in a couple of years. In primary succession, grasses and other forbs will move into an area first, then pioneering shrubs and trees will grow up and, and eventually a mature forest with dominant species of trees will take over. This can take several hundreds of years. A climax forest is when you have dominant trees reproducing, reaching the end of their lifespan, and dying to make room for more plants in the forest.
Monoculture... A monoculture is when a single species is planted or grown. An example would be on North Broad Street near Cheltenham where rows of London Plane trees line the streets. These are the tall trees that look like American Sycamores (they have trunks that are splotched with white, bone, and grey-green). Monocultures can be detrimental because if they are susceptible to a disease or pest, then they can all be knocked out if that pest comes along. The antithesis of monoculture is biodiversity, and should be a goal of planting. Biodiversity helps establish healthy, resistant species and reduces the risk of pests and diseases.
Invasive Species... Invasive species are species that are not only non-native (see the term native below), but are weedy. They take over, or invade spaces just like people invade others' territory. Invasive plant species usually have one or more of the following charateristics. 1. They are generalists, which means they can thrive in many different cultural conditions, for example, sunny and shady locations. 2. They reproduce generously and/or rapidly. This could mean they have many seeds, or that they reproduce asexually by colonization (essentially cloning themselves). 3. They have a large seed bank, meaning the seeds that they produce can survive for long periods of time in the soil before germinating and developing. 4. They have no natural controls. Meaning that the pests or diseases or cultural conditions that normally keep them in check in their native lands are absent.
Urban Forest... According to the Mosman Council, an urban forest is "the totality of trees and shrubs on all public and private land in and around urban areas (including bushland, parkland, gardens, and street trees) and is measured as a canopy cover percentage of the total area, and is recognised as a primary component of the urban ecosystem." This is an Australian site, and is the most comprehensive definition I could find that matched my beliefs. Obviously, we don't have bushland per say.
Native... When talking about plants that are native to North America, that usually means those plants that were established here before the arrival of the colonists. It could also refer to plants that have evolved over a long period of time in a certain area (we are talking a long geological time, not a long time such as 200 - 300 years). Although native American tribes moved to the continent and altered the environment (through burning, cultivation, and spreading of plants) their hand was significantly lighter on the environment than the heavy and rapid change that the Europeans brought about. More information about native plants, especially to the Pennsylvania Piedmont region can be found at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve.
Stewardship... I don't always like the term stewardship when in reference to nature. It means to care for or to manage. Stewardship has been alluded to as dominion or power-over. When used as a duty to care for natural systems, the term is okay by me. However when it refers to management or dominion, I'm not really a fan.
Cultural Conditions... Cultural conditions for plants are their general surroundings and include light, temperature, moisture and soil type. Most plants like moist, fertile, well drained soil, which has a neutral to slightly acidic pH, and usually want to be planted in full sun, meaning that they receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. There are plants that are exceptions to the rule. Some plants can tolerate a wide range of cultural conditions and thrive in various locations.
Climax Forests... Forests are successional, meaning they take time to grow into a mature system through a series of steps. If you cut down a forest, a new one won't pop up in a couple of years. In primary succession, grasses and other forbs will move into an area first, then pioneering shrubs and trees will grow up and, and eventually a mature forest with dominant species of trees will take over. This can take several hundreds of years. A climax forest is when you have dominant trees reproducing, reaching the end of their lifespan, and dying to make room for more plants in the forest.
Monoculture... A monoculture is when a single species is planted or grown. An example would be on North Broad Street near Cheltenham where rows of London Plane trees line the streets. These are the tall trees that look like American Sycamores (they have trunks that are splotched with white, bone, and grey-green). Monocultures can be detrimental because if they are susceptible to a disease or pest, then they can all be knocked out if that pest comes along. The antithesis of monoculture is biodiversity, and should be a goal of planting. Biodiversity helps establish healthy, resistant species and reduces the risk of pests and diseases.
Invasive Species... Invasive species are species that are not only non-native (see the term native below), but are weedy. They take over, or invade spaces just like people invade others' territory. Invasive plant species usually have one or more of the following charateristics. 1. They are generalists, which means they can thrive in many different cultural conditions, for example, sunny and shady locations. 2. They reproduce generously and/or rapidly. This could mean they have many seeds, or that they reproduce asexually by colonization (essentially cloning themselves). 3. They have a large seed bank, meaning the seeds that they produce can survive for long periods of time in the soil before germinating and developing. 4. They have no natural controls. Meaning that the pests or diseases or cultural conditions that normally keep them in check in their native lands are absent.
Urban Forest... According to the Mosman Council, an urban forest is "the totality of trees and shrubs on all public and private land in and around urban areas (including bushland, parkland, gardens, and street trees) and is measured as a canopy cover percentage of the total area, and is recognised as a primary component of the urban ecosystem." This is an Australian site, and is the most comprehensive definition I could find that matched my beliefs. Obviously, we don't have bushland per say.
Native... When talking about plants that are native to North America, that usually means those plants that were established here before the arrival of the colonists. It could also refer to plants that have evolved over a long period of time in a certain area (we are talking a long geological time, not a long time such as 200 - 300 years). Although native American tribes moved to the continent and altered the environment (through burning, cultivation, and spreading of plants) their hand was significantly lighter on the environment than the heavy and rapid change that the Europeans brought about. More information about native plants, especially to the Pennsylvania Piedmont region can be found at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve.
Stewardship... I don't always like the term stewardship when in reference to nature. It means to care for or to manage. Stewardship has been alluded to as dominion or power-over. When used as a duty to care for natural systems, the term is okay by me. However when it refers to management or dominion, I'm not really a fan.
posted by Bri Crowley at
10:35 AM
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